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Tranmere Rovers Football Club
Image:tracrest.gif
Full name Tranmere Rovers Football Club
Nickname(s) Super Whites,
Rovers
Founded 1884 (as Belmont F. Football club names are a part of the sport 's culture reflecting century-old traditions This is a of lists of the use of Nicknames in football (soccer. C. )
Ground Prenton Park
Tranmere
Birkenhead
Wirral Peninsula
(Capacity 16,789)
Chairman Lorraine Rogers
Manager Flag of England Ronnie Moore
2007–08 League 1, 11th
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
　
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
　
Away colours

Tranmere Rovers Football Club is an English football club, currently playing in Football League One and based at Prenton Park, Tranmere, Birkenhead, Wirral Peninsula - just across the River Mersey from the two Premiership Clubs of Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C.

Contents

Overview

The club was founded by a merger of two local cricket clubs in 1884, before changing name to Tranmere Rovers a year later. Prenton Park is a multi-use Stadium in Birkenhead, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is Tranmere is a suburb of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. Wirral or the Wirral (ˈwɪrəl is a Peninsula in the north west of England. The following is a list of Association football stadia. They are ordered by their capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators that the This article is about the English football manager See also Ronnie Moore (speedway rider. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Coca-Cola Football League 1 for sponsorship reasons is the second-highest division of The Football Prenton Park is a multi-use Stadium in Birkenhead, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is Tranmere is a suburb of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. Wirral or the Wirral (ˈwɪrəl is a Peninsula in the north west of England. See also Mersey River (Tasmania and Mersey River (Nova Scotia. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. 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. They were also winners of the 1934-35 Welsh Cup. The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.

Though they played in blue shirts and white shorts for much of their existence, the club's traditional home kit is now regarded as white shirt, shorts and socks, with blue trim.

The name Tranmere refers to a district in the south of Birkenhead, on the eastern side of the Wirral Peninsula. Tranmere is a suburb of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. Tranmere alone has a population of 11,668 (2001 Census). A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The area is made up of industrial buildings and Victorian terraced houses. Its name was given by Norwegian Vikings who settled and colonised Wirral in the 10th century. Tranmere in Old Norse is Trani-melr, "cranebird sandbank" or "sandbank with the cranebirds". Cranes are large long-legged and long-necked Birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae.

Tranmere play their home games at Prenton Park. The club has faced years of strong competition for both players and supporters from the two much bigger local clubs - Liverpool and Everton, which is why they play many of their home fixtures on a Friday night.

Following Brian Little's resignation, Ronnie Moore was appointed manager in June 2006, from Oldham Athletic. Brian Little (born 25 November 1953 in Horden, County Durham) is an English former football player and manager This article is about the English football manager See also Ronnie Moore (speedway rider. Oldham Athletic Football Club (2004 Ltd, more commonly Oldham Athletic Football Club or informally Oldham Athletic, is an English football club

Between 1991 and 2001 they were in the second tier of the English league, reaching the playoffs three times and the League Cup final once before being relegated.

John Aldridge, the former Liverpool striker who scored nearly 500 goals in his professional career, was appointed player-manager of Tranmere in March 1996 and remained at the helm for five years, although he hung up his boots in 1998. His predecessor was John King, who took Rovers from the brink of losing their league status to the brink of reaching the Premiership.

Other well known players to wear a Tranmere shirt include Dixie Dean, 'Pongo' Waring, Ian Muir, Derek Mountfield, Colin Clarke, Jason McAteer, Pat Nevin, John McGreal, Sean Teale, John Morrisey, Eric Nixon, Steve Simonsen, Ian Moore, Alan Mahon, Ryan Taylor, Iain Hume, Ged Brannan and Jason Koumas. Colin Clarke (born October 30, 1962 in Newry, Northern Ireland) is a former Northern Irish Football (soccer player Ged Brannan is an English former footballer, born on 15 January 1972.

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 has a 16,787 capacity. Three sides of the ground were rebuilt over a nine month period in 1995 to a design conceived by much reviled former Chairman Frank Corfe, who later left the club under a cloud. That said his legacy was the Prenton Park of today, all achieved for less than the cost of one architect designed stand at Everton's park end.

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. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition John Aldridge continued this tradition, guiding Tranmere to FA Cup quarter-finals in 2000 and 2001 and a League Cup final in 2000. John William Aldridge (born Liverpool, 18 September 1958) Aldridge is a British-born former Republic of Ireland international The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition This then continued under manager Brian Little as Tranmere took Millwall to a quarter-final replay in the FA Cup in 2004, eventually losing 2-1. Millwall Football Club are an English professional football team based at The New Den, referred to by fans as The Den in Bermondsey,

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 FA Cup history when Tranmere came from 3-0 down at half-time to win 4-3.

The early days, 1884-1921

The current Tranmere Rovers Football Club was formed by two cricket clubs - Belmont CC and Lyndhurst Wanderers - coming together, initially as Belmont FC. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries They played and won their first match 4-0 against Brunswick Rovers on November 15, 1884. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The following year (16 September 1885) they re-named themselves Tranmere Rovers, taking the name of a club that had previously disbanded. Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The connection being both clubs had the same benefactor, Mr James Hannay McGaul, who later became Chairman and president until he died in 1920.

