Spotland

As my first instalment of an FA Cup weekend I headed over to Rochdale who were hosting non-league Bromley.

Although I've travelled through Rochdale a lot on the train, I've never alighted. I didn't allow a huge amount of exploration time on this visit, but as Rochdale's ground, at Spotland, is way over the other side of town I did manage to note decorative signage at the fire station and the former tramway offices, collect a ghost sign and a brick, admire a street name in mosaic and, suitably for the season, encounter the Headless Harpist of St Chad's and the Monster of Spotland Road as I walked across.

The match was a little one-sided, with Rochdale scoring four with no reply. So the sun has set on Bromley's FA Cup run for another year, but not on my FA Cup weekend. Tomorrow I'm on home ground as Guiseley host League Two Accrington Stanley.