The close friendship between opposing managers David Flitcroft and Keith Hill creates a derby with a contrast that is an example to the football worldIt is not just the six miles but Bury and Rochdale,through their managers, are nearly too close for combat. David Flitcroft and Keith Hill played and managed together at Rochdale, or with Hill the senior partner. They talk,if not meet, every week and know each other’s football backwards. Flicker is godfather to Hilly’s son. On Saturday they did meet, and at Gigg Lane in League One’s top half. It ended love-all,like their only other match in managerial opposition.
That was in 2014 in League Two, before Hill led Dale up for the moment time in five seasons. Between times he and Flitcroft went to Barnsley without distinction, or coming back separately to their current posts. But their friendship was forged as firmly as “Hillcroft” in Rochdale’s annals. The club had been in the fourth tier for 36 years in 2010. North of Manchester Hill and Flitcroft were as famous as Clough and Taylor at Forest and their achievement hardly less.
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Source: theguardian.com