Under the name Tranmere Rovers they played matches at Steeles Field on Borough Road, Birkenhead, in a kit of blue shorts and white shirts. In 1887 they gained a new ground from Tranmere Rugby Club, Ravenshaws Field, also on Borough Road. This was later renamed Prenton Park, although it was not until March 9, 1912 that the team moved into the current stadium of that name. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting

The team had by this time joined the West Lancashire League in which they competed for thirty years, winning it in 1908. TRFC nearly folded in 1899 when most players elected to join the rival Birkenhead FC, and the team had to rent out the ground to Birkenhead Warriors Rugby Club - who did at least bring a 250 seat stand with them. Tranmere were eventually promoted to the Central League in 1919 (though not by 'normal' means - Leeds City Reserves were expelled for overpayment of wages, Tranmere took both their place and their points!), and then to the Third Division North in which they played their first match against Crewe Alexandra at Prenton Park on August 27, 1921. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar At this time the team were managed by Bert Cooke - who did so for twenty three years in total, the club record for longest serving manager.

The Dixie, Bunny, Pongo & Nibbler era, 1922-1939

In 1924, a Birkenhead youth named William Ralph Dean, but known to fans as "Dixie", made his début at the age of 16. William Ralph Dean ( 22 January 1907 - 1 March 1980) popularly known as Dixie Dean, was an English football Dean was discovered by Jack "Dump" Lee, Rovers' trainer and earlier team member. He played just 30 games for Rovers, scoring 27 goals, when he fulfilled his boyhood dream and was transferred to Everton in 1925 for £3,000. Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. In the season 1927-28, Dixie netted 60 League goals, a record unlikely ever to be broken.

Three years after Dixie's departure, two more talented youngsters left for First Division clubs - winger Ellis Rimmer to Sheffield Wednesday for £3,000 and Tom 'Pongo' Waring to Aston Villa, where he is still their all-time record scorer in a single season, for £4,700. Ellis Rimmer ( 2 January 1907 – 16 March 1965) was a former professional footballer who played for Tranmere Rovers, Thomas (Tom 'Pongo' Waring (12 October 1906 &ndash 20 December 1980 was an English footballer

As a boy, Pongo had sold chocolate and cigarettes to the Prenton Park crowd before signing for the club. Before he left, Pongo made his mark with a then club record six goals in the 11-1 thrashing of Durham City in January, 1928. Durham City AFC are an English football club that currently plays in the Unibond Northern Premier League Division One North.

A fourth local youngster with an eye for goals, Bill "Nibbler" Ridding, was sold to Manchester City, in early 1930, for £3,500. William "Bill" Ridding (4 April 1911 in Heswall – 1981 was an English football player and manager most notably in a 17 year period managing TalkManchester City FC before changing verbs to singular --> Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club

Without these talents, Rovers took some time to re-group but by 1930-31 they seemed to be running away with the championship on the back of an inside forward trio netted 93 goals between them. But, as would happen again in the future, with four games to go, Rovers' form slumped and the promotion dream vanished.

Off the pitch, many improvements were made to Prenton Park including a five span roof over the Prenton Road West end terrace, forever to be known as the "Cowshed", and the expansion of the Kop which was doubled in size with ash and clinker.

In 1932, Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw in the F A Cup at Prenton Park. Again in the FA Cup, a home tie in Round 4 against Liverpool, on 27 January 1934, was switched to Anfield where 61,036 saw Rovers defeated 1-3 - the largest ever gate for a "home game". Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In both 1934-35 and 1935-36 seasons, Rovers led the Third Division (North) for most of the campaign but, in the last few vital weeks, blew their promotion chance on each occasion to fuel talk that the club lacked ambition and "did not want to go up" - though they did win the Welsh FA Cup in 1935.

The stability of the club was hardly helped by the departure, in acrimonious circumstances, of long serving secretary/manager Bert Cooke amid FA enquiries into illegal payments to players to induce them to sign for Rovers and the dismissal of several directors.

Cooke was replaced by former England international, Jacky Carr, who was in charge on 26 December 1935, when Robert "Bunny" Bell, who had netted an incredible 57 goals in all competitions during 1933-34 season, scored a record breaking nine goals in the 13-4 demolition of Oldham Athletic - and missed a penalty. John 'Jackie' Carr ( 26 November 1892 – 10 May 1942) was an English professional footballer He made 449 league appearances Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Oldham Athletic Football Club (2004 Ltd, more commonly Oldham Athletic Football Club or informally Oldham Athletic, is an English football club

Bell's record was broken by Joe Payne who played for Luton Town, three months later, and he himself was subsequently sold to Everton, being replaced a year later by the returning Pongo Waring. Joseph Payne ( 17 January 1914 &ndash 22 April 1975) was an English international football player Luton Town Football Club are an English football team based in the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool.

It was Pongo, along with former film extra and new team secretary/manager, Jim Knowles, who masterminded Rovers' triumphant championship season in 1937-38, when five points from their three final games clinched a first ever season in Division Two. Jim Knowles is head football coach at Cornell University. He has compiled a 20-20 record since 2004 In fact, it is still, nearly seventy years later, Rovers' sole championship in the Football League.

With Pongo well past his best and allowed to go to Accrington Stanley, and the rest of the team inadequate for the higher grade of football, Rovers struggled. Accrington Stanley Football Club is an English football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the north-west of England formed in 1968

Despite early euphoria and then a series of panic buys which failed, they were relegated having won just six of 42 matches - the all time worst record of any team in Division Two.

