Tranmere Rovers F.C.
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| Full name | Tranmere Rovers Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Rovers | ||
| Founded | 1884 | ||
| Ground | Prenton Park, Birkenhead | ||
| Capacity | 16,587 | ||
| Chairman | Lorraine Rogers | ||
| Manager | Jason McAteer (acting) | ||
| League | League One | ||
| 2005-06 | League One, 18th | ||
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Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English football club, based in Birkenhead, Wirral. They currently play in Football League One.
Overview
The club was founded as Belmont F.C. in 1885. The club's traditional home kit is a white shirt, shorts and socks, with blue trim. The 2004/05 away kit is amber with black trim. The club is currently without a manager following Brian Little's resignation - Jason McAteer taking temporary charge for the final game of the 2005/2006 season. Home matches are played at Prenton Park, which has a 16,587 capacity.
The club played its first match in the Liverpool & District Challenge Cup in 1886. In 1921/22 the club joined the newly formed Third Division North of the Football League.
Prenton Park
There are four stands: The Kop, the Main Stand (including the paddock), the Cowshed and the Johnny King Stand (formerly the Borough Road Stand). The Kop is the biggest of the stands and houses the home fans while the Cowshed houses the away fans. The stadium is all-seater and holds over 16,000.
History
Since the mid-1990s, Tranmere Rovers have become famous for their unlikely cup successes. John King led them to the 1994 League Cup semi-final only losing to Premiership side Aston Villa on penalties. John Aldridge continued this tradition, guiding Tranmere to FA Cup quarter-finals in 2000 and 2001 and a League Cup final in 2000. This has continued under manager Brian Little as Tranmere took Millwall to a quarter-final replay in the FA Cup in 2004, eventually losing 2-1.
Since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, Tranmere have beaten many Premiership sides in cup competitions. Notable scalps include a 3-0 victory against local rivals Everton at Goodison Park (FA Cup, 2001) and a victory against Southampton (FA Cup, 2001), which saw the greatest comeback in their FA Cup history when Tranmere came from 3-0 down at half-time to win 4-3.
The John King era, 1987-1996
John King is widely regarded as the most successful manager ever to take charge of Tranmere Rovers. He was appointed manager of the club for a second time (having previously been in charge in the 70's) towards the end of the 1986-1987 season, with the club fighting not to finish bottom of the fourth division and be relegated from the football league. Safety was only guaranteed in the last game of the season with a 1-0 home win over Exeter City, Tranmere's crucial winner being scored by midfielder Gary Williams. Thereafter, King began to show the talents which made him a legend on the Wirral and established his reputation as one of the greatest managerial geniuses ever to grace England's lower leagues, as well as one of the most eccentric. Carefully blending homegrown talent from the club's youth programme with astute bargain signings from league and non-league clubs, he built a team which took Tranmere steadily up the football league standings and acquired a fearsome reputation in cup competitions.
King's first full season of his second managerial spell in charge saw Tranmere make their first appearance at Wembley stadium when a good mid-season run of form saw them qualify as one of the fourth division's two representatives, along with eventual champions Wolves, in the football league's centenary tournament. Tranmere were the surprise stars of an otherwise derided tournament, beating first division Wimbledon and Newcastle before losing on penalties to eventual winners Nottingham Forest.
King's second season in this spell (1988-89) saw him guide Tranmere to promotion as Fourth Division runners-up. It also marked the first of a string of cup successes against sides from the first division, Middlesborough going down 1-0 on aggregate in the second round of the League Cup. Fellow top flight sides Millwall, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Coventry were among the other giants slain at Prenton Park by King's Tranmere.
A successful return to division three saw Tranmere finish fourth in the table, only to lose to Notts County in the 1990 third division playoff final. They were granted a place in the Second Division after Swindon Town (Second Division playoff winners) were demoted to the Third Division for financial irregularities. But Tranmere remained in the Third Division after Swindon's punishment was reduced to remaining the Second Division. Consolation came in the form of victory in the Associate Members' cup final, a 2-1 Wembley win over third division champions Bristol Rovers. Club record scorer Ian Muir gave Tranmere an early lead with a magnificent volleyed strike, and after Devon White gave Bristol an undeserved equaliser early in the second half, Muir's strike partner Jim Steele headed a late winner.
Tranmere Rovers went one better in the 1990-91 season, finishing fifth in the league but winning the Third Division playoffs with a dramatic 1-0 win over local rivals Bolton Wanderers. Chris Malkin's extra time goal saw the club promoted to the Second Division for the first time since the 1930's. They also made a second successive appearance in the Associate Members' cup final, this time losing 3-2 to Birmingham City. This made the play-off victory over Bolton Tranmere's fourth appearance in a Wembley final in just over a year. Another notable event that season was in Tranmere's home match against Southend United on new year's day 1991, when right back Tony Thomas scored after just eight seconds, at the time the fastest televised goal in history.
Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge joined the club that summer, signing from Spain's Real Sociedad, and would remain on the club's payroll for the next 10 years. John King guided Tranmere into the new Division One playoffs three years in succession from 1993, but each time they lost in the semi-finals and King resigned in March 1996 with the club in mid table.
The John Aldridge era, 1996-2001
John Aldridge was appointed player-manager and remained in that role for five years. During that time Tranmere failed to reach the playoffs although they came very close in the 1996-97 season. The 1999-2000 season was Tranmere's best ever in cup competition, with a run to the quarter finals of the FA Cup, and the final of the League Cup, the club's first major cup final. The League Cup final resulted in a 1-2 defeat to Leicester City, Tranmere's goal scored by David Kelly after hapless Tranmere defender Clint Hill had foolishly got himself sent off. Remarkably, Aldridge took Tranmere to the final of a major national cup competition with a team which did not include a single player he had paid a fee for. The club's severe financial constraints meant that at the time the squad included only a single player for whom a transfer fee had been paid, big striker Wayne Allison, who was cup-tied for the League Cup run.
The following season they again reached the FA Cup quarter final with a run that included two games unlikely ever to be forgotten. The fourth round saw Tranmere drawn away to Merseyside rivals Everton, in whose shadow, along with that of Liverpool, the club has always lived. A memorably one-sided game saw Tranmere give the Toffees a comprehensive three-nil hammering at Goodison Park, with one goal from Jason Koumas and two storming headers from defender Steve Yates. The date has been immortalised in Tranmere history, fans having designated the 27th of January Saint Yates' Day. More drama was to come in the shape of a 4-3 fifth round victory over Southampton. Trailing 3-0 at half time, and having been comprehensively outplayed by the Premier League side, Tranmere came out for the second half transformed. With Prenton Park a cauldron of noise, Tranmere began to launch an astonishing display of unfettered attacking football, ripping the Southampton defence to tatters as they blazed forward at will. A hat trick by Paul Rideout brought the scores level, Stuart Barlow then hitting the winner which gave Tranmere a 4-3 victory in a game generally regarded as the greatest FA Cup comeback of all time.
In the league things were very different, with the side floundering at the very bottom of the table. Aldridge finally handed in his resignation in March 2001 when Tranmere lost 2-3 at home to Barnsley after having led 2-0. The caretaker team of Ray Mathias and Kevin Sheedy was unable to save them and Tranmere were relegated from Division One after a decade at that level.
The Dave Watson era, 2001-2002
Tranmere had hopes of a quick return to Division One, but it was not to be. Dave Watson was appointed manager which proved to be an unpopular move with fans due to his links with Everton. Perhaps more concerning was his lack of contacts and managerial experience outside of the Premiership. Under Watson's leadership, and having lost several key members of Aldrige's cup final side to first division clubs, the club abandoned its traditional commitment to attractive passing football for a dour style, ending 2001-02 in an accordingly mediocre mid table position.
The Ray Mathias era, 2002-2003
Things improved following Watson's replacement by Tranmere stalwart Ray Mathias in 2002-03. A remarkable second half of the season saw the team lose only once in 23 league matches to finish just outside the play-off zone in seventh place, despite amassing eighty points. Cardiff City beat Rovers to the last playoff spot.
The Brian Little era, 2003-2006
In October 2003, Tranmere turned to Brian Little as their new manager. Little had previously achieved promotion success with Darlington (twice) and Leicester, as well as leading Aston Villa to League Cup success in 1996. Tranmere were battling relegation when Little took over, but he transformed their fortunes on the pitch and they finished eighth at the end of the 2003-04 season as well as reaching the FA Cup Quarter Final, losing against Milwall. Little's first full season in charge saw a genuine promotion challenge as the club finished third behind Luton Town and Hull City. The side went into the playoffs with confidence only to put in a poor performance away at Hartlepool United, being well beaten 0-2. The return match at Prenton Park was an absolute cracker. Rovers were all over the Hartlepool despite Jason McAteer going off with concussion. They scored two goals which took the tie into extra time but lacked the ability to score the third killer goal. In the end they lost on penalties to Hartlepool to send them crashing out of the play-off semi-finals.
