Keith Hanvey will be entertaining hospitality diners on Saturday 11th April when Dale meet Wealdstone, he’ll be recounting his two spells at Dale back in the seventies.
Keith has made 136 appearances and scored 10 goals for Dale.
Throughout his entire career, he has played in 407 games and scored 26 goals.
We’re really lucky to have him back with us for our upcoming home game against Wealdstone.
He’ll also be sharing some of his memories during the pre-match hospitality in the 1907.
It’s wonderful to welcome him back!
DOB: 18th January 1952
Also played for: Manchester City, Swansea City, Grimsby Town, Huddersfield Town.
Keith Hanvey was born in 1952 and first ventured into football by signing for Manchester City. “I made sure I got my A Levels at school and was playing for City’s A and B teams at the same time. One day, Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison, the management team, walked up to me and asked me to sign professional forms. I progressed quite quickly in the first three months playing in the club’s reserve side; I also played in the Texaco Cup, making my debut for the first team against Airdrie.”
Keith suffered a severe injury that marked a turning point in his career. During a reserve game at Newcastle United, he broke his thigh after a tackle, damaging nerves and breaking the bone, which kept him out for eighteen months. He recovered and played on loan at Swansea City for experience. During this time, Johnny Hart became City’s first-team manager, and Keith felt he didn’t rate him like Joe Mercer. Missing home and with his father ill, he wanted to return closer to Manchester and signed for the Dale under manager Walter Joyce, who admired him.
According to Rochdale’s Who’s Who, Keith was the club’s first signing by Walter Joyce, initially playing as a left-back before returning to centre half, making him one of the most successful signings of that era. Despite relegation and injury problems, he was a regular starter and the club’s top scorer with four goals in 1976/7 — a remarkable feat for a defender.
Keith had two spells at the Dale. The first, he describes, “I started to learn about the game, a really good experience.” Before returning for a second spell in my later years, which resulted in retiring after my groin injury. Despite my time at Spotland not being too successful in terms of results, I learned a lot, and it provided me with a solid foundation and a showcase for my subsequent professional football career. This took me to several higher-ranked clubs, including Swansea, Grimsby, and Huddersfield, where I eventually retired after a serious injury.
According to Keith, he played in midfield and full back, got some games under his belt, and then started hearing that clubs were showing interest. Sheffield United offered £25K, but the bid was refused. However, on deadline transfer day, Dick Connor at Grimsby Town offered £15K, which was readily accepted as Dale needed the money.
He spent eighteen months at Grimsby, nearly famous as was going to be the first transfer tribunal case in summer of 1978 eventually going to Huddersfield Town for £25K, where he spent six years and two promotions later returning to sign for Dale on a contract where he trained for two days a week whilst learning Financial Management but after a serious injury against Doncaster Rovers, he was advised to retire mid 1984/85 after months of trying to get fit. According to Keith, he didn’t pursue the rest of contract with Dale under Brian Green as manager.
Reflecting on retirement, he quotes: “a local businessman gave me a salesman job on the road, which I enjoyed but some months later Huddersfield Town offered me the Commercial Managers job, which kept me there for over six years and left after Leeds United wanted me as Commercial Manager in 1990, where I worked for nearly thirty-two years, latterly as a compere and helping in Commercial. I now have a hospitality business alongside my role at Leeds for over twenty years.”
Keith made 136 appearances scoring 10 goals for Dale, total career 407 games, 26 goals
Played against Cambridge United 5th February 1974, attendance 588 (3rd lowest in Football League)