The Wilderness era, 1939-1986

For the large part of this time Tranmere simply survived, and sometimes barely that, making little impact upon the wider football world. Prenton Park survived World War 2 without any significant damage, except perhaps to Manager Bill Ridding, who served throughout the war years, and was then promptly replaced by Ernie Blackburn, who stayed in post nine years. Prenton Park is a multi-use Stadium in Birkenhead, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is William "Bill" Ridding (4 April 1911 in Heswall – 1981 was an English football player and manager most notably in a 17 year period managing Blackburn's team had some FA Cup success - beating First Division Huddersfield Town 2-1 on 1951, and holding Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-1 draw at Prenton Park in 1953, although the return leg was lost 9-1, Tranmere's record defeat. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League.

Blackburn was replaced by Republic of Ireland international Noel Kelly, but his tenure was unsuccessful and brief, with Rovers having to apply for re-election to the League in 1957, following which Peter Farrell took charge of the club. Noel Kelly ( 28 December 1921 — August 1991 was an Irish Soccer player during the 1940s Peter Desmond Farrell ( August 16, 1922 – March 16, 1999) was an Irish footballer who played as an a right-half for among others Farrell took the team to a mid-table position, ensuring that in the 1958 restructuring of the football league's lower divisions, Tranmere were among the top 12 clubs from the third division north who moved into the newly created third division, rather than going down to the fourth. A crucial match against Wrexham, also fighting for a place in the higher league, on 30 April 1958 attracted a crowd of 19,615, which remains the highest ever attendance at a Prenton Park league match. Wrexham Association Football Club (Clwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally The Robins, their previous nickname are a professional Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Later that same year, floodlights were installed for the first time.

As Rovers struggled in 1961 a new manager, Walter Galbraith was brought in, but he could not help Rovers avoid the drop to Division 4 for the first time in their history despite the purchase of a number of players, including one John King. John King is an English football player and manager He is widely regarded as being the most successful manager in the history of Tranmere Rovers.

1961 also saw one of Tranmere's greatest servants leaving the club - Harold Bell. Between 1946 and 1955 Bell never missed a single Rovers game - 459 consecutive appearances, a record which holds to this day.

Galbraith was replaced by Dave Russell who all but revolutionised the club - bringing in the modern all white strip and developing a highly successful youth policy which saw many club stalwarts through its ranks - including England international Roy McFarland. David Russell may refer to David Abel Russell (1780-1861 US Representative from New York David Allen Russell (1820-1864 United Roy Leslie McFarland (born 5 April 1948 in Liverpool England) is an English football manager who was also a Russell oversaw a steady progress for Rovers, coming close to promotion in both 1965 and 1966, before finally achieving it in 1967 - despite winning fewer games than in either previous season. The following year was also successful, with FA Cup wins over First Division Huddersfield Town (again) and Coventry City, before a fifth round 2-0 defeat to Everton. With an attendance of 61,982 this was the largest ever crowd for a Rovers game. By the Everton game, Tranmere was the last third division club left in the cup, a fact which attracted a lot of media attention for the curious reason that a purported mystic had earlier that year predicted that a third division side would reach the final at Wembley.

Russell became the clubs General Manager in 1969 allowing coach Jackie Wright to take the reins. John "Jackie" Wright (1905—January 1989 was an Irish comedian known for being the bald-headed sidekick of Benny Hill on his television programme Wright's most significant purchase, former Liverpool defender Ron Yeats scored in the drawn FA Cup match v Stoke City which saw a record Prenton Park attendance - 24,424. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Ronald 'Ron' Yeats (born Aberdeen, Scotland, 15 November 1937 was the captain of the first great Liverpool team of the 1960s Stoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Yeats replace Wright as manager after just four months.

Yeats immediately started strengthening Tranmeres' Liverpool connections - bring in Ian St John, Bobby Graham, Willie Stevenson and Tommy Lawrence, as well as the great Bill Shankly in a "consultancy" role. Ian St John (born June 7, 1938) was born in Motherwell and is a former Scottish Bobby Graham (born 22 November 1944) is a former professional footballer who played for Liverpool during the 1960s William 'Willie' Stevenson (born 26 October 1939) was a professional footballer Tommy Lawrence (born 14 May 1940) was the Goalkeeper in the first great Liverpool team under legendary manager Bill Shankly. William "Bill" Shankly, OBE ( September 2, 1913 &ndash September 29, 1981) was one of Britain 's most successful This team saw one of the most memorable Rovers results of all time when, on 2 October 1973, in a League Cup tie, Tranmere beat First Division superstars Arsenal 1-0 thanks to an Eddie Loyden goal, and later FA Chief Executive Mark Palios shackling Arsenal's Alan Ball. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Edward Loyden, known as Eddie Loyden, ( 3 May 1923 &ndash 27 April 2003) was a British Labour politician Mark Palios, (born Birkenhead 9 November 1952) is an English chartered accountant football administrator and a former professional footballer Alan James Ball Jr, MBE (12 May 1945 &ndash 25 April 2007 was an English professional footballer and football club manager Tranmere Rovers are the only club to have a 100% record at Arsenal's former Highbury home.

Such glories couldn't last though, and Tranmere slipped back into the Fourth Division in 1975, despite bringing players through such as Steve Coppell. Stephen James Coppell (born 9 July 1955 in Norris Green, Liverpool) is a former English Professional footballer Yeats was sacked and replaced by his coach. The following decade was among the bleakest times in Tranmere's history, with the club usually in the lower reaches of the fourth division and beset by severe financial difficulties, almost going out of business on several occasions. A takeover by local businessman Peter Johnson proved to be a turning point in Tranmere's history, the club under his ownership enjoying by far the most successful period in its history, in which manager Johnny King took the team from the bottom of the fourth division to the brink of English football's top league. John King is an English football player and manager He is widely regarded as being the most successful manager in the history of Tranmere Rovers.

