Three years since Blackpool Away.

Three years since Blackpool Away. 

It was three years ago since Tranmere Rovers supporters travelled up to Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road, looking to stay in League One, on a cold Tuesday night. 

Micky Mellon’s side hadn’t had a great start to the season but since the signings of key players Peter Clarke, James Vaughan, Alex Woodyard etc they were a side very much on the up. 

It was an amazing battling performance that night, a 2-1 win the final result with Morgan Ferrier and James Vaughan netting in the first half. 

Tranmere fans never stopped singing. 

What was to follow next can only be described as a farce, with the EFL putting a stop to all action but for those at the top in the midst of the COVID Pandemic. 

With Tranmere struggling in League Two now, who knows where The Whites could’ve been if the Pandemic wasn’t to happen or the EFL was to have ruled things fairly.

This is the squad that played that night and where their careers have since taken them.  

Scott Davies (Now aged 36): Retired last year after suffering a lengthy injury in 2021. 

Mark Ellis (Now aged 34): Went on loan to Notts County in 2021 before signing for Barrow in the Summer. He has made 16 appearances for Barrow but is currently on loan at York City after having loan spells away at Solihull Moors and Torquay United. 

Peter Clarke (Now aged 41): Part of Tranmere’s great in-form backline during the 2021/22 campaign, he moved on to pastures new in the Summer of ‘22 as he signed for Walsall. He is currently on loan at Oldham Athletic. 

Manny Monthe (Now aged 28): Transferred to Walsall in the Summer of ‘21 after spending three years on The Wirral.  

Calum Woods (Now aged 36): Now plays for Bala Town in the Cymru Premier, the game against Blackpool was the last time he would wear a Rovers shirt. He has since had spells at United of Manchester and in India, Kolkata, for East Bengal.

David Perkins (Now aged 40): Similar to Woods, Perkins’ last game for Rovers was that great night against Blackpool. He moved to AFC Fylde in the Summer of 2020 before moving to Northern Premier League side Bamber Bridge, he made the decision to retire last year. 

Alex Woodyard (Now aged 29): Woodyard made eleven appearances for Tranmere during his loan spell in 2020, he now plays for AFC Wimbledon and has done since the summer of 2020. 

Kane Wilson (Now aged 22): A greatly talented full-back, it was a blow for Rovers when Wilson’s loan spell ended three years ago today. After being promoted, and giving Tranmere’s left hand side a tricky afternoon in the mauling at Prenton Park, with Forest Green Rovers he is now at The Championship’s Bristol City. 

Kieron Morris (Now aged 28): Since signing on loan for Tranmere in 2018, Morris has made 149 appearances for the club and has netted sixteen. He is the only player from the squad that travelled up to Bloomfield Road to have stayed with The Whites. 

James Vaughan (Now aged 34): Vaughan signed for Tranmere on loan in the January of 2020, he made eight appearances and scored three goals for Mellon’s side during his loan spell before signing a permanent contract in the Summer. He scored eighteen goals in 29 games throughout the 2020-21 campaign but retired, after an injury, to become the club’s sporting director. He is now at boyhood club Everton as he is their Loans Pathway Manager. 

Morgan Ferrier (Now aged 28): Ferrier signed from Walsall in 2019, he was at Tranmere for two years as he hit the net five times but has since travelled a crazy journey. Maccabi Petah Tikva in Israel was his first stop before moving to Ironi Kiryat Shmona and now plys his trade in Thailand as he is at Nakhon Ratchasima, he has four goals in six games since signing for Nakhon last year. 

Connor Jennings (Now aged 31): Club Legend Jennings, having won two promotions in his time at Rovers between 2016-20, moved to Stockport County after his spell on The Wirral.  He has since battled and beaten Cancer, played for Altrincham on loan and has signed a deal with Hartlepool United as they look to remain in the EFL. 

Corey Blackett-Taylor (Now aged 25): Pacey forward Taylor spent two years at Rovers after signing his contract in 2019, he moved to Charlton Athletic in the Summer of 2021 and has netted eight in 54 games for the League One outfit. 

If you were to have anyone back at the club now, who would it be? 

With Tranmere’s goal scoring problems, it would be James Vaughan for me. 

Bloomfield Road, the venue that night.