It’s fair to say that Tranmere’s season has started in a frustrating manner, it would also be fair to use those same words when talking about the upcoming visitors to Prenton Park in Salford City. Thus, Saturday brings an encounter in which both sides will fight for the three points up for stake as they will be wanting to be in and around the promotion places come next Summer.
I spoke to Ammies supporter Adam Franks about the club whose fortunes have been well documented via Sky Sports documentaries, he also gave his thoughts on Tranmere and the way in which he expects the ninety minutes to pan out.
How long have you been a Salford supporter and how did you first come across the club?
I’ve supported the club since 2007 and I first came across the club when my Nana’s next door neighbour, Matty Burke, played for the club.
What are your best and worst experiences through being an Ammies fan?
Best experience has been seeing the club climb up the leagues and also visiting all the different grounds across the country.
Worse experience has got to be losing to Halifax in the National League North play-offs semi final back in 2016/17.
Random fact about the club/the area?
Random fact of mine about the club is that my stepdad used to manage Salford years back.
We’re currently a month into the 2021/22 campaign but what are your expectations and hopes for the season ahead and how do they compare to those that you had this time last year?
We’ve had a slow and sloppy start this season but I believe the lads have the experience to fight on and climb the table as the season progresses.
Who is the Salford manager, what are your thoughts on him and how does he normally approach games from a tactical perspective?
Gary Bowyer is our manager and I believe he’s got what it takes to take us up this season. He came in last season after our bad run with Ritchie Wellens and he transformed the squad morale.
The Class of 92 are the Salford owner’s and have been for a few years now, with Gary Neville heavily involved in particular. What are your thoughts on the way the club is run and are there any current off field plans that are exciting supporters?
The club is run the way every other club is run, obviously Gary is very passionate in whatever he does and he is the main face of our development but you can’t knock the club committee. Yes they’re not as talked about as much as Gary but they do everything they can to keep the club going. The club is very much a family club. They want to get the fans involved more with what they do so it’s exciting to see what they’ve got up their sleeves.
Who are your key players and danger men?
Danger men for us this season has got to be Josh Morris, one of the best signings of the window for us. Experienced football league player who had heaps of goals and assists under his belt so hoping he can push the squad on to greater things this season. Another is in fact a loanee that I’ve been really impressed with and that’s Corrie Ndaba, a young centre half who’s come from Ipswich. On his debut he showed calmness and it’s good to see a young player coming through the ranks who’s already confident in his own ability.
If we are to look at this summer’s transfer recruitment, what are your thoughts on the business that the club was able to do and would you have liked anything more to have happened?
I think we had a decent transfer window, we replaced and strengthened in areas that were needed and hopefully things can click quickly.
What are your thoughts on Tranmere as a club in general and who do you believe are their ones to watch?
Tranmere are a club full of history and we’re unfortunate not to go up last season, they’re yet to kick off this season but they’ve got what it takes to be up there challenging for promotion.
Score prediction for Saturday?
My score prediction for Saturday is a 3-1 win for Salford, Josh Morris, Henderson & Touray with the goals.
‘Josh Morris is definitely one of our danger men and has proved to be a very good piece of recruitment that we were able to do this summer’.
This weekend, Micky Mellon’s Rovers will look to add another victory to the three points that they picked up last Saturday at Prenton Park. Standing in their way? Robbie Stockdale’s Rochdale. Thus, it’s a tie between two teams of a great League Two standard with players capable of nicking a winner for either side.
I spoke to @RochdaleFan who told me all about the Spotland Park outfit’s on and off pitch positions, he also gave his thoughts on Tranmere.
How long have you been a Rochdale supporter and how did you first come across the club?
I first started to watch Dale in the 2007/08 season, going to games with my dad and ever since I have fell in love with the club.
What are your best and worst experiences of supporting Dale?
I have had some great experiences watching Dale. Ones that in particular stand out to me are the two promotion seasons from League 2. Also, some of the cup ties we have had, have been a great experience – Man United away where we took them to penalties , beating Leeds , getting replays out of Newcastle and Tottenham.
Worst experiences of supporting Dale – One season in particular that stands out too me is when Steve Eyre was manager. It was horrid to watch.
Random fact about the club/the area?
Rochdale played 36 consecutive seasons in the football leagues bottom division from 1974 to 2010. This is the longest any team has been in the bottom division. That’s why they call it the Rochdale division.
We’re currently a month into the 2021-22 league campaign but what are your thoughts and expectations for the remainder of the season and how do they compare to those that you had at this stage last season?
Before the season started, I feared we would not have enough quality and squad depth, which made me think we would have enough to stay up but we will be around lower mid table. But so far I have been pleasantly surprised how our young team have adopted to life back in League 2. It’s a team that seems to be getting better every week they play together and I feel it’s a team that could surprise a few this year. This season was all about stabilising ourselves so I would settle for a mid table finish but I’m optimistic that we could clinch a play-offs place.