The John King era, 1987-1996

John King is widely regarded as the most successful manager ever to take charge of Tranmere Rovers. John King is an English football player and manager He is widely regarded as being the most successful manager in the history 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 in 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 Rovers an 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 1930s. 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. This period also included a semi final appearance in the league cup. Rovers were unlucky to eventually lose on penalties to premiership side Aston Villa.

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 Tranmere defender Clint Hill had been himself sent off; although it should also be added that the player he fouled had been clearly offside at the time. 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 27 January Saint Yates' Day. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. 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, with Stuart Barlow then hitting the winner which gave Tranmere a 4-3 victory in a game generally regarded as one of the greatest FA Cup comebacks 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, an unpopular move with fans due to his links with Everton and concern over his lack of contacts and managerial experience. This scepticism proved to be well founded, Watson proving to be utterly out of his depth as he took Tranmere into a slump from which the club has still not recovered. Watson not only unexpectedly held on to key players such as Jason Koumas and club captain Clint Hill, both of whom had been expected to move to higher division clubs, but also made several new signings. These included Simon Haworth, who under subsequent managers became the club's most prolific striker since Aldrige, and Liverpool cast-off Alan Navarro, a 20-year-old who made a great impression during a loan spell but failed to fulfil this promise after signing for the club.

Despite this signing of expensive new talent and some fairly encouraging early season form, Watson's first season in charge vindicated his critics. His team played a dull and unattractive style of football, insipid to a crowd raised on the tradition of silky passing football perfected under King and Aldridge, and, astonishingly given the strength of the squad he inherited, spectactularly ineffective in terms of results. From February until the end of the season, Tranmere only managed three wins from 19 fixtures, resulting in a mediocre mid-table finish in a league many had expected them to win. The season provided some memorable results, including a 5-0 win over local rivals Wrexham, a 4-0 win over Blackpool, and two 6-1 wins in the same week; the first against Cambridge in the league, the second an FA Cup victory over Carlisle. However, among many unwanted statistics for the year was that Tranmere failed to do the double over a single team in the league demonstrating a lack of consistency that contributed to their downfall.

Despite calls for Watson to be replaced and the collapse of Aldridge's cup final side as key players departed in droves, he remained in charge for the duration of the summer. In July 2002, Waton signed Kevin Gray from Huddersfield and immediately installed him as club captain but while the manager sang his praises, fans raised questions about the quality of his defending and his pace. Gray's poor performances in the 2002-03 pre-season heaped pressure onto Watson and gave his critics further ammunition, culminating in Birmingham City's visit to Prenton Park in which the newly-promoted midland team ran out 7-0 winners and Gray was singled out for particular criticism. In the wake of the this game, the board sacked Watson, with Lorraine Rogers stating a lack of passion on the pitch as the main reason. Dave Watson joins an extremely short list of managers who have been sacked due to a side's performance in a pre-season friendly. He nowadays coaches schoolboy sides in Liverpool.

The Ray Mathias era, 2002-2003

Results and performances seemed to improve immediately when Tranmere stalwart Ray Mathias was promoted from assistant manager to full manager in 2002-03. Tranmere's season opener was an away match at Port Vale which was won convincingly 4-1. By the end of August Tranmere were a point outside the playoff places. Under the guidance of Mathias and the extremely popular assistant-manager David Kelly who was appointed in October, Tranmere remained within three points of the playoff places most of the season. David Thomas Kelly (born November 25 1965) is a retired footballer. David Kelly's influence on the season was said to be considerable and his ideas and personality in training were hailed by the players.

A feature of the 2002-03 season was the extraordinary number of loan players who served the club for different lengths of time, including three goal-keepers: Ian Feuer, Keith Welch and Phil Whitehead, plus short-lived outfield players Pat McGibbon, Tom Curtis, Christian Edwards, Adam Proudlock and Marvin Robinson. Loan players of note were Tyrone Loran and Mike Jackson (who were both later signed permanently) and winger Iain Anderson who chipped in with two goals in his seven-game stay.

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 equalling a club record of eighty points. In their push for promotion Tranmere also established a new club record of doing the double over eight league opponents. Cardiff City beat Rovers to the last playoff spot by a single point, a feat made mathematically possible by an unforgettable Tranmere v Cardiff Friday night fixture in March 2003. Cardiff City Football Club (Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd is a football team based in Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff opened the scoring through Robert Earnshaw but Simon Haworth equalised for Tranmere. Robert Earnshaw (born 6 April 1981) is a Zambian born Welsh international football player Earnshaw scored again only for Iain Hume to equalise again for Tranmere. Iain Edward Hume (born October 30, 1983 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is a Canadian football player The home side finally went ahead through Gary Jones with one minute of normal time remaining and the game seemed won, only for Robert Earnshaw to equalise for Cardiff and complete his hat-trick in the 94th minute - An event which has fuelled rivalry between the South Wales club and Tranmere.

Optimism for the following 2003-04 season was shaken when in July 2003 assistant manager David Kelly left the club for Sheffield United. Tranmere's opening match was followed by ten games without a victory and pressure on Ray Mathias was mounting. This lead the board to issue Mathias with an ultimatum that he must win the home match against Wrexham on Saturday 27 September 2003 in order to retain his job. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. In a cruel twist of fate Tranmere not only took an early lead but outplayed Wrexham in almost every respect. Had it not been for an outstanding performance by Wrexham goalkeeper Andy Dibble, the visitors faced a heavy defeat. Andrew Gerald Dibble (born 8 May, 1965 in Cwmbran) is a Welsh former professional football player who played as a goalkeeper Unfortunarly for Mathias's career, Wrexham equalised on 62 minutes, and a minute later Shaun Holmes scored his first-ever league goal to leave Tranmere defeated, and managerless.

