Best and Worst – Tranmere.
Tristan Browning – Supporter since 1980.
Team:
Best – John Achterberg; Steve Vickers, Mark Hughes, Ian Goodison, Ged Brannan; Gary Williams, Pat Nevin, Johnny Morrissey; Ian Muir, Chris Malkin, James Norwood.
Worst – Phil Whitehead; Marcus Holness, Janoi Donacien, Godwin Antwi, Harrison McGahey; Nicky Summerbee, Jon Otsemobor; Nathan Eccleston, Michael Ricketts, Kithson Bain, Guy Madjo
Player:
Best – Pat Nevin, pure class from start to finish.
Worst – Unfair this, as he is a decent enough player, but in the 2014-15 relegation season, I saw us lose away at Oxford, and defender Janoi Donacien literally didn’t put a foot right all afternoon. Worst individual 90 minutes I have ever seen.
Moment:
Best – Promotion back to the league in 2018.
Best individual moment – Andy Cook’s goal in that play off final – I celebrated that one more than Norwood’s.
Worst – Dropping out of the league in 2015.
Worst individual moment – Simon Haworth breaking his leg at Brentford in 2004. It happened right in front of me. You could hear the bones break. Ouch!
Game:
Best – The 2018 play off final just shades it from the home leg of the 2000 Worthington Cup semi v Bolton – the best atmosphere I have ever been in at Prenton Park.
Worst – Not a bad game as such, but early 1996, home v Crystal Palace, 2-0 up at halftime, lost 3-2 – I came away knowing our time aiming for the Premier league was over.
Player’s haircut:
Best – Johnny Morrissey’s flowing locks.
Worst – Dougie Anderson’s 1980s home-made haircut.
Signing:
Best – Other obvious ones I guess, but a good case for Ian Goodison, signed at age 31, went on to play over 400 games for us, 9th in the all time appearance list.
Worst – Guy Madjo, a striker signed in 2014-15. Came, ran around in circles for 3 games, disappeared never to be seen again.
Season:
Best – Loved 92-93, the first 2nd level play off season, and 99-2000 getting to the League Cup Final, but also seeing plenty of new grounds, and of course 2017-18.
Worst – Not so keen on 2014-15. dismal.
Goal:
Best – Adam McGurk, last minute winner away at Bournemouth in 2011 – real Roy of the Rovers stuff.
Worst – Sean Flynn’s 20 yard own goal volley at home to Wolves in 2001 – it would have been goal of the season if it hadn’t been in the wrong net.
Kit:
Best – 1995-97, blue and green hooped home top.
Worst – Never really liked the pinstripe 2000 home shirt – it had red in it! – even though we got to Wembley wearing it.
Nickname:
Best – Stuart ‘Jigsaw’ Barlow (‘he goes to pieces in the box’) always made me smile.
Worst – Ian ‘Goody’ Goodison wins no points for originality.
Chant:
Best – Too many funny things over the years.
Worst – Tequila, I can’t bear it!!
Manager:
Best – Johnny King, a total legend, his team from around 1989 to 1995 was six years of absolute brilliance.
Worst – Micky Adams – came in at a time we needed rescuing, failed utterly to do so.
Cult hero:
Best – Graham Branch, described as having “the tactical awareness of a newborn deer”, he was actually a superb player and went on to have a great career after leaving us as well. Honourable mention for ‘Steeeeeeeve’ McNulty.
Worst – Never set the world alight as a player, but Frenchman Max Blanchard from 2010-11 loved playing for the club so much, he was a cult hero even though half the people in the crowd were probably better at football.
Hard man:
Best – Georges Santos. Full stop.
Worst – James Wallace – wasn’t trying to be hard, but it was a good job, as he injured himself every time he tied his laces.
Facial hair:
Best – I’ll go for Aldo’s never changing moustache and goatee combo, or Stefan Payne’s full ‘stranded on a desert island’ look.
Worst – Sean Flynn’s wispy top lip.
Worst hard man? ‘James Wallace, he injured himself every time he tied his laces’
- The 29 year old Liverpudlian came through the Everton academy ranks before making just over 60 appearances for Tranmere across two spells at Prenton Park.