Flitcroft keen to enter Rochdale hall of relative fame

A copious list of Rochdale FA Cup heroes was helpfully issued from Spotland last week to assist those less accustomed to a club who have been obstinately rooted in professional football's basement league for 29 years and has reached the fifth round only once before.

They were all other people's heroes. Bob Stokoe – Sunderland, 1973 and all that – was manager there for a time; so too Jimmy Greenhoff, who scored the Manchester United Cup final winner which denied Liverpool a 1977 Treble. For a fee of £40,000 Alan Taylor was delivered to West Ham less than six months before scoring both goals in the 1975 final against Fulham.

And when the barrel was looking empty there were other people's heroes' relatives: Danny Crerand's boy Pat; Mick Docherty, Tommy's lad; and the fathers of Sir Geoff Hurst, Alan Ball and Michael Owen – they all rank among the club's former players and managers.

Fittingly, even the midfielder on whom most rests in Wolverhampton this evening is the brother of the more famous Garry. But Rochdale's desire to have David Flitcroft in his regular midfield berth has generated a tense subplot all of its own, and says everything about his value.

The problem has been the 29-year-old's discipline – or, as he tells it, the "soft yellow cards" being dished out in the Third Division this season. His collection of 10 prompted a two-match suspension and an inconceivably jittery couple of weeks.

First the 1 February match at Leyton Orient was postponed, leaving Flitcroft in need of another match to miss ahead of Tuesday night's fixture at Darlington. Then a 3.30pm match-day call from the North-east indicated that it, too, was under threat.

Flitcroft was nervously cracking jokes about driving up to clear the pitch himself, and a frantic exchange of phone calls ensued before the nerves were settled and the game went ahead – just so he could sit it out. In the event, a much needed 1-0 win, delivering Rochdale to 15th place, has threatened to deprive tonight's side of midfielder Michael Oliver and Paul Connor, a record £150,000 signing from Stoke, who both hobbled off at Feethams.

But it provides the enticing prospect of Flitcroft, a player not known to take prisoners, brushing up against Paul Ince at Molineux. There has already been talk of an Ince wind-up – everyone putting on their shirts as they walk on to the pitch, in imitation of his famous superstition. "It would be nice to give him a bit of a dig," Flitcroft admits.

But above all there is a sense that Flitcroft – the ex-Preston and Chester City man – will be fired by an indignation about the worth of players who have spent their career knocking about in football's basement.

The second-half taunts of a Coventry City player while Rochdale were on their way to knocking them out in the fourth round are still ringing in his ears. "The bench heard it and it was along the lines of: 'How much do you earn?' and: 'What sort of a car have you got?'," he said. "I would have had a word in the tunnel if I could have got there – but I couldn't get off the pitch. They think it's clever, but it's actually something you can bounce off."

They picked the wrong man in Flitcroft, who has taken a long, hard look at his brother and been left under no illusions. "You are where you are for a reason," he said. "I'm in the Third Division because that's where I belong. Gaz is in the Premiership and that's where he belongs." David is already helping to manage another brother's building firm these days because, having seen too many coaches "finished" when things start to go wrong, he will be packing up his boots for good when his playing days are over.

He is not the only one with something to prove. Rochdale – who have received an apology from the BBC after the third-round win at Preston earned a derisory 90 seconds of coverage – also field Clive Platt, a Wolverhampton boy once utterly devoted to Steve Bull who used to rely on a mate with a season ticket to deliver weekly reports on progress inside Molineux.

As a 17-year-old YTS boy alongside Michael Ricketts at Walsall, Platt had his dreams of playing in gold. But the nearest he got was a pre-season friendly against his idols. He never figured in Ray Graydon's plans and Rochdale came in with £100,000 (a club record at the time) while destiny took Ricketts to the top flight.

Rochdale say the Cup run, with its £265,000 TV payout tonight, should be enough to keep Platt at Spotland. Though he is far too diplomatic to say as much, Platt is probably rather hoping it might just propel him to the ranks of stars who used to play for Rochdale.

FA Cup Teamsheet

Crystal Palace v Leeds Utd

Today: 1.0pm. Live: Sky Sports 2

After a back-to-the-wall season, Terry Venables conceded "the tin helmet will have to come on again" when he returns to face the ire of the Crystal Palace faithful following his four-month stint at the club in 1998. He goes without his injured captain, Dominic Matteo, and Eirik Bakke, while Mark Viduka is also out serving the second of a two-match ban. His Palace counterpart, Trevor Francis, meanwhile, is sweating on the fitness of key striker Dougie Freedman, although Aki Riihilahti is set to return.

Fulham v Burnley

Today: 3.0pm. Highlights, Sky Sports 1, 9.30

The Cottagers are far from a happy camp at the moment with Jean Tigana's summer exit looking ever more likely, followed by the French players he has brought to the club. The Turf Moor side will certainly not be saddened by the gifted Luis Boa Morte's absence with a one-match suspension, while Stan Ternent will welcome Glen Little and Lee Briscoe back to the squad along with goalkeeper Marlon Beresford for Burnley's first FA Cup fifth-round match for 20 years.

Stoke City v Chelsea

Today: 4.0pm. Live: Sky Sports 2

While the loss of Gianfranco Zola and Marcel Desailly with thigh and ankle problems respectively will be a big blow for Claudio Ranieri's high-fliers, they will still fancy their chances against the First Division strugglers. The Stoke manager, Tony Pulis, clearly does: "If I talk about Chelsea our players will be frightened to death. They are better than us in every respect." Yet Pulis can call on the spirit of '72, when Stoke last won a major trophy, beating Chelsea 2-1 in the League Cup final at Wembley.

Wolves v Rochdale

Today: 7.0pm. Live: BBC2

Wolves manager Dave Jones has a full-strength squad to choose from with George Ndah, Nathan Blake and winger Mark Kennedy returning from injury and Denis Irwin, twice an FA Cup winner with Manchester United, back after suspension. Yet Jones will not take progress for granted with Rochdale having already shunted aside two First Division teams, Preston and Coventry, in this season's competition.

Compiled by Jason Gee