Following Mathias's departure from the club at the end of September, Tranmere actually won their first game since the beginning of August however there followed another two league defeats, and Tranmere were left low on morale, without a manager and occupying a relegation 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. Darlington Football Club (also known as Darlo or The Quakers) are an English football team based in the English town of PLEASE NOTE This section is the introduction Please do not add too much detail here

Tranmere had slipped into the relegation zone just prior to Little taking over, but his arrival seemed to bring an immediate stabilising influence over the team. His primary objective was to tighten up the defence and despite losing his first game in charge in the LDV Vans Trophy, there followed a run of eleven league and cup games in which Tranmere won seven, drew three and lost only one which pulled away from the drop zone, and took the team through to an FA Cup tie with old rivals Bolton Wanderers. The match played at Prenton Park ended in a draw which meant a replay at Bolton's Reebok Stadium in which the home team looked favourites to ease past their lower-league opposition, despite fielding a weakened team. However, it was Tranmere who scored first through Eugene Dadi, whose goal-celebration revealed a t-shirt with the number "9" and "Haworth" in honour of the team-mate who had recently broken his leg. Tranmere's hopes of a win in normal time were ended when Bolton equalised with one minute of injury time remaining to take the game to extra time. Only 20 seconds into extra time, Tranmere's young Iain Hume struck a 25-yard shot which proved to be the winner and continued the upturn in the club's fortunes.

By mid-February, Tranmere had climbed to 12th and were only seven points from a playoff position. Following an FA Cup win over Swansea, March saw an FA Cup quarter final away to Milwall in which again, the lower-league Tranmere were not favourites, however the game was a draw thanks to a penalty save by John Achterberg. Millwall Football Club are an English professional football team based at The New Den, referred to by fans as The Den in Bermondsey, Meanwhile, in the league, a loss to Blackpool had been followed by four draws in five. The FA Cup success once again seemed to weigh heavily on the team's league performance as it had done in the relegation season of 2000-01 and four consecutive losses saw Tranmere drop back down to 16th. After being knocked out of the FA Cup by Millwall in the replay at Prenton Park, Tranmere's league form returned and Tranmere won eight out of their last ten fixtures, ending the season in eighth place.

Little's first full season in charge saw a genuine promotion challenge as the club finished third behind Luton Town and Hull City. Luton Town Football Club are an English football team based in the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. Hull City Association Football Club are an English football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. The side had started the season well but the end of January and throughout February saw a run of four draws in five games, culminating in a 3-1 humbling at home by promotion rivals Hull City. Having only lost five games all season up until that point, Tranmere managed only five wins in the last 12 fixtures and it was on the back of this poor form that Tranmere went into the playoffs. Not surprisingly, the team which had only won two of the last nine away games put in a poor performance away at Hartlepool United, being well beaten 0-2. Hartlepool United Football Club are an English football team from Hartlepool playing in League One. Just as might be expected, the return match at Prenton Park was a superb football game and proved that once again Tranmere could perform when the occasion demanded it. Rovers outperformed Hartlepool, despite captain Jason McAteer going off with concussion, and Tranmere scored two goals which took the tie into extra time. In the end they lost on penalties to Hartlepool to send them crashing out of the play-off semi-finals with Ian Sharps having his spot-kick saved.

During the 2005 close season Tranmere lost their top four goal scorers of the previous campaign. Ryan Taylor and Iain Hume were sold to Wigan Athletic and Leicester City respectively. Ryan Anthony Taylor (born August 19, 1984 in Liverpool, England) is an Under 21 International with England. 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. Sam Aiston and Steve Wilson were brought in from the lower leagues, whilst Little signed the striker Chris Greenacre from Stoke City. 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. Many players had come on loan to Tranmere during the course of the season due to the loss of Ryan Taylor and Iain Hume, but were generally considered not to have been of high enough quality, Alex Bruce was brought in at right back and did little to impress, whilst veteran Nicky Summerbee came on a week to week deal, and also failed to impress. The exception was Simon Francis from Sheffield United who proved himself to be a more than capable right back, and with the potential to play at a much higher level. Sam Aiston signed from Shrewsbury, and despite being a favourite with the home fans, due to his willingness to run with the ball, he failed to make much impression on the scoresheet: scoring only 3 times all season. Steve Wilson in goal was capable of great saves but also capable of equally silly mistakes. Some credit should go to Brian Little for recognising the untapped potential of Chris Greenacre, who he converted to a striker from the midfield role he played at Stoke City. Greenacre went on to become leading scorer for the 2005/2006 season with Delroy Facey next on 8 goals for the season, including the last minute winner against MK Dons which helped send the Dons down and keep Tranmere up. The lack of goals from midfield was the biggest failing of the side. Tranmere's midfield, containing local players Steve Jennings and Danny Harrison were organised and hard working, but shows little creativity and flair to provide ammunition for the strikers. Polls conducted on the club's unofficial website during this season recorded an increasing swell of opinion that Little should be removed. It therefore came as no great surprise when Little left by mutual consent on May 5, 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. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Doncaster Rovers Football Club (or informally Donny) are an English football club based at the Keepmoat Stadium in the town of Doncaster Despite speculation linking the former Brentford manager, Martin Allen with the vacant post, on June 9, Tranmere announced the appointment of popular former player, coach and assistant manager Ronnie Moore, formerly manager at Rotherham and Oldham, as Little's replacement. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits

The Ronnie Moore era, 2006-

After Moore took over the job in June he quickly made a flurry of signings, including several from his former club Rotherham such as Paul McLaren and John Mullin. Australian central defender Shane Sherriff signed as did Chris McCready from Crewe, after impressing in pre-season friendlies. Perhaps the biggest signing of the summer for Rovers was the addition of pacey wide man Chris Shuker from Barnsley, fighting off competition from several successful Championship clubs as well as Blackpool. Veteran forward Gareth Taylor signed from Nottingham Forest, after an uneasy stay at the City Ground. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham The season began with a 1-0 win against Moore's former club Oldham. Oldham Athletic Football Club (2004 Ltd, more commonly Oldham Athletic Football Club or informally Oldham Athletic, is an English football club

Six games into the season, the match against Leyton Orient caught the headlines not least because it placed Tranmere second in the league table, but mainly due to an extraordinary 90-yard goal scored by the Rovers goalkeeper Gavin Ward from an indirect free kick just outside his area which got a touch off the debutant leyton orient goalkeeper giving the ref no choice but to give the goal. Leyton Orient FC are an English Professional football team from east London currently playing in League One of the Football League A good run of form, including a creditable draw at home against Nottingham Forest left Tranmere placed second in the table but there then followed three opportunities in quick succession whereby Tranmere could have used a game in hand to go to the top of the table. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham None of these chances were taken and a spate of injuries in October exposed the lack of depth in the squad after Ronnie Moore had chosen quality over quantity of players with his limited budget. Injuries contributed to a result at home to Huddersfield Town which ended 2-2 after being 2-0 up after half time and a 2-0 reverse in the second half at Bradford City. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Bradford City Association Football Club (also known as The Bantams, and previously The Paraders) is an English football club based in Bradford Attempts to bring in loan signings to cover the lack of strikers proved fruitless however coming through this bad patch saw a morale-boosting away win at Brighton take Tranmere back to within one point of automatic promotion once more. However, form slipped away and Tranmere finished a respectable 9th position for Moore's first season at the helm.

In the close season, Moore signed the ex-Rovers Welsh international goalkeeper Danny Coyne as well as defensive duo Antony Kay and Ben Chorley. Daniel "Danny" Coyne (born 27 August 1973 in Prestatyn, Wales) is a Welsh footballer currently playing for For the Sheffield Wednesday FC and Everton FC footballer of the 1960s see Tony Kay. Benjamin Francis "Ben" Chorley (born Sidcup, September 30 1982 in Sidcup, England) is an English footballer Midfielder Adnan Ahmed was also signed from Huddersfield Town. Adnan Farooq Ahmed ( Urdu:) (born June 7, 1984 in Burnley, England) is a professional footballer who is currently playing Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Tranmere opened the 2007/08 season at home with defeat to Leeds and then went on to exit the Carling Cup in the first match. Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football Tranmere won their next two games away at Gillingham, 2-0, and at home to Brighton, also 2-0.

On 6 October 2007, after their 2-1 win at Southend, they reached the top of the League One table, on goal difference, with 19 points from 10 games. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. However, their stay at the top only lasted for one week, and began a dreadful run of only four victories in the next sixteen league games which saw the team slide steadily into mid-table. A big factor in this loss of form was long-term injuries to both of the team's first choice wingers, Steve Davies and Chris Shuker, severely limiting the team's attacking options. Steven Gary "Steve" Davies (born 29 December 1987 in Liverpool, England) is an English footballer who currently Chris Shuker (born May 9, 1982 in Liverpool) is an English footballer who plays for Tranmere Rovers. The situation was remedied by tactical reorganisation on Moore's part, boosted by the loan acquisition of two promising youngsters from higher division clubs, Blackburn's Andy Taylor and Bristol City's Jennison Myrie-Williams, along with the return of manager's son Ian Moore, who had started his career at Tranmere. Andrew "Andy" Taylor (born March 14, 1986 in Blackburn, England) is an English footballer who is currently Jennison Machisti Myrie-Williams (born May 17, 1988 in Lambeth) is a footballer currently playing for Bristol City in Football League Championship Ian Moore (born 26 August 1976 in Birkenhead) is an English professional footballer, who plays for League One side

By the end of February, Tranmere had reached the playoff zones, but were unable to keep up their good form during the final weeks of the season and ended up finishing 11th with 65 points, and were 11 points short of a playoff place. [1]

Ronnie Moore signed a new 2 year deal keeping him at the club until 2010.

Players

As of May 13, 2008. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common [1]

