Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English football club, based in Birkenhead, Merseyside. 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 managed by Brian Little and play 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.

Cups

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

The John King era

John King is arguably the most successful manager ever to take charge of Tranmere Rovers. He was appointed manager of the club in the 1987 close season when they were an ungainly Fourth Division side. In his second season as manager (1988-89), King guided Tranmere to promotion as Fourth Division runners-up. They lost to Notts County in the 1990 Third Division playoff final but 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.

Tranmere Rovers went one better in the 1990-91 season, this time winning the Third Division playoffs outright and being promoted to the Second Division for the first time since the 1930's. Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge joined the club that summer, 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 they failed to reach the Premiership and King resigned in March 1996. J

The John Aldridge era

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. They did reach the League Cup final in the 1999-2000 season, losing 1-2 to Leicester City, Tranmere's goal scored by David Kelly. The following season they reached the F.A Cup Quarter Final, having beaten Southampton 4-3 in the Fifth Round in what as regarded as one of the greatest F.A. Cup comebacks. Tranmere were 0-3 down at half time but ran out eventual winners in a barnstorming second half in which they scored four goals. Aldridge finally handed in his resignation in March 2001 after losing 2-3 to Barnsley, a game in which they led 2-0. The caretaker team of Ray Mathias and Kevin Sheedy were unable to save them and Tranmere were relegated from Division One after a decade at that level.

Tranmere Rovers in the 21st century

Tranmere's first two seasons back in Division Two were uneventful. Former Everton captain David Watson guided Tranmere to an unremarkable mid table finish in 2001-02, and a similar finish occurred under Watson's successor Ray Mathias in 2002-03.

In October 2003, Tranmere turned to Brian Little as their new manager. Little had previously achieved promotion success with Darlington (twice) and Leicester City, 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 of the pitch and they finished eighth at the end of the 2003-04 season as well as reaching the F.A Cup Quarter Final.

With just weeks left of the 2004-05 Coca Cola League One campaign, Tranmere Rovers look set for a playoff place.

Famous players

• 'Dixie' Dean -

Signed in 1924 aged 16.

1925 - transferred to Everton for £3,000.

1927/28 - he scored a record breaking 60 goals in a season.

• "Bunny" Harold Bell

1946 - 1955 - played 459 consecutive games for the club.

• Ian St. John
• Steve Coppell

Signed for Tranmere in January 1974.

Sold to Manchester United in February 1975 for £60,000.

Made his England debut in 1977 against Italy. England won 2 - 0.

• 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.

• Pat Nevin
• Gary Stevens

First choice right-back for England in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, playing in two World Cup semi-finals, Stevens was signed for Tranmere by John King in 1994 from Rangers for £350,000.

• 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 head of the FA and Insolvency practitioner

Internal Records

Best league win

13-4 against Oldham Athletic 1933/34

Highest attendance

Home - 24,400 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 - "Bunny" Harold Bell - 1934/35

Honours

League Cup

Runners-up

2000

Third Division North

Champions

1938

Division Three (New Format)

Play-off winners

1991

Associate Members' Cup

Winners

1990

Welsh Cup

Winners

1935

Runners-up

1934

External Link

Official website