History
Early years
Rugby was started at Rochdale in 1867 by a magistrate and numerous business owners and self-employed men. Within a year they were all playing alongside new members when working class men were allowed to join as well. This club was the forerunner of Rochdale Hornets who arrived in 1871 with an open door approach to membership. Rochdale were able to insist on gate money as they played on an enclosed field.
Rochdale moved to the Athletic Grounds in 1894. They were founder members of the Northern Union in 1895.
Hornets won the Northern Union Cup (later renamed the Rugby League Challenge Cup) in 1922 by beating Hull 10-9 at Headingley, Leeds. That was Hornets’ one and only Challenge Cup final. Due to the ferocity of their play, their pack of forwards were known as "The Terrible Six".
The club's record attendence was set at 26,664 in 1922 when Oldham were the visitors for a third round Challenge Cup match.
In 1940-41, Hornets dropped out of the wartime Lancashire League, they returned to league competition in 1945-46.
Post War
In 1947 and 1958, Rochdale Hornets made it to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup but both times Wigan ended their hopes of a Wembley final.
Hornets played their first game at Spotlands in 1954 when a one-off game against Keighley was played there.
In 1965, Hornets appeared in the final of the Lancashire Cup when a 19,000 crowd saw them lose to Warrington at Knowsley Road, St Helens. They reached a Players No 6 Final in 1974.
In 1987 both Rochdale Hornets and Rochdale A.F.C. were in financial trouble. Deep in debt, Rochdale could not resist Morrison's £2.7m offer for the Athletic Grounds and following the sale of the land moved to Rochdale A.F.C.'s Spotland stadium in 1988. The stadium became jointly owned by Hornets, Rochdale Council and Rochdale A.F.C..
In 1989, Hornets got promoted from the Second Division to the top tier. The club's record attendence at Spotland was set at 8,150 when Rochdale played Hornets on Boxing Day 1989.
In 1991, Hornets appeared in the final of the Lancashire Cup.
Summer era
On May 9 1996, Rochdale sacked their coach, Steve Gibson, after taking just one point from their first six games of the First Division season.
Deryck Fox became player-coach in May 1998, and made an immediate impact. A ten-match losing sequence was ended as Hornets won at Featherstone, in Fox’s first match in charge. However, Hornets ended that 1998 campaign in next to bottom position in Division One.
In October 1998, Karl Marriott died following a training session, and a couple of months later Roy Powell died in similar circumstances. Hornets struggled early in the campaign when they occupied bottom spot for a couple of weeks. They recovered slightly and had moved up to 15th position, fourth bottom, by late June.
On Wednesday 30 June 1999, it was announced that Deryck Fox was no longer Rochdale coach. During his thirteen months as Hornets' coach, the club played 38 matches. They won 12, drew one and lost the remaining twenty-five. Bob Eccles took over as caretaker coach.
Steve Linnane quit his job as head coach in June 2000 to become assistant coach at Super League club Halifax.
Martin Hall took up the position of coach at Rochdale Hornets in November 2000. He stepped in after the shock resignation of Steve Deakin who returned to Keighley after a few months in charge. He took Rochdale to two consecutive third-place finishes in the Northern Ford Premiership. Hall departed along with all the players after not renewing his contract after his failed bid to take over the club.
Bobbie Goulding arrived as player-coach in December 2003. He was in charge of Rochdale Hornets for two seasons, twice being nominated for coach of the year. He left in November 2005, citing frustration at the club's financial problems and his lack of a proper contract.
Darren Abram was appointed head coach two weeks later. Shaun Gartland, who was placed in temporary charge in July 2007 following the dismissal of Darren Abram.
Bobbie Goulding was appointed as Rochdale Hornets coach for the second time in September.
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