# 2008–09 Tranmere Rovers F.C. season

During the 2008–09 English football season, Tranmere Rovers F.C. competed in Football League One.

## Season summary

In the 2007–08 season, Tranmere finished 11th and their ambition for 2008–09 was the play-offs. Their form in the first half of the season was mixed, but they found themselves in 8th place at Christmas. Tranmere finished 7th, missing out on the play-offs by one point. Despite this 7th-placed finish, manager Ronnie Moore was sacked and replaced by John Barnes in mid-June. A run of 5 games unbeaten in March/April led rovers into the play-off positions with 3 games remaining, but 7th placed Scunthorpe were two points behind and had played two games less. Tranmere lost to fellow play-off contenders Leeds United, but Scunthorpe lost too, leaving Rovers in 6th place. They failed to win their final 2 games, meaning they finished 7th.

## Kit

Tranmere's kits were manufactured by Vandanel and sponsored by the Wirral Metropolitan Council.

## Squad

Squad at end of season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | WAL | Danny Coyne |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Andy Taylor |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Ben Chorley |
| 5 | DF | JAM | Ian Goodison |
| 6 | MF | ENG | Antony Kay |
| 7 | FW | ENG | Bas Savage |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Ian Thomas-Moore |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Chris Greenacre |
| 11 | MF | PAK | Adnan Ahmed |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Steve Jennings |
| 13 | DF | AUS | Gareth Edds |
| 14 | FW | ENG | Terry Gornell |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Danny Holmes |
| 16 | MF | GAM | Edrissa Sonko |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 17 | DF | ENG | Luke Waterfall |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Aaron Cresswell |
| 19 | MF | ENG | Charlie Barnett |
| 20 | MF | ENG | Paul Henry |
| 21 | FW | ENG | Josh Macauley |
| 22 | MF | WAL | Ash Taylor |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Chris Shuker |
| 24 | GK | NED | John Achterberg |
| 25 | FW | ENG | Craig Curran |
| 26 | DF | ENG | Ryan Shotton |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Robbie Burns |
| 29 | GK | ENG | Peter Kennedy |
| 30 | MF | ENG | Ryan Fraughan |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 22 | GK | ENG | Phillip Palethorpe (Signed for Airbus UK Broughton F.C.) |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Mark Wilson (on loan from Doncaster Rovers) |
| 2 | DF | ESP | Godwin Antwi (on loan from Liverpool) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 28 | DF | ENG | John Johnson (on loan from Middlesbrough) |
| 8 | MF | IRL | George O'Callaghan (released) |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Danny Mayor (on loan from Preston North End) |

## Competitions
### League One
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 5 | Millwall | 46 | 25 | 7 | 14 | 63 | 53 | +10 | 82 | Qualification for League One play-offs |
| 6 | Scunthorpe United (O, P) | 46 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 82 | 63 | +19 | 76 | Qualification for League One play-offs |
| 7 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 62 | 49 | +13 | 74 | |
| 8 | Southend United | 46 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 58 | 61 | −3 | 71 | |
| 9 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 62 | 65 | −3 | 68 | |

