1997–98 Rochdale A.F.C. season
# 1997–98 Rochdale A.F.C. season

The 1997–98 season saw Rochdale compete in their 24th consecutive season in the fourth tier of the English football league, named at the time as the Football League Third Division.

## Statistics

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Division 3 | Division 3 | F.A. Cup | F.A. Cup | League Cup | League Cup | League Trophy | League Trophy |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | GK | ENG | Lance Key | 21 | 0 | 19+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Andy Fensome | 47 | 0 | 42+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Andy Barlow | 40 | 0 | 35+3 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Keith Hill | 40 | 2 | 36+1 | 2 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Andy Farrell | 45 | 5 | 40+0 | 5 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Andy Gouck | 43 | 5 | 36+2 | 5 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Mark Bailey | 37 | 0 | 24+9 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Robbie Painter | 50 | 17 | 45+0 | 16 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Mark Leonard | 37 | 2 | 33+0 | 2 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Alex Russell | 34 | 5 | 26+5 | 4 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Mark Stuart | 50 | 7 | 30+15 | 6 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 |
| | FW | ENG | Mark Carter | 13 | 2 | 7+4 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | David Bayliss | 32 | 2 | 23+6 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Andy Scott | 3 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Craig Smith | 4 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ian Bryson | 18 | 1 | 12+3 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Graham Lancashire | 28 | 9 | 20+7 | 9 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | GK | WAL | Neil Edwards | 29 | 0 | 27+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Glen Robson | 7 | 0 | 0+7 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | IRL | John Pender | 17 | 0 | 14+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Adam Reed | 12 | 1 | 10+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 |
| | MF | ENG | Graeme Atkinson | 6 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Gary Jones | 17 | 2 | 17+0 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Paul Carden | 7 | 0 | 3+4 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | GK | ENG | Stephen Bywater | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |

## Final League Table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | HW | HD | HL | HGF | HGA | AW | AD | AL | AGF | AGA | GD | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 16 | Cambridge United | 46 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 39 | 27 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 24 | 30 | +6 | 60 |
| 17 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 40 | 22 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 31 | +8 | 59 |
| 18 | Rochdale | 46 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 43 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 13 | 40 | +1 | 58 |
| 19 | Darlington | 46 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 43 | 28 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 13 | 44 | −16 | 54 |
| 20 | Swansea City | 46 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 24 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 25 | 46 | −13 | 50 |
