At this exciting time, with Tranmere embarking on a campaign back in League 1, it’s easy to look ahead. With ‘3 in a row’ chants on the lips of Rovers’ fans after the win at Wembley in May, and before the Rochdale game on Saturday, there is clearly a great deal of optimism in the air at Prenton Park. For this reason, I want to take a look back at the breath taking last few seasons that have got us to where we are now, and how to approach the future.

The drop into non-league, and its significance.

The past few years have been quite the ride, haven’t they?

When Tranmere were relegated from League 1 at the end of a turbulent 2013/14 season, few would have predicted what has followed. A dismal League 2 campaign the following year consigned Rovers to the fifth tier after a 94 year stay in the Football League, and with this, understandable devastation within our fan base. Suffering relegation is not a rare experience for Tranmere fans, or even for fans of lower league clubs in general, but this meant something different, a totally new adventure into the dreaded non-league.

The non-league experience was a far-cry from what the club, and fans alike were used to. Although we may have never experienced the delights of Premier League football, we are a club with a proud history – and with good reason. Under the helm of Johnny King, Rovers fans were spoiled with a series of Wembley visits, a victory in the Leyland DAF, and promotion to the second tier. January 27th, commonly known as St Yates’ day, marks the occasion when our plucky side from what many consider the ‘wrong’ side of The Mersey, crossed the river and did the unthinkable, beating our neighbours Everton 3-0 in the FA Cup. Just a few weeks later, Rovers came from 3-0 down at home to Southampton to win 4-3, and another game was written into Tranmere folklore, to be passed on through the generations. To put it bluntly – non-league is not Tranmere Rovers spiritual home.

The ignominy of being a fifth tier team was as bad as had been expected. Long gone, it seemed, were the days of feisty affairs with the likes of Bolton, and the 2015/16 season opening with the visit of Woking wasn’t met with much enthusiasm. But here’s where it gets interesting. Although we may not have realised it at the time, as we returned to Prenton Park to watch a Jay Harris free kick secure a 1-0 opening day victory, something special was building once more at our beloved football club. The starting line up that day, a group of players put together by Gary Brabin, contained the makings of a team that would rekindle the bond, not just between our clubs fans and its players, but between the fans and the club.

The Rovers’ Resurgence and the importance of the fans.

We hear it all the time. From managers in post-match interviews, players on social media, and from commentators in the commentary box. We’re told about the importance of the fans. In spite of the modern game, with its soulless stadiums and its consumer capitalism, the part the fans can play in determining the outcome of a match truly cannot be understated. Whether you’re against Barcelona in a Champions league semi final, or away to Gateshead on a cold Tuesday in November, the fans are always essential.

After the departure of unpopular manager Gary Brabin following a dismal loss to Sutton, we were in desperate need of a manager who could reinvigorate our support, and make us believe again. Although Brabin hadn’t fared terribly in his role as manager, for whatever reason, Rovers fans never particularly took to him. Perhaps it was the negative, defensive football that failed to entertain the fans at Prenton Park, or maybe his unimpressive previous managerial record that never really gave Rovers’ fans a reason to start believing again. Either way, the next appointment needed to be right, and right it was.

When Micky Mellon was appointed Rovers’ boss in October 2016, with him came a new found optimism. He spoke ambitiously, had a previous relationship with the fans having been a Tranmere player himself, and had a proven track record of delivering promotions. Despite having an entire squad made up of players brought in by the previous regime, Mellon hit the ground running. Starting with a 2-0 win against rivals Wrexham in his first league game, Rovers shot up the table, never really looking back and eventually finishing 2nd, earning our place in the play offs in a battle to return, to the promised land, to the Football League. It almost felt inevitable. Having had such a good league campaign, and then comfortably dispatching of Aldershot in the play off semi final, it seemed like many fans thought the final against Forest Green Rovers would be a formality, however, despite a wonder goal from Connor Jennings, it just wasn’t to be.

