There can be few players who have arrived at Spotland and be greeted with quite the same adulation that Turnbull did when he signed on a month's loan from Hartlepool in March 2007, and he was probably completely unaware of any of it. For whilst Turnbull only played four games for Dale during his spell at the club, he was best known for a previous loan spell at neighbours Bury. Whilst with the Shakers, he was played by manager Chris Casper in an FA Cup replay at Chester whilst ineligible to play, which resulted in Bury being booted out of the FA Cup.
His four games with Dale were pretty much unspectacular. He had a solid enough debut against Darlington, but the game seemed to pass him by in his next start away at Chester. After that, there were a couple of sub appearances before he was recalled by Hartlepool.
He seemed to impress Dale boss Keith Hill who informed the press that Turnbull was somebody that he would consider looking at again in the Summer if the opportunity arose, but Hill failed to follow up in any interest in the midfielder.
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