During the 2005 close season Tranmere lost their top four goal scorers of the previous campaign. Ryan Taylor and Ian Hume were sold to Wigan Athletic and Leicester City respectively. The club released Eugene Dadi who later joined Nottingham Forest while Paul Hall was only offered a one year deal and swapped Birkenhead for Chesterfield. A poor 2005-2006 season, in which the club achieved safety from relegation only with a dramatic away victory over MK Dons in the penultimate game, saw rising discontent against Little among Tranmere fans. As well as below-standard performances, many supporters blamed him for excessively conservative tactics leading to dull football, weakening the strength of the squad by failing either to identify quality signings or introduce new talent from the club's youth ranks, and generally failing to recognise the spirit of the club. Polls conducted on the club's unofficial website during this season recorded an increasing swell of opinion that Little should be removed, with names such as former player, coach and manager Ronnie Moore popularly mooted as replacements. It therefore came as no great surprise when Little left by mutual consent on May 5th, with club captain McAteer and John McMahon taking over for the last game of the season, a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Doncaster Rovers.
Tranmere's four most significant games
The following games listed below can be regarded as significant games in the history of Tranmere Rovers because they impacted the club afterwards. Signifcant does always equal successful and some of the games which have been most significant in Rovers' history have been defeats.
- 1991, Division 3 Playoff Final, Tranmere Rovers 1 Bolton Wanderers 0
A goal from Chris Malkin in extra time sealed Tranmere's promotion to Division Two for only the second time in their history. This lead to the club signing John Aldridge in the following close season and making three successive appearances in the playoff semi-finals to the Premiership. This one goal opened the door to the most successful period in the history of Rovers (1991-1995).
- May 1995, Division 1 Playoff Semi Final First Leg, Tranmere Rovers 1 Reading 3
Defeat to Reading was the third and final unsuccessful attempt at promotion to the Premiership. This failure led to the breakup of the team in the 1995 close season (Chris Malkin to Millwall and Ian Muir to Birmingham City) and the downfall of John King after a poor run of results.
- February 2000, League Cup Final, Tranmere Rovers 1 Leicester City 2
Despite having a goal ruled out for a marginal offside and Clint Hill being unjustly sent off, Tranmere matched Leicester City all the way. Their failure to stop Leicester's Matt Elliott scoring proved their downfall and a chance to claim their first major trophy went begging.
- May 2005, League 1 Playoff Semi Final Second Leg, Tranmere Rovers 2 Hartlepool United 0 (2-2 on aggregate. Hartlepool win on penalties)
Once again it was so near and yet so far for Tranmere as they failed to make it past the playoff semifinal. The defeat led to the sale of the club's two best players, Ryan Taylor and Iain Hume. As a result the 2005-06 season was a struggle for the club, unable to adequately replace either the goalscorers or the right back position vacated by Ryan Taylor. They went out of the FA Cup and the League Cup early on and flirted with relegation to football's basement division before pulling away into midtable safety.
Current squad
As of 12 August 2005 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Famous players
- 'Dixie' Dean -
- Harold Bell
- 1946 - 1955 - played 401 consecutive games for the club, an English League record.
- 1946 - 1964 - Made a club record 595 football league appearances.
- Ian St. John
- Steve Coppell
- John Aldridge
- Signed by manager John King on 11 July 1991 from Spanish side Real Sociedad for £250,000.
- Scored two goals on his Tranmere debut, away to Brighton & Hove Albion.
- Scored two goals in his final game for Rovers, at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
- Scored 138 goals in 221+21 football league appearances (second only to Ian Muir)
- Roy McFarland
- Won 35 full England caps.
- Captained Brian Clough's successful Derby County team during the 1970s.
- Ian Muir
- Club record goalscorer with 141 goals in 283+31 league appearances
- Pat Nevin
- Gary Stevens
- First choice right-back for England in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups.
- Stevens was signed for Tranmere by John King in 1994 from Rangers for £350,000.
- He was as a replacement for left back Ian Nolan who had been sold to Sheffield Wednesday for a then club record of £1.5 million.
- Steve Yates
- Full-back Steve Yates was signed on a free transfer by manager John Aldridge from QPR on 5 August 1999. He is fondly remembered for scoring two goals in Tranmere's famous 3 - 0 FA Cup victory against fierce local rivals Everton F.C. on 27 January 2001.
- Mark Palios
- erstwhile chief executive of the FA and Insolvency practitioner
- Ray Stubbs
- BBC Sport presenter
- Thomas Myhre
- Craig Charles
Internal Records
Best league win
- 13-4 against Oldham Athletic 1933/34
Highest attendance
- Home - 24,424 against Stoke City FA Cup 4th Round 1972
- Away - 62,000 against Everton FA Cup 5th Round 1968
Most goals in a season
- 40 - John Aldridge - 1991/92
- 40 - Robert "Bunny" Bell - 1934/35
Honours
- Runners-up
- 2000
Third Division North
- Champions
- 1938
Division Three
- Play-off winners
- 1991
External links
- Official Websites:
Official website
TRFC Shop - Unofficial Websites:
White Review
RoversRearguard
Viking Tranmere