With Rovers consigned to non-league for another season, many clubs of our magnitude could be forgiven for losing the faith, but fans continued to turn up in their masses. In fact, the average attendance at Prenton Park was higher in the 2017/18 season, at 5293 than it was when we had last been in League 1, at 5113. When accounting for the much greater away followings that came to Birkenhead in League 1, compared to, say, 14 Gateshead fans, the loyalty of the Prenton Park faithful is staggering, and it poses the question – why?

A team to believe in.

Without doubt, one of the most important reasons for Tranmere’s fight back, and the fans continued devotion following the Wembley loss to Forest Green is the character of the team assembled in non league. In previous seasons, and I’m sure most would point to the 2014/15 season, it felt like there was a certain amount of apathy within the Tranmere dressing room. Journeymen came and went, and although there were a few who you could tell were stung by relegation, for most of the players, it seemed like they didn’t really care. The divide between the fans and players had scarcely been greater.

However, this time, it was different. Fans were inspired by Scott Davies’ passion and pre match roar in front of the Kop. They appreciated Steve Mcnulty’s leadership and his ability to kick the team into gear. Jay Harris was loved for his never say die attitude and crunching tackles, James Norwood and Andy Cook for their brilliant partnership and seemingly constant stream of goals. Above all, it seemed like this team, and the manager alike, cared about Tranmere Rovers, and wanted the glory attached to being the ones who sent our famous old club back to the Football League.

This combination of the fans remaining loyal, and getting behind the team even if they weren’t playing well or losing, and the players wanting to reward that loyalty, came to a head on May 12th, 2018. Liam Ridehalgh had been sent off after less than a minute in Rovers second play off final in two years against Boreham Wood, and despite Tranmere taking the lead through a Cook header, the Wood equalised on the stroke of half time. It would’ve been very easy for our fans to give up. In fact, I’m willing to bet the phrase ‘typical Tranmere’ was muttered more than a few times during that half time break. Nonetheless, by the time the second half came around, it was evident the fans knew they were required. With what James Norwood credits to a big tackle from Jay Harris, the fans mood changed, and they more than filled in for Tranmere’s missing eleventh man. We all know the rest.

With promotion back to the Football League sealed, and then a consecutive promotion the following season with largely the same squad, barring a few additions, we are well and truly are back where we belong. (Although why not aim even higher, hey? ) I’m not trying to say it’s all because of the fans, or even all because of the players. Initiatives within the club spearheaded by Mark Palios have brought the club back to the community, such as the SWA2 campaign, and also the addition of drummers to the ground to create the conditions for the fans to make a good atmosphere. As previously mentioned, the importance of Micky Mellon cannot be understated in improving the players he inherited, particularly James Norwood, Connor Jennings and Andy Cook. Football is about every one pulling in the same direction, and we as a club certainly did that.

The Future

Although this article may seem like a pat on the back to ourselves, and to our promotion winning players, the thing that is important to keep in mind is how it can serve as a reminder for the future. As negativity may begin to creep in after a less than impressive start back in League 1, what’s important is – we are in League 1. We, as a unit, fans, manager, players, staff, chairman and so many more worked so hard, and went through so much to get here, so the important thing is to enjoy it. Enjoy Tranmere being back on the footballing map. Enjoy having players who will fight for the shirt, and even if they’re not the best players in the league, back them. Most importantly though, enjoy the days out with your mates when we take on teams like Bolton and Sunderland, because God knows we missed days like that when we were playing North Ferriby just a couple of years ago.

Nobody knows what the future may bring, and although a 3-2 loss at home to Rochdale isn’t the most inspiring start to the season, I believe we have enough about us to stay up this season, especially with the financial plight of Bury and Bolton. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. Palios talks of wanting to climb up the leagues, and with the exciting prospect of Indonesian investment into the club, maybe, just maybe we’ll find ourselves on another trip to the moon.