Current squad

No. Position Player
1 Flag of Wales GK Danny Coyne
4 Flag of England MF Paul McLaren
5 Flag of Australia DF Shane Cansdell-Sheriff
6 Flag of England MF Antony Kay
8 Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo FW Calvin Zola Makongo
9 Flag of England FW Ian Moore
10 Flag of England FW Chris Greenacre
11 Flag of Pakistan MF Adnan Ahmed
12 Flag of England MF Steven Jennings
14 Flag of England DF Ben Chorley
No. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports Daniel "Danny" Coyne (born 27 August 1973 in Prestatyn, Wales) is a Welsh footballer currently playing for For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Paul McLaren (born 17 November 1976, High Wycombe) is a footballer, who plays as a Midfielder for Bradford City. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. For the Sheffield Wednesday FC and Everton FC footballer of the 1960s see Tony Kay. Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Calvin Zola Makongo (born December 31, 1984 in Kinshasa) often known simply as Calvin Zola, is a football player from the Democratic Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Ian Moore (born 26 August 1976 in Birkenhead) is an English professional footballer, who plays for League One side Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Chris Greenacre (born December 23, 1977 in Wakefield) is an English footballer who currently plays as a Striker for For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Adnan Farooq Ahmed ( Urdu:) (born June 7, 1984 in Burnley, England) is a professional footballer who is currently playing For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Steve Jennings (born 28 October 1984 in Liverpool) is an English professional footballer who currently plays as a central midielder In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Benjamin Francis "Ben" Chorley (born Sidcup, September 30 1982 in Sidcup, England) is an English footballer Position Player
15 Flag of Jamaica DF Ian Goodison
17 Flag of England DF Andy Taylor
19 Flag of England MF Steve Davies
20 Flag of England MF Paul Henry
23 Flag of England MF Chris Shuker
24 Flag of the Netherlands GK John Achterberg
25 Flag of England FW Craig Curran
26 Flag of England DF Danny Holmes
27 Flag of England FW Terry Gornell

Notable Former Players

|} see also Cat:Tranmere Rovers F.C. players

Biggest rivals

Despite being near to Liverpool and Everton, just across the Mersey, Tranmere's time in the lower leagues has meant they have formed rivalries with other clubs. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Ian Goodison (born November 21, 1972 in Montego Bay) is a football defender from Jamaica. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Andrew "Andy" Taylor (born March 14, 1986 in Blackburn, England) is an English footballer who is currently For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Steven Gary "Steve" Davies (born 29 December 1987 in Liverpool, England) is an English footballer who currently For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Paul Henry is a young football player currently playing for English League One team Tranmere Rovers F For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Chris Shuker (born May 9, 1982 in Liverpool) is an English footballer who plays for Tranmere Rovers. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports John Achterberg (born July 8, 1971 in Utrecht) is a Dutch footballer currently Goalkeeper for Tranmere Rovers in England Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Craig Curran (born 23 August, 1989) is an English football player In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Danny Holmes (born 6 January 1989) is an English professional football player Currently playing for Football League One club Tranmere Rovers Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Alan A'Court (born 30 September 1934 is a former English footballer who predominantly played for Liverpool. William Ralph Dean ( 22 January 1907 - 1 March 1980) popularly known as Dixie Dean, was an English football Stephen James Coppell (born 9 July 1955 in Norris Green, Liverpool) is a former English Professional footballer David Fairclough (born Liverpool, 5 January 1957 was a footballer whose special role in the great Liverpool side of the 1970s was that of Supersub. Jamie Hughes is a current semi-professional and former professional English footballer who is notable for becoming the first British footballer to fail a test Roy Leslie McFarland (born 5 April 1948 in Liverpool England) is an English football manager who was also a Derek Mountfield (born 2 November 1962 in Liverpool) is an English former football player who played as a centre-back Eric Walter Nixon (born October 4, 1962 in Manchester) is a former English goalkeeper. Mark Palios, (born Birkenhead 9 November 1952) is an English chartered accountant football administrator and a former professional footballer Michael Gary Stevens (born in Barrow-in-Furness, England, 27 March 1963) is a retired English footballer who shot to fame Raymond Stubbs (born Wallasey, Wirral, 1956) is a broadcaster and former footballer Frank Stewart Worthington (born 23 November 1948 is a former English footballer. Steve Yates (born January 29, 1970 in Bristol) was an English professional footballer, who played as a defender. Steven "Steve" Simonsen (born April 3, 1979 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear) is an English professional football Ryan Anthony Taylor (born August 19, 1984 in Liverpool, England) is an Under 21 International with England. Iain Edward Hume (born October 30, 1983 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is a Canadian football player Bryan Hamilton (born 31 December 1946, Belfast) is a Northern Irish football player and manager John William Aldridge (born Liverpool, 18 September 1958) Aldridge is a British-born former Republic of Ireland international Thomas Lawrence Davis (born February 3, 1911) commonly referred to as Tom Davis or Tommy Davis, is a former Irish footballer Thomas Joseph Eglington ( January 15 1923 – February 18 2004) was an Irish footballer who played as an outside-left for among Peter Desmond Farrell ( August 16, 1922 – March 16, 1999) was an Irish footballer who played as an a right-half for among others Jason Wynne McAteer (born 18 June, 1971 in Birkenhead, England) is a former Irish international football player Joshua Walter Sloan (born April 30, 1920, Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland; died January 1993 commonly referred to as Paddy Ivano Bonetti (born in Brescia on 1 August 1964) is an Italian Football (soccer manager and former player Tommy Lawrence (born 14 May 1940) was the Goalkeeper in the first great Liverpool team under legendary manager Bill Shankly. Patrick Kevin Francis Michael Nevin (born 6 September, 1963 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former footballer. Ian St John (born June 7, 1938) was born in Motherwell and is a former Scottish Ronald 'Ron' Yeats (born Aberdeen, Scotland, 15 November 1937 was the captain of the first great Liverpool team of the 1960s William David Davies, better known as Dai Davies (born April 1 1948 in Glanaman, Wales) is a former professional footballer Jason Koumas (born 25 September 1979 in Wrexham) is a professional football player for Premier League outfit Wigan Athletic. Gareth Wyn Roberts (born February 6, 1978 in Wrexham, Clwyd) is a Welsh international footballer with Doncaster Rovers George Moorhouse (May 4 1901 in Liverpool, England – July 13 1982 in Long Beach New York) is reputedly the first Englishman to appear in a FIFA Eugene Dadi (born August 20, 1973 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire) is an Ivorian football Striker who plays . .

