Tranmere drop out of the Football League

Nice of you to give a mention to Tranmere on here, Michael.

I was never a supporter myself, but I have some fond memories of rain soaked nights at Prenton Park and Haig Ave where my home town team play.

Seems such a long time ago now.... I hope they bounce back.

Very sad what's happened to them. I used to go and watch them when Everton didn't have a match, and always enjoyed football at that level as it seems a lot more honest than the PL, where the same boring teams win everything year after year (how they can make out it's exciting is beyond me).

Hope they can come back soon, but the Conference is a hard league to win promotion from.

I remember going to a couple of Friday night games as a kid in the sixties. They had a couple of yard-dog forwards called George Hudson and George Yardley (?)

Oddly enough, for the past 20-odd years IÂ’ve lived a stoneÂ’s throw from their ground, but have only been there for firework displays!

I remember seeing Dave Hickson playing for Tranmere in the twilight of his career – must've been on a Friday night in the 60s.

I also remember seeing one of the worst ever footballers – Peter Jackson – once sidefoot the ball over the stand! Honestly I am not joking, you had to see him to believe it. Used to laugh at him all match with my mate and his Dad.

When I lived on the Wirral again in the 90s, I used to enjoy watching Pat Nevin with all his skill. So disappointed that they have dropped out of the Football League – may not be an easy job to return, as many established teams have found.

Brian (3) George Yardley was quite a prolific goalscorer at that level for Tranmere, over a few seasons. I think he also played in goal for them at the end of his spell with them, think he was an Australian.

Sad day indeed. I was born in Tranmere and played many times on Prenton Park for Birkenhead and the Wirral U18s and local cup finals.

Of course, in the year of my birth 1935, Rovers beat Oldham 13-4 and the 17 goals in one game may still be a Football League record.

As a boy, I listened to stories of Dixie Dean and Pongo Waring, the great Villa centre forward.

In my own most memorable period, possibly in the early 50s, I remember Johnny Wheeler who moved to Bolton and captained England, Keiran who played for the Football League and the ever-present skipper, Harold Bell.

Round about 1957, whilst with Bomber Command, we were visited by the highly popular radio show "Take Your Pick" hosted by a big guy called Michael Miles. The show was to be recorded and presented to UK listeners a fortnight later.

One of the highlights was Leslie Welch, "The Memory Man". This guy could give detailed, correct answers on any sport. He was truly amazing. Never got one wrong.

Here we go. After 5 minutes of rattling off all kinds of mind-numbing answers at machine gun speed he asked, "Is that all? Any more questions?" I stood up and yelled "Yes, Sir" to roars from the lads. (We were in the camp cinema.)

"Which player holds the record for playing the most consecutive games in League Football?"

The Memory Man instantly went into overdrive on a goalie, possibly Ted Ditchburn of Spurs. "Age blah blah, signed blah blah, played 350 consecutive games. A League record. Am I right sir?"

"NO, SIR!" (In the forces all grown-ups are "Sir") Absolute uproar. The place went wild.

"Harold Bell, Tranmere Rovers, Sir. 459 consecutive appearances." The din was unbelievable. Lads on the seats and jumping in the aisles. Rock 'n' Roll era stuff.

Anyway, Mr Welch admitted his error and I was a hero. No phones in those days so I wrote to my mum and told her about the upcoming show on the radio. With half the town tuned in... would you believe it. THEY CUT ME OUT!!!

"We are very ashamed", said my mum later. "May God forgive you."

He was a Scot, mate... played in a number of countries and at the time of going to Tranmere he was a prolific goalscorer for them. Never to the standard of Dixie... like!

Love it Harold. Although, I have to confess, I couldnÂ’t help but read your lines in the voice of Phil Silvers! Hope you took a few bets beforehand like a proper British Bilko.

Harold, what a brilliant tale to tell.

I bet you have dined out on that story?

To think the BBC cut you off in your prime...never to set foot in your neighbourhood again.

Superb...

Great stuff Harold. On "Take your pick" did Michael Miles play the yes no game with a guy with a gong? Did survivors win half a crown?

If I recall correctly Michael Miles had the kind of anti-charisma that in that era was no barrier to being on TV. Hughie Green was on at the same time.

John / Steve / Andy. Cheers lads. Sorry John, I was only 22 and nowhere near as smart as Bilko. Haha, What a character.

YouÂ’ve got him Andy. Big snob with a gong.

Brian @3. My dad used to drag me over to Prenton Park whenever both Everton and Marine were playing away. They were my reluctant Â’third sideÂ’.

I have particular memories of George Hudson whom I always regarded as an excellent striker. He had scored shedloads throughout his career – Accrington, Coventry, Peterborough, Northampton – before finishing his career at Tranmere.

His was the first name I ever heard attributed to the popular chant Â’ThereÂ’s only one ....... .......Â’ !