Who is the Rochdale manager, what are your thoughts on him and how does he normally approach games from a tactical perspective?
Robbie Stockdale. Since he came in late pre-season he has been a breath of fresh air and in a way revived a lot of Dale fans hopes. For his first proper stint in a management position, he has been great on and off the pitch. He has got us playing fast attacking possession based football and there is an emphasis on making sure we play in the right areas and not just passing sideways and backwards for the sake of things. He has also reinforced plenty of times that to be successful in this league at times we have to have an ugly side to our game, which we are starting to see signs of. Also, off the pitch he has been class. Refreshingly honest in his interviews and if he is not happy about something he will make sure the players know about it.
Who are the Dale owners, what are your thoughts on them and are there any current off field projects that are exciting you and other supporters?
It can’t be put into words how thankful our supporters are for our new chairman (Simon Gauge) and board of directors (Andrew Kelly, Richard Knight, Tony Pockney, Jamie Sarsfield, Murray Knight – Supporters Trust Representative), who all have shares in the club. They all played a pivotal role in the saving the club from the hostile takeover and it’s good to know we have a set of people running our club who are all supporters and have the best interests at heart. We never will be the richest of clubs but with our new ownership regime things are looking exciting off the pitch. It’s a young ambitious ownership regime that has often spoken about how they want to get our club back to the stable club it once was.
Who are your key players and danger men?
A player that the majority of Dale fans have fallen in love with since his arrival on loan from Mansfield is Corey O’Keeffe. How the hell Mansfield let us have him on loan I don’t have a clue as he has been absolutely superb in that RWB position. He gets forward well, can score goals, has got a dangerous cross and also he can do the defensive side of the game well too.
Another few players to watch out for are our front three of Abraham Odoh, Jake Beesley and Alex Newby. That front 3 has a bit of everything and would scare any defenders in this league on their day. Beesley holds the ball up well and never stops closing defenders down, whilst Newby and Odoh are tricky pacy inverted forwards who have so far linked up very well with Beesley.
If we are to look at this summers transfer recruitment, what are your thoughts on the business your club was able to do and would you have liked anything more to have happened?
First of all we lost quite a few key players (Stephen Humphrys, Matty Lund, Ollie Rathbone) but this was expected as we have just dropped down a division. I was quite surprised to see us keep as many key players as we did tbh. Getting the likes of Eoghan O’Connell, Aaron Morley and Jimmy Keohane all to stay was great business from the club.
Even with us keeping them players just named it still left us very short and needing signings. And in such a short space of time Robbie Stockdale had to make signings it was unbelievable the numbers of players and the calibre of the players he brought in before the season. There was a good mixture of young players as well as him bringing in much needed experience too. So overall I have been very happy with our summer transfer business and are quite happy with the squad we have built. Happy enough that I wasn’t bothered that we didn’t do any more business on the deadline day.
What are your thoughts on Tranmere, as a club in general and who do you believe are their ones to watch?
I don’t particularly have too much thoughts on Tranmere to be honest. However, Tranmere is a club with a lot of history that has kind of lost its way in recent years (I think it’s fair to say). Spending three seasons in the National League and three in League Two since 2014.
One player that seems to always stand out against us is Jay Spearing. In fact he is probably the type of player that I would say we are missing in our squad. Someone that sits in front of the defence, that’s a tough tackler and is able to dictate games.
Score prediction for Saturday?
Dale seem to play better away than they do at home, but we are currently finding some very good form. Tranmere won’t be easy opponents, so I’m going to go with a 1-1 draw. I think it will be a tight game and we will both cancel each other out.
Robbie Stockdale ‘has been a breath of fresh air’ since his appointment this pre-season.
Taking a look around Prenton Park and Merseyside in general you may be taken aback by the quality of paintings that are dotted around different areas and mostly are painted by the fantastic Paul Curtis.
He joined me at ‘EthanHoijord.com’ to tell readers a little bit about himself and the upcoming projects that he has in store, there is plenty that you certainly wouldn’t want to miss out on.
Hello Paul, to start the conversation off. Could you tell me a little bit about yourself, your education and upbringing with football. What subjects inspired you in school and what were you like growing up, is artwork something that has always kept you busy? What other aspirations and hobbies did you have and enjoy?
I’ll be honest, I only had a passing interest in art throughout my childhood, it certainly wasn’t something that I spent too much of my time on. I knew I was ok at drawing, but not amazing. I did get an A in GCSE Art though!
My football youth was pretty similar. I was ok, but an unremarkable journeyman!
