From: mcsdc1jpb@dct.ac.uk (john bell)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: Re: Just another example of the 'fabulous' English
Date: 21 Jan 93 14:39:43 GMT
Distribution: rec.sport.soccer
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology

In article <1778@ozz.oasis.icl.co.uk>, apc@getafix (Andy P Clarke) writes:
>> stevensm@p4.cs.man.ac.uk (Mik Stevens) writes:
>> > J.M.Ross@man0507.wins.icl.co.uk (J.M.Ross) writes:
>> > 
>> > Tranmere actually come from Birkenhead, across the Mersey from Liverpool.
>> > I saw an interview with John King, Tranmere's manager, recently. He would feel
>> > cheated if Everton got relegated, he wants a full complement of Merseyside 
>> > derbies when Tranmere go up!
> 
>> > !  James M. Ross                            ! ICL Computers Ltd   !
> 
>> Tranmere will need a full complement of Merseyside derbies next year
>> as their support is still fairly static even though promotion

theground capacity at prenton park is only about 12000

their average home gate is about 10-11000   not too bad is it?


>> is possible.  Would they still play all their games on Friday night
>> so that their `moonlight' supporters can come and watch.  I don't 
>> think that many of the premier league sides would bow to that one.
>> That will mean a reduction in Tranmere gates (can they afford it).
>> I doubt it.  A reduction in gates means players cannot be paid and 
>> the only way to balance the books is to sell.  Look at Wimbledon.
>> Their survival is due to home grown `talent'(in its loosest sense)
>> being moved on.  Tranmere don't have a hope of attracting promising 
>> youngsters due to the precense of the bigger clubs.  A vicious
>> circle with no escape.  Still, John Kings taken from 4th to near the 
>> top of the second so he might manage the last push.  I cannot see
>> a sustained presence of three merseyside clubs however.
>  
>> Swindon should go up with Newcastle anyway.  Much better football,
>> and they should be there anyway.
>> 
>> mik
> 
> After their performances of recent weeks I wonder what the odds are
> on Tranmere being the only Merseyside club in the Premier League.
> Ok maybe not but let me dream awhile? Considering that if we hadn`t
> won our last league match of the 1987-88 season we would have been
> relegated to the Vauxhall Conference, lost our best players, and 
> probably gone bust, we haven't done too badly in the last few seasons!
> 
> We always used to play our home games on Friday night so that a few of
> the Liverpool and Everton fans could see two games in a weekend.
> However since (and during) our promotions, most of the supporters
> have been converted to just being Tranmere fans. As we rose up the league,
> an important factor in attendances have been away fans. Last season we
> played several home games on a Saturday afternoon to make the most 
> of the visiting supporters from clubs like Newcastle, Sunderland and 
> Wolves. It soon became apparent that we played better on Saturdays, in
> the better atmosphere, and having had two promotions, the fans weren't
> just Liverpool fans who wanted a change, but committed Tranmere fans.
> The other problem used to be that the police couldn't cope with two
> Merseyside games at once, but since the hooligans have moved on, there
> doesn`t seem to be a problem now.
> 
> This season we have played 5 home matches on Friday nights and 7 on
> Saturdays, though the recession is hitting hard. The attendances at
> the beginning of the season were terrible (~5000), but they are up
> to 8 or 9 now, with the Millwall game getting 13000.
> 
> The reason we have done so well is that we haven`t had to sell
> any players - just Eddie Bishop to Chester for 50 grand - hardly
> a major signing - even if he was a star for us - but I digress.
> We are sound financially without selling our good players. The squad 
> cost about 800,000 altogether and must be worth 5 million in total now.
> As for signing youngsters, we have an excellent youth policy and lots
> of cracking new young players in the first team to complement the
> oldies like Aldridge and McNab. I think that although kids do aim for
> Liverpool or Everton, they feel thay have a better chance of making
> it with us, several of our players are 'Liverpool rejects' - by 
> which I mean rejected as a kid. Tony Thomas is an example - Liverpool
> were rumoured to want him back earlier this season before he broke
> his leg.
> 
> I agree with your point about Swindon playing good football, but
> that does not mean they deserve anything. Almost all the top teams
> play really good football, especially Tranmere and Millwall, so
> if good football deserves promotion, then there'll be about 10 teams
> going up this season!
>  
> Cheers,
> 
> 		Andy/
> 
> PS: Swindon should be kicked out anyway:
> a) the illegal payments fiasco a few years back
> b) when we played them earlier this season, (winning 2-1) the floodlights
> failed. We later found out that even the police knew that they were
> not going to last the game because the circuits were so knackered. The 
> Swindle Town players were already changed 10 minutes after the lights
> went out, even though the match was not abandoned for another half-hour.
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> ___         _              _         .  .          | Andy Clarke 
>  | RANMERE |_)OVERS - THE |_)RIDE OF |\/|ERSEYSIDE.| TEL 0344 424842 x3004
>  |         | \            |          |  |          | EMAIL apc@oasis.icl.co.uk
> ______________________________________________________________________________
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