Tony Rodwell enjoyed his own Football League fairytale story following the demise of Colne Dynamoes

​It would arguably have been the footballing fairytale story to end all others; a club formed by a group of school friends in 1963 that remarkably rose to within one promotion of the Football League a little under three decades later.

Colne Dynamoes nearly completed the impossible when they went from local park league outfit to the cusp of the old Fourth Division – now League Two

Driven by founder Graham “Chalky” White – an original member of the team who later went on to manage and own the club – the Dynamoes had blitzed their way through the non-league pyramid.

They famously won at Wembley in 1988, beating Emley 1-0 to win the FA Vase, courtesy of a goal from local lad Stewart Anderson, who was set up by another local lad in Nigel Coates.

Two years later, it appeared almost a given that they would complete the impossible dream and reach the Football League when they stormed to the Northern Premier League title by a record-breaking 26 points to claim a place in the Football Conference in 1990.

A local businessman involved in the building trade, White had bankrolled the Dynamoes to success but in a shock and unexpected twist, the club folded that summer after its Holt House stadium failed to meet the necessary ground grading criteria to compete at the higher level.

Tony Rodwell had been one of the Dynamoes’ star players during that title-winning campaign.

Having arrived in East Lancashire the previous year, the wing wizard had spent his entire career up to that point in non-league football.

But he was looking forward to the prospect of another promotion tilt and potentially fulfilling his ambition of playing in the Football League.

However, his dream appeared to lay in tatters when the club – who had turned professional in 1989 – went out of business.

With a contract now worthless, Rodwell feared for his future.

Happily, Blackpool came picking at the Dynamoes’ carcass and offered him a route into the Football League. Despite being offered less money to play for the Tangerines, he jumped at the opportunity to move to Bloomfield Road.

He went on to enjoy four years with the Seasiders, two of which were played in League One after the club won promotion in 1992.

But Rodwell will never forget his stint playing for Dynamoes.

“I was playing for Runcorn and I remember Dynamoes had been sending a scout to watch our centre-forward Mark Carter,” Rodwell said.

“But I think every time he came to watch, I played well so they ended up signing me. I think they paid £50,000 for me.

“I went full-time and it ended up changing my life. I played the best that I had ever played in my life – I think the full-time training did me good.

“I scored some great goals and played really, really well.

“When I signed, I think we were sixth in the table, but I think I only lost one game playing for Dynamoes.

“We played Marine on Boxing Day, their lad scored a worldie and that’s the only game I ever lost.

“I remember the day after, we were called in by the owner. We had a crisis meeting because we had lost a game.

“I had never seen anything like it, we were having one-on-one meetings as to why we lost the game.

“We ended up winning the league by a record number of points.

“Graham White was a single-minded guy who had made a lot of money.

“I suppose you don’t really need to be Einstein, he just bought all the best players and hoped that they gelled.

“He paid for everything; masseurs, pre-match meals, everything was done properly and he brought success. I thank him for signing me.”

Rodwell admits White displayed great attention to detail off the pitch and also had his own style of play on it.

"We played with three centre halves,” Rodwell recalls. "Nobody played with three centre halves in those days.

“We had a big Yorkshireman called Dave Morgan and a small Scouse lad called Steve McNeillis who was really good in the air.

"In between them, there was Simon Westwell who had played for Preston and had been at Colne a long while.

"You wouldn’t have put them together, but they worked really well together. There were two local lads in midfield – Andy Grimshaw and Stewart Anderson.

"Where he spent his money was on the attacking players, people like me, Dave Lancaster, Rod McDonald, Lee Showler.”

Unbelievably, Dynamoes were tipped to eclipse near neighbours Burnley, who at that time were languishing in the old Fourth Division.

White had made an offer to buy the Clarets and also attempted to forge a deal with their board to allow Dynamoes to ground share Turf Moor.

“I remember there was a football magazine called Match,” said Rodwell, who is related to ex-Everton, Manchester City and England midfielder Jack Rodwell.

“It did an article predicting what football would look like in five years’ time and it had Colne Dynamoes in League One.

“A few teams were jealous because White was spending money and buying all the best players.

“But he was putting money back into non-league – the clubs he was buying players from.

“He did upset a few people, I think originally he wanted to buy Burnley and then wanted to ground share with them. I think he rubbed them up the wrong way and fell out with them.

“Burnley is a massive club but football-wise, at the time, there was nothing between the two.”

As it was, Rodwell would lock horns with Burnley in Blackpool colours over the next four seasons following Dynamoes’ demise.

When the end came at Colne, it did take Rodwell by surprise.

Rodwell added: "I think it was two things; the ground was not up to scratch and it was never going to be and also there was a crisis in the building industry.

“After that, Graham White kept his head down, he didn’t contact anyone and I have not seen him since.

"I don’t bear any grudges because I had done all right out of it. I don’t blame him. He had put his money in and done me a favour by me going full-time.

"I would have liked to have had a phone call from him a few years later to say ‘sorry’ or ‘ thanks’. I would like to have a chat with him but I’ve not heard anything since.

"I don’t think anybody heard from him. It was disappointing because I had a four-year contract on really good money and overnight you don’t have a club.

"I was in my prime and you’re thinking what is going to happen here, but luckily things turned out all right.”

Rodwell became a key player for the Seasiders until Sam Allardyce took charge at Bloomfield Road in 1994.

Allardyce brought a few of his own players in, such as Phil Brown and David Burke, and Rodwell felt his time was numbered under the future England manager.

Despite being long-time retired as a player, Rodwell is still involved in the game, working as a television floor manager primarily tending to the needs of all the international broadcasters at Premier League games.

“I have done it since 2005,” said Rodwell, whose daughter Stacey also played football for Everton, Manchester United and Los Angeles and is currently a football agent.

“I have made a really good career out of it. I have worked at Champions League games, I did Paris St Germain versus Aston Villa this season other sports like golf, basketball, rugby. I have worked for TNT, CBS...it’s been good.”