When did your talent first become known about and what were your first public paintings? How were they seen by others? Does word quickly pass around when you have done something that catches the eyes of someone?
I’d say that my ‘talent’ first became evident when I was painting niece’s bedroom with a bambi themed mural. I took a photo of what I had done and a few of my mates suggested that I should probably take it further. So, as I was unemployed at the time I created a little portfolio of the work that I could do and I tried (unsuccesfully) cold calling bars and restaurants looking for work . My big break through was “For All Liverpool’s Liverbirds” in Liverpool’s city centre. That was a very successful piece of street art that allowed me to go professional
How does the industry that you work in operate? Say for a project like Tranmere’s most recent one, the amazing awaydays photo on the outside of the ground, did the club contact you about this saying that they would like it done etc or did you approach them first?
Well with the Tranmere work it’s Ben Harrison from the Trust that will tell me what sprt pf thing he’d like to see done around the stadium or Birkenhead. Some are of course harder than others to paint. For example, with the Pat Nevin, Warwick Rimmer, Ian Goodison and Micky Mellon mural, we had to use players from the youth team as body doubles and switch heads as obviously no such photo exists for that mural. This plays havoc with lighting, source image quality, ergonomics, scale etc. However, with the general paintings such as the AwayDays trainers, I had a high quality photograph to work from, so I can produce a much better piece.
Prenton Park is a place full of your great paintings and very rightly so considering the quality of them and the messages that they’ve been able to portray. What is it like painting for a football club in comparison to painting for the general public, for example what are the differences between the awaydays painting and the Liver Bird wings painting in the city centre?
I suppose it differs as football supporters have an element of bias so if the painting is good and gives attention to the club in a positive manner, then they will appreciate it that bit more as they feel a connection. With more general paintings, people may like the artwork, the subject and the composition, but they wouldn’t necessarily feel as much pride and emotion as a football painting would have for thousands of fans.
On the flipside though, it’s really important that you get football paintings spot on as you don’t want to let down or embarrass a football club or its supporters. I recall a Neville Southall mural someone did a few years back that was ridiculed and wasn’t appreciated too highly by Everton fans, no-one wants to be the painter in that sort of situation!
One case of a painting which you made that had a negative reception is of course the painting of the old club crest in Oxton. How did the idea for that particular piece of artwork come about, how long did it take you to complete and how do you believe it had been perceived by the majority of the local public? Did you think that it would be perceived as negatively, by some, how it was? On a personal note, I loved it!
To be honest, I didn’t worry too much about the criticism that it received as the club crest is not designed by me and I was just hired to do a job. I hadn’t conceived of the project. I think the people who objected to it just had a problem with where the painting is located and the fact it is linked to football. I actually think that badge has quite a historic, heraldic feel and didn’t look that out of place.
I suppose if it was a design that I’d come up with myself then I would’ve taken the criticism to heart a little bit more. That said, the objections publicly voiced by the Oxton Society actually ended up promoting me massively on the Wirral, so they did me a big favour.
I also think that it’s been given compliments by Tranmere supporters so I know that there is a contrast in emotions about it all. The SWA really took to my defence when I was getting online agro at that time so I thank them for that!
I’m an aspiring sports journalist, I will be starting university in September to gain a degree in that line of work. However, I’ve just finished a creative media college course at Wirral Met where I had many people who loved art and graphics etc in my class. If you could give them a message as they embark on their own journeys, what would you say to them?
One piece of advice that I’d give to anyone really, regardless of what journeys they’re about to embark on, is that it’s always important to try your hardest and to learn from any mistakes that you may make. The best and most talented don’t always succeed, but those who work hardest doing what they love will succeed in some way or another.
I spoke earlier about building a portfolio of paintings for myself so I could show them to people and businesses who would potentially want some work done for them and I think the more effort you put into anything the greater the outcome is likely to be.
Moving on to a personal topic that touches on the work that you have done around the Wirral. Are you a Tranmere Rovers fan or a football fan in general and what is it about football and a football club that you love the most? Do you enjoy the sense of belonging and unification to a certain cause and how do you believe that Micky Mellon will bring a sense of that for the campaign ahead? How do you think the Rovers will do in season 2021-22 and how do you think we did last year?
I never say what football club I support for professional reasons really, nice to keep people guessing! However, I do think that it’s great to have fans back at the game and its good that this coincides with the return of Mellon as he has obviously been successful at Tranmere before thus the fans love him and will always get behind him. He’s been able to bring a few good players in as well across the course of the summer, some really good attacking players in Callum McManaman and Paul Glatzel so I’d tip the club for promotion this year really. Moving back to your question about unity though, I think that is really good to have within any area of working and sporting life really as when everyone’s pulling in the same direction then the group’s will to succeed will eventually lead to the right results.