Many years later, I became well acquainted with their long serving chairman, Bill Braithwaite(?) – a veteran of BBC Sports Report – and Manager, Dave Russell via a sponsorship of their Friday night games.

Think you mean Bill Bothwell, Phil – a great Tranmere man but also an outstanding sports reporter on the radio, unlike so many of the prattlers we have to endure today.

When I heard of TranmereÂ’s demise, the first thing I thought of was Half Man Half Biscuit (devoted Tranmere supporters) and their wonderful song, Â’National Shite DayÂ’.

Maybe theyÂ’ll add the line Â’dropping out of the football league after 94 years.Â’

To be honest, Tranmere has always been just a name to me – a name I’ve heard read out on the results a million times, but... nothing more.

That’s not a criticism or meant to demean, it’s just that ’over the water’ has always a mystery to me – so close, yet to all intents and purposes, it might as well be Venezuela (in fact I can honestly say I’ve spent more combined hours in Venezuela than the Wirral).

Not a conscious decision by the way, IÂ’ve just never much (any?) reason or inclination to go over there.

Actually, come to think of it, there are places IN Liverpool that are a complete mystery to me (fairly sure IÂ’ve only been to Maghull once).

"ThereÂ’s a man with a mullet going mad with a mallet in Millets!" - HereÂ’s HMHB and National Shite Day - Link

HMHB came straight to me too... but "Friday Night and the Gates are Low" was first to mind.

TheyÂ’ll be a bit lower in the conference.

Of course you are right, James. Bill was an all-time great who featured on Sports Report for a record number of broadcasts.

My old man worked for a wine company and used to sponsor the Boardroom booze to the tune of fifty quid a game. Even at 30p a pint and ١ for a bottle of spirits that didnÂ’t go far I tell you!

Happy days!

Great link, Eugene, took me back to mad times.

I remember they whacked us 1-4 in the cup. After that game I would have loved to have seen them lose their Football League position but not now. Good luck to them, but not at our expense.

I lived in Tranmere as a little kid, and my dad said that Dixie Dean lived just round the corner and would walk past us on the way to the park.

At the age of 6, my dad took me to Prenton Park for a Friday night game and it was so dull it put me off the idea for years. As a teenager, I would often go on a Friday with a Liverpool fan mate, and go to Goodison the next day.

Until a few years ago, my father-in-law was a season ticket holder and I would go with him to a few games a season. It was friendly, like a family club, and you would see the likes of Lou Macari and Lawrie McMenemy scouting there. Have a bowl of soup at halftime and a pint afterwards, and see some of the players in the lounge.

I hope they bounce back, but the Conference is full of ex-league teams.

Very sad – they’ve got to bounce back but it will not be easy.
I squeezed into Prenton Park one memorable evening (ca. 1970) and saw them knock Coventry City (1st Div) out of the FA Cup – 2-0 with George Yardley scoring at least one of them.

I remember them beating us 3-0 in the FA Cup, and listening to their fans chanting anti-Scouse songs. They obviously hadnÂ’t twigged that their manager and half of their team were from Liverpool. IÂ’ve never really given a shit about them since that day...

Very sad times for Tranmere.

But Harold's story is superb and I would never have heard it if Tranmere had survived......

Oh well.

The good news is, my other team Hartlepool managed to survive, but IÂ’m sorry Tranmere had to go down.

My mate, who shall remain nameless, played for Tranmere for a while while in the old 4th division in the early 80s. He lived over the road from me and Friday teatimes he would call to mine to borrow my boots to go and play for them.

One game after bunking in, I was behind the dugout and climbed over the top of it and could make out my boots on his feet, he was sub that day and I knew they were mine because one of them was bent like a banana. So leaning over the dugout I shouted: "Hey, how are the boots?" and he ignored me. So I shouted again, "How are the boots?"

At this point, Brian Hamilton was getting annoyed and said to the player, "Who the fuck is that calling you?" Then, my mate turned around and shouted, "Fuck off, you little cunt." All this when he was wearing my boots.

Very sad for the Rovers but at least Marine managed to stay up in their last game of the season!

Ah, yes Danny (#21) – another early exit & cup humiliation for us Blues. Turned over on our own patch at that! Long time now since the Walter Smith daze, but still get nervous when we draw the likes of Shrewsbury Town, et al.
Always ’swings & roundabouts’ with our mob – palpable relief when Super Kev saved us, only a few seasons earlier.
EFC Forrest (Gump, not Notts!) Box of chocolates – Nuff said!! ;-)

CouldnÂ’t give a shit about Tranmere.

I remember just how much they rubbed it in when they twatted us in the FA Cup when we had a shit team. Also singing Â’one Peter JohnsonÂ’ at us.

Look where you are now boys!

Fuck Â’em.

Sad to see them go down.

I would have thought that us and the Redshite would have used them for loans a lot more than we have. good competitive league that would make a man out of the players (ie get booted everywhere by the fat old yard dogs) quickly or their legs would be broken.

Hope they come back straight away