# 2018–19 Tranmere Rovers F.C. season

The 2018–19 season was Tranmere Rovers' 135th season of existence and their first back in EFL League Two following promotion from the 2017–18 National League. Along with competing in League Two, the club participated in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy.
The season covers the period from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| 1 July 2018 | AM | Ollie Banks | Oldham Athletic | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | RB | Jake Caprice | Leyton Orient | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | CB | Mark Ellis | Carlisle United | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | CB | Manny Monthé | Forest Green Rovers | Undisclosed |
| 1 July 2018 | CF | Paul Mullin | Swindon Town | Undisclosed |
| 18 July 2018 | LB | Zoumana Bakayogo | Crewe Alexandra | Free transfer |
| 2 August 2018 | CF | Cole Stockton | Carlisle United | Free transfer |
| 13 September 2018 | CM | Ryan Williams | Paysandu | Free transfer |
| 5 January 2019 | DM | David Perkins | Rochdale | Undisclosed |
| 7 January 2019 | CM | Harvey Gilmour | Sheffield United | Undisclosed |
| 7 January 2019 | CF | Ishmael Miller | Oldham Athletic | Free transfer |
| 31 January 2019 | CF | Chris Dagnall | Bury | Free transfer |

### Transfers out

| Date from | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| 1 July 2018 | CF | James Alabi | Leyton Orient | Undisclosed |
| 1 July 2018 | FW | Ali Al-Hamadi | Swansea City | Undisclosed |
| 1 July 2018 | LB | Eddie Clarke | Fleetwood Town | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | CF | Andy Cook | Walsall | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | RM | Mitch Duggan | Warrington Town | Released |
| 1 July 2018 | SS | Jack Dunn | Free agent | Released |
| 1 July 2018 | CF | Devarn Green | Southport | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | CM | Jeff Hughes | Larne | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2018 | RM | Jake Kirby | Stockport County | Released |
| 1 July 2018 | CF | Andy Mangan | Bala Town | Released |
| 1 July 2018 | CB | Jay McEveley | Warrington Town | Released |
| 1 July 2018 | CF | Elliot Rokka | Free agent | Released |
| 1 July 2018 | CM | Drissa Traoré | Free agent | Released |
| 20 July 2018 | CM | James Wallace | Fleetwood Town | Free transfer |
| 9 August 2018 | CM | Oliver Norburn | Shrewsbury Town | Undisclosed |
| 4 January 2019 | CB | Declan Drysdale | Coventry City | Compensation |
| 9 January 2019 | CB | Ritchie Sutton | Morecambe | Free transfer |
| 14 January 2019 | RM | Larnell Cole | Free agent | Mutual consent |
| 14 January 2019 | CM | Ryan Williams | Free agent | Released |
| 24 January 2019 | CF | George Waring | Chester | Mutual consent |

### Loans in

| Start date | Position | Name | From | End date |
| 10 July 2018 | LM | Jonny Smith | Bristol City | 31 May 2019 |
| 13 July 2018 | MF | Harvey Gilmour | Sheffield United | 7 January 2019 |
| 24 July 2018 | GK | Shamal George | Liverpool | January 2019 |
| 17 August 2018 | RM | Dylan Mottley-Henry | Barnsley | January 2019 |
| 20 August 2018 | DM | Luke McCullough | Doncaster Rovers | 31 May 2019 |
| 22 August 2018 | CF | Franklyn Akammadu | Alessandria | 31 May 2019 |
| 22 January 2019 | LM | Ben Pringle | Preston North End | 31 May 2019 |
| 28 January 2019 | LW | Kieron Morris | Walsall | 31 May 2019 |
| 29 January 2019 | CB | Sid Nelson | Millwall | 31 May 2019 |

### Loans out

| Start date | Position | Name | To | End date |
| 18 August 2018 | MF | Jay Devine | Colwyn Bay | September 2018 |
| 18 August 2018 | GK | Paddy Wharton | Colwyn Bay | September 2018 |
| 22 October 2018 | GK | Paddy Wharton | Stalybridge Celtic | November 2018 |
| 23 November 2018 | GK | Paddy Wharton | Marine | December 2018 |
| 27 November 2018 | CF | George Waring | Kidderminster Harriers | January 2019 |
| 21 December 2018 | RM | Ben Tollitt | Wrexham | 16 February 2019 |
| 7 January 2019 | CF | Cole Stockton | Wrexham | 31 May 2019 |
| 8 January 2019 | GK | Paddy Wharton | Stalybridge Celtic | 31 May 2019 |

## Competitions
### Friendlies

Tranmere Rovers announced friendlies with Dunfermline Athletic, Liverpool, Wigan Athletic, Warrington Town, Fleetwood Town, Chorley and Rochdale.

### EFL League Two
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 4 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 69 | 41 | +28 | 76 | Qualification for League Two play-offs |
| 5 | Forest Green Rovers | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 68 | 47 | +21 | 74 | Qualification for League Two play-offs |
| 6 | Tranmere Rovers (O, P) | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 63 | 50 | +13 | 73 | Qualification for League Two play-offs |
| 7 | Newport County | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 59 | 59 | 0 | 71 | Qualification for League Two play-offs |
| 8 | Colchester United | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 65 | 53 | +12 | 70 | |
* ↑ Four teams play for one spot and promotion to EFL League One.

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 4 May 2019. Source: BBC

#### Results by matchday

| Matchday | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A |
| Result | D | W | L | D | W | D | D | W | L | D | W | W | W | D | L | W | W | L | D | L | W | L | L | W | D | D | W | L | L | L | W | D | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | L | D | W | L | D | D | L |
| Position | 12 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |

#### Matches

On 21 June 2018, the League Two fixtures for the forthcoming season were announced.

#### Play-offs
### FA Cup

The first round draw was made live on BBC by Dennis Wise and Dion Dublin on 22 October. The draw for the second round was made live on BBC and BT by Mark Schwarzer and Glenn Murray on 12 November. The third round draw was made live on BBC by Ruud Gullit and Paul Ince from Stamford Bridge on 3 December 2018.

### EFL Cup

On 15 June 2018, the draw for the first round was made in Vietnam.

### EFL Trophy

On 13 July 2018, the initial group stage draw bar the U21 invited clubs was announced.
| Pos | Lge | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | L1 | Shrewsbury Town | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 8 | Round 2 |
| 2 | ACA | Manchester City U21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 7 | Round 2 |
| 3 | L2 | Crewe Alexandra | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 3 | |
| 4 | L2 | Tranmere Rovers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 0 | |