#### Matches

League One match details :
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 9 August 2008 | Swindon Town | A | L | 1–3 | Savage 85' | 7,975 |
| 16 August 2008 | Hartlepool United | H | W | 1–0 | Curran 23' | 5,418 |
| 23 August 2008 | Leicester City | A | L | 1–3 | Shuker 80' | 17,798 |
| 30 August 2008 | Northampton Town | H | W | 4–1 | Savage 35', Kay 38', Curran 45', Thomas-Moore 90' | 5,034 |
| 6 September 2008 | Oldham Athletic | H | L | 0–1 | | 6,082 |
| 13 September 2008 | Huddersfield Town | A | W | 2–1 | Sonko 39', Shotton 49' | 12,128 |
| 20 September 2008 | Peterborough United | A | D | 2–2 | | 5,735 |
| 26 September 2008 | Colchester United | H | L | 3–4 | Kay 12', Taylor 76', Shotton 78' | 5,713 |
| 4 October 2008 | Carlisle United | A | W | 2–1 | Thomas-Moore 1', Shotton 80' | 6,093 |
| 11 October 2008 | Millwall | H | L | 1–3 | Savage 90' | 5,863 |
| 18 October 2008 | Leyton Orient | A | W | 1–0 | Shuker 39' | 5,568 |
| 21 October 2008 | Cheltenham Town | H | W | 2–0 | Savage 69', Sonko 89' | 4,535 |
| 24 October 2008 | Crewe Alexandra | H | W | 2–0 | Jennings 51', Shuker 74' | 5,790 |
| 28 October 2008 | Stockport County | A | D | 0–0 | | 6,121 |
| 1 November 2008 | Milton Keynes Dons | A | L | 0–1 | | 8,185 |
| 15 November 2008 | Southend United | H | D | 2–2 | Thomas-Moore 8', Savage 14' | 5,019 |
| 22 November 2008 | Yeovil Town | A | L | 0–1 | | 3,445 |
| 25 November 2008 | Scunthorpe United | H | W | 2–0 | Sonko 41', Shotton 75' | 4,564 |
| 6 December 2008 | Leeds United | H | W | 2–1 | Kay 17', Moore 49' | 8,700 |
| 13 December 2008 | Bristol Rovers | A | L | 0–2 | | 6,217 |
| 20 December 2008 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | W | 1–0 | Kay 90' | 4,885 |
| 26 December 2008 | Hereford United | A | D | 2–2 | Sonko 37', 61' | 3,495 |
| 28 December 2008 | Walsall | H | W | 2–1 | Goodison 42', Kay 90' | 5,913 |
| 17 January 2009 | Millwall | A | L | 0–1 | | 8,257 |
| 24 January 2009 | Carlisle United | H | W | 4–1 | Thomas-Moore 49', 77', Edds 53', Jennings 66' | 5,924 |
| 27 January 2009 | Stockport County | H | W | 2–1 | Edds 57', Thomas-Moore 90' pen. | 5,259 |
| 31 January 2009 | Crewe Alexandra | A | L | 1–2 | Kay 26' | 4,936 |
| 7 February 2009 | Leyton Orient | H | D | 0–0 | | 4,892 |
| 10 February 2009 | Colchester United | A | W | 1–0 | Shotton 50' | 3,588 |
| 14 February 2009 | Southend United | A | L | 1–2 | Thomas-Moore 63' pen. | 6,507 |
| 17 February 2009 | Peterborough United | H | D | 1–1 | Barnett 16' | 4,862 |
| 21 February 2009 | Milton Keynes Dons | H | L | 1–1 | Gornell 83' | 5,625 |
| 28 February 2009 | Swindon Town | H | W | 1–0 | Kay 48' | 5,153 |
| 3 March 2009 | Hartlepool United | A | L | 1–2 | Chorley 70' | 3,033 |
| 7 March 2009 | Northampton Town | A | D | 1–1 | Savage 32' | 4,546 |
| 11 March 2009 | Leicester City | H | W | 2–0 | Kay 47', Jennings 83' pen. | 6,032 |
| 14 March 2009 | Huddersfield Town | H | W | 3–1 | Kay 6', 53', Savage 50' | 5,515 |
| 17 March 2009 | Cheltenham Town | A | L | 0–1 | | 3,445 |
| 21 March 2009 | Oldham Athletic | A | W | 2–0 | Barnett 57', Thomas-Moore 75' pen. | 7,489 |
| 28 March 2009 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | D | 0–0 | | 5,819 |
| 5 April 2009 | Bristol Rovers | H | W | 2–0 | Cresswell 37', Thomas-Moore 64' | 8,119 |
| 11 April 2009 | Walsall | A | W | 1–0 | Savage 80' | 4,206 |
| 13 April 2009 | Hereford United | H | W | 2–1 | Savage 8', Barnett 27' | 5,945 |
| 18 April 2009 | Leeds United | A | L | 1–3 | Sodje 27' o.g. | 24,360 |
| 25 April 2009 | Yeovil Town | H | D | 1–1 | Kay 78' | 8,306 |
| 2 May 2009 | Scunthorpe United | A | D | 1–1 | Curran 39' | 8,029 |

### FA Cup

FA Cup match details :
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 8 November 2008 | Accrington Stanley | A | D | 0–0 | | 2,126 |
| First round replay | 13 November 2008 | Accrington Stanley | H | W | 1–0 | Shuker 69' | 2,560 |
| Second round | 29 November 2008 | Peterborough United | A | D | 0–0 | | 5,980 |
| Second round replay | 9 December 2008 | Peterborough United | H | L | 1–2 | Kay 47' | 3,139 |

### League Cup

League Cup match details :
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance | Ref. |
| First round | 12 August 2008 | Grimsby Town | A | L | 0–2 | | 1,858 | |

### Football League Trophy

Football League Trophy match details :
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 2 September 2008 | Accrington Stanley | H | W | 1–0 | Sonko 49' | 2,410 |
| Second round | 6 October 2008 | Crewe Alexandra | H | W | 1–0 | Shuker 86' | 2,626 |
| Northern quarter-final | 4 November 2008 | Morecambe | H | W | 1–0 | Shotton 45' | 2,110 |
| Northern semi-final | 16 December 2008 | Scunthorpe United | A | L | 1–2 | Thomas-Moore 53' | 2,669 |