Rochdale AFC fans have launched a campaign to build a statue in memory of a lifelong supporter who raised around half-a-million for his local football club.
David Clough, 78, began selling scratch cards for Dale at his workplace of Whittles Bakery in 1992, before taking responsibility for collecting money from members of the club’s lottery-style Goldbond Draw.
The Dale fan was a familiar face around Littleborough for decades, often spotted out on his bicycle – come rain or shine – to pick up 50p fees from fans.
David sadly passed away last year after a long illness – bequeathing his entire estate to the club.
A group of his fellow supporters are now hoping to honour David by putting a statue of him in his old seat at the Crown Oil Arena.
ADVERTISEMENT
The fundraiser has already generated more than £5,000 – half of its overall target.
Mark Cryer, the man behind the JustGiving campaign, said the idea was taken from Spanish football club Valencia – which commissioned a bronze statue of fan Vicente Navarro Aparicio at their Mestalla Stadium after the fan devoted himself to attending club games despite losing his sight.
ADVERTISEMENT
Statue of Valencia fan Navarro Aparicio at the Mestalla Ground
Speaking to the Rochdale AFC media team, Mark said: “I didn’t know Cloughie personally but I think all Rochdale fans knew of him and what he did for the football club with the various Goldbond rounds that he did in all weathers.
‘To leave his entire estate to the Club for the future generations is absolutely unbelievable, so I thought to myself, what could we as fans do to say thank you to a fan like Cloughie.
“My friend who goes to watch Valencia quite a lot had told me about a statue that they have at their ground for one of their super fans, so I thought it would be ideal if we as fans could get together and do something similar.”
ADVERTISEMENT
David’s estate money is funding a new scoreboard at the Spotland Stadium, along with an air conditioning system and new ceiling to be installed in the club’s ‘1907 Lounge.’
The JustGiving page for the supporter’s proposed statue reads: “If football fans we can help us exceed this new target, the quality of the statue will enable fans to pay a lasting tribute to a Dale Legend.”
You can view the David Clough statue fundraiser and make a donation online via JustGiving.
News
Extremely rare ‘dancing lemur’ that’s only the size of a tennis ball born at Chester Zoo
Emily Sergeant
An extremely rare ‘dancing lemur’ that weighs 100 grams and is only the size of a tennis ball has been born at Chester Zoo.
Primate conservationists at the UK’s largest charity zoo are celebrating the birth of the critically-endangered Coquerel’s sifaka – also known as a ‘dancing lemur’ – with the tiny baby arriving to parents Beatrice (12) and Elliot (12), and bringing an end to a five-month pregnancy.
The first images released by Chester Zoo show mum Beatrice carefully cradling her new baby, who was born with thick fuzzy white fur, as it clings to her belly.
Chester is the only zoo in the UK, and one of just three in Europe, to care for Coquerel’s sifakas.
Unlike other species of lemur, sifakas stand perfectly upright and use their powerful legs to spring side to side along the forest floor, hence them being affectionately nicknamed the ‘dancing lemur’.
ChDuke Lemur Centre in America to establish a conservation breeding programme across the continent that’s working to prevent the rare primates from becoming extinct.
The unique primates are found in only one place on Earth, the northwestern forests of Madagascar, where its wild population has declined by 80% in the last 30 years due to widespread deforestation, and as a result, the species has sadly been listed as the highest conservation priority there is – critically endangered.
Currently just nine sifaka reside in the whole of Europe, with four now found in Chester.
An extremely rare ‘dancing lemur’ that’s only the size of a tennis ball has been born at Chester Zoo / Credit: Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo has worked with the Duke Lemur Centre over in America to establish a conservation breeding programme across the continent that’s working to prevent the rare primates from becoming completely extinct.
Primate experts at the zoo say the new baby will begin to branch out and explore on its own at around six months old, and it’s at this point they’ll determine whether it’s a male or female.
“Every Coquerel’s sifaka birth is a huge cause for celebration,” commented Dr Nick Davis, who is the Mammals General Manager at Chester Zoo.
“There are very few remaining globally and every addition within the European conservation breeding programme is vital to the work we’re doing to safeguard the future of this species.
“The new baby has spent the first vital few weeks of life quietly bonding with mum, Beatrice, and we’re very happy to report that they’re both doing great so far. We’re seeing positive signs – they’ve been inseparable so far.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
News
Police continue searches and issue public appeal to find missing Wigan man ‘known to many in the area’
Emily Sergeant
Officers are continuing searches to find missing Wigan man Darren Orme who’s said to be ‘known to many in the area’.
A public appeal for information has now been issued.
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Darren was last seen shortly before 9pm last Wednesday (5 March) at the junction of Woodhouse Lane and Scot Lane Beech Hill Lane in Wigan, and officers have been searching several locations since he was reported missing the following day.
Darren is 54 years old, around 6ft 3in tall, and of slim build with short red/ginger hair.
He was last seen wearing blue jeans, blue trainers, a navy-blue Wigan Athletic jumper, and a three-quarter length blue Wigan Athletic jacket, police explained in their appeal.
Since Darren’s family reported him as missing, a large GMP response has been underway – including specialist search advisors, an underwater search team, and police dogs, alongside officers from Wigan Police Station.
If you have any information on Darren’s whereabouts, or you have any footage which may show Darren since he was reported missing, please call us on 101 quoting log 2423 of 06/03/2025. pic.twitter.com/5UCKtUYlmL
Darren’s family said in their own heartbreaking plea for him to return home that they ‘implore’ anyone who has any information to contact the police immediately and ‘help return Darren to us’.
Their direct appeal to Darren continues: “Darren, you’re not in any trouble. We just want you home. We need you to know that we love you and we’re here for you. Even though it may feel you have the world on your shoulders and you’re under a lot of stress, you’re not alone and the people of Wigan are right behind you.
“We will do anything we can to take this weight from you. We just want you safe, please come home to us.”
Detective Inspector Lee Shaw added: “Specialist officers from across the force are continuing to search for Darren… and we remain hopeful of finding [him] and want to retrace his last known movements.
“The number of people who have shared our appeals and are out looking for Darren shows how loved he is by the local community, and I would like to urge the public in continuing to share our appeals and information which may assist us.
“We know Darren is known to many in the area, and we appreciate all the help from people who have joined the search over the past few days.”
Anyone with any information on Darren’s potential whereabouts, or any footage which may have shown him since he was reported missing, are urged to call police on 101 quoting log 2423 of 06/03/2025.
The Manc -
2nd February 2021 
