He was a prolific scorer for the North Walian side, scoring 47 goals during the 1984–85 season which remained a club record until 1996 when it was surpassed by Ken McKenna,[3] and followed it up by finding the net on a regular basis for their neighbours Rhyl and Bangor City.
[5] The highlight was a hat-trick in a 7–0 demolition of Fulham in April 1989, with Dale comfortably finishing as the club's top scorer and player of the season.
Although he struggled to hit the same heights over the next two years, Dale still enjoyed a decent strike rate and attracted interest from other league clubs.
He rejected a new contract with Chester in 1991 and seemed set to join Maidstone United, but the transfer deal collapsed at tribunal stage[6] and Cardiff City snapped up the North Walian for £82,000.
He helped the non-league side reach the FA Cup third round, where the luck of the draw meant he was handed a trip back to Cardiff in January 1999.