Bolton Wanderers F.C.: The history between Bolton Wanderers FC and Tranmere goes back to the early 1990s when both clubs were fighting for promotion from Division 3 into Division 2. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater They met in the Division 3 play-off final at Wembley in 1991. In the final Chris Malkin scored the winning goal in extra time to send Rovers up into Division 2 for only the second time in their history. Bolton and Tranmere fans were reacquainted once more after Bolton won promotion from Division 3 in the 1991-92 season. The rivalry continued as both clubs challenged for promotion into the Premiership culminating in the 1994-95 season when Bolton gained promotion through the play-offs. As Bolton found it hard to remain in the Premiership, being promoted and relegated twice, there were still some meetings between the sides. When the two teams were managed by John Aldridge and Sam Allardyce, meetings became quite juicy. Samuel "Sam" Allardyce (born 19 October 1954 in Dudley, West Midlands) is an English football manager and former [2]. The two clubs last met in the FA Cup in 2004.

Wrexham A.F.C.: Wrexham AFC have always been one of Tranmere's biggest rivals, not only because the two clubs are relatively close to each other but also because they have been in the same division for long periods of time. Wrexham Association Football Club (Clwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally The Robins, their previous nickname are a professional Tranmere's last win at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground – a 5-1 victory – was particularly sweet for Tranmere fans.

Chester City F.C.: Chester City are based to the south of Tranmere near the Welsh border. Chester City Football Club is an English football club from Chester. Chester have not met Tranmere in a league match since 1991, but previously had often played in the same division as Tranmere. In recent years, some of the rivalry between Chester and Tranmere results from the Chester City chairman, Stephen Vaughan, proposing in 2003 to buy Tranmere, sell Prenton Park and have Tranmere play their home games at the Deva Stadium whilst a new "community stadium" was built on the Wirral. [3]. This was unacceptable to most Tranmere fans, who were concerned that it could lead to Chester and Tranmere being merged.

Oldham Athletic A.F.C. has grown as a rivalry due to Ronnie Moore leaving the Latics to return to Prenton Park. Oldham Athletic Football Club (2004 Ltd, more commonly Oldham Athletic Football Club or informally Oldham Athletic, is an English football club This article is about the English football manager See also Ronnie Moore (speedway rider. Prenton Park is a multi-use Stadium in Birkenhead, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is Wigan Athletic also had a small, short rivalry during their Division 2 era because of Simon Haworth's controversial transfer from Wigan to Tranmere. Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional football team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.

Local teams such as Cammell Laird F.C. and Vauxhall Motors F.C. play Tranmere every pre-season and as both teams are within 5 miles of Tranmere, there is a friendly rivalry between the clubs. Cammell Laird Football Club is an Association football club based at Kirklands Stadium in Rock Ferry, Birkenhead, Merseyside, Vauxhall Motors Football Club is an English football club based at Rivacre Park Rivacre Road in Hooton, sandwiched between Eastham and

As at the summer of 2007, the following teams have played the most league games against Tranmere: Crewe Alexandra 116, Halifax Town 104, Rochdale 104, Stockport County 104, Wrexham 102, Hartlepool United 100, Chesterfield 92, Darlington 86, York City 82, Southport 80, Barrow 70, Chester City 68.

Women's football

Tranmere Rovers' affiliated female counterpart, Tranmere Rovers L.F.C., is currently competing in the Northern Championship. Tranmere Rovers Ladies Football Club are an English women's football club affiliated with Tranmere Rovers F The FA Women's Premier League Northern Division is a league in the second-level in the women's football pyramid in England along with the Southern divisions They are currently feuding with Liverpool L.F.C., Lincoln City L.F.C. and Crewe Alexandra L.F.C. for promotion to the Women's Premiership, where they have been before, from 1996 to 2001. Liverpool FC Ladies is the ladies football club affiliated with Liverpool Football Club. Lincoln City Ladies Football Club is an English women's football club affiliated with Lincoln City F Crewe Alexandra LFC are a ladies football side that play in the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division, and are associated with Crewe Alexandra FC The FA Women's Premier League National Division is at the top of the English women's football league pyramid

Internal records

Best league win

13-4 against Oldham Athletic 1935/36

Highest attendance

Lowest attendance

Home - 937 v Halifax Town 1984
Away - 286 v Lecce - Anglo-Italian Cup 1994

Most goals in a season

40 - John Aldridge - 1991/92
40 - Robert "Bunny" Bell - 1934/35

Honours

Runners-up
2000
Champions
1938
Play-off winners
1991
Winners
1990
Runners-up
1991
Winners
1935
Runners-up
1934

Famous fans

In Popular Culture

Notes

  1. ^ Squad Numbers. Tranmere Rovers FC. Retrieved on 2007-07-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000
  2. ^ I don't hate Bolton insists Aldridge
  3. ^ BBC SPORT | Football | Teams | Tranmere Rovers | Vaughan 'close to Tranmere deal'

External links

Preceded by
Bolton Wanderers		 Football League Trophy Winners
1989-90		 Succeeded by
Birmingham City
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Structure The Trophy is currently contested by just Football League One and Football League Two clubs and from season 2006-07 is played in a knock-out ( Birmingham City Football Club is an English Professional football club based in the city of Birmingham.
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