To finish off our conversation which I’m so grateful to be having, What’s next for Paul Curtis in terms of the work that you have coming up? Are there any more Tranmere ideas in the pipeline?
There are quite a few projects that I’m working on at the moment. I’m always busy! The biggest being the mural that I’m doing in Ainsdale, which will be the second biggest mural in the country. That’s absolutely massive in comparison to the biggest one I’ve done to date so I’d say that it’s probably the most pressure I’ve had on myself whilst working in this industry. I’ve got a few other great projects to complete lined up such as a Hillsborough painting in Anfield, it’s always important to do something like that to the best of your abilities considering how the tragedy changed the lives of many. However, I’ve not got much to do at Tranmere at this moment, but I am due to do a mural of Birkenhead favourite, Charlie Landsborough, in North Birkenhead soon. I look forward to getting everything done and seeing how they all look.
‘What is that all about? There’s no need for it’ I turned and said to my mate after a Carabao Cup defeat in mid August. Oldham Athletic had beaten Tranmere at Boundary Park and I believed that their pitch invasion was a way of celebrating, when nothing had been won. However, it’s since emerged that these pitch invasions are a demonstration of Latics frustrations at their owner. Thus, I really wanted to pick the brain of someone who knew all about the club’s on and off pitch matters from a fans perspective.
@PaddyNoWheels agreed to answer five questions on the club he supports for ‘EthanHoijord.com’ and left no stone unturned as he gave a passionately scaving review.
How long have you been an Oldham Athletic supporter and how was you first introduced to the club?
I’ve been a Latics fan since birth, my first real memories are the season we were relegated from the Premier League in the 93/94 season.
What are the greatest and lowest moments that you’ve experienced following the Latics?
The greatest moments I have had since following the Latics have been in the FA Cup; beating Man City (2005), Everton (2008), Forest (2013), Liverpool (2013) and Fulham (2019). The lowest moments seem to happen on an almost weekly moment these days, although I have to say losing 3-0 at home to Barrow in a Division Four match is about as bleak as it has ever been.
From a distance, the club seems to be in a poor position at the moment considering the problems that you are facing with the ownership. How long has he been in charge of Oldham and why are fans against him and what he has done thus far?
He officially took over in January 2018 but, in reality, he was involved with the club since the previous August. Oldham fans are against him because his whole reign at the football club has been a disaster. We were relegated in his first season, he has appointed his brother as a Sporting Director despite a revolving door of dreadful signings, all of which his brother has been involved in. We have had disputes with key players since he took over; Jack Byrne, Anthony Gerrard, Craig Davies, David Wheater, Gary Woods, Ousmane Fane, Danny Gardner immediately come to mind. We have been through 9 managers, including one (Pete Wild) who turned it down to go to Halifax because he didn’t want to work under these guys. We are one of only three teams in our division under a transfer embargo due to taking out an EFL loan, which means we can only sign players on one year deals; something which the club forgot when they tried to sign Jayson Leutwiler on a two year deal and then were completely aghast when the EFL wouldn’t approve it. The protests this season have really helped in terms of bringing the situation into the media spotlight; the reality is that nothing is particularly going on now that hasn’t been going on for three years, but the Athleticos (group of young Oldham fans) have done a brilliant job getting it highlighted in the media. We have had directors of the club come out on the radio recently and accuse fans of trying to kill the club and this evening we have been treated to a very wordy open letter from Mr Lemsagam in which he does his usual thing of blaming the previous owners, previous staff, the fans (even hinting at there being a racist element to the fans dislike of him). There was a previous 5 year plan, which has clearly been ripped up as he says he is putting together another three year plan to be published soon. The whole football club will benefit from him putting it up for sale and taking his brother with him.
What are your thoughts on the pitch invasions as the fans aim to stir up attention against the way that their club is being run and do you think that fans could do more to get him out of the club? In the long term, if he does leave, would you be able to give a description of the person/company that you’d like to see as owner?
All for it. It’s not for me as I’m 32 years old now, but I completely applaud these young lads for making a stand. As for a new owner, I’d just be quite happy not to have Abdallah Lemsagam involved anymore; any potential new owner has to be a better option than what we have at the moment. Ideally, we would be looking at someone who has the interests of the football club and town at heart. Oldham Athletic is a big part of the borough and, if Latics are doing well, then the town thrives. The last time it happened really was during the cup run in 2013.
How would you describe the current Oldham squad and what are your hopes for the campaign ahead from a footballing perspective?
They are absolutely rubbish, easily the worst squad I have seen in my lifetime. I am a bit of a football snob and genuinely think we should brush aside any team in Division Four but, after seeing us this season, we are a lot worse than I initially thought we would be. We have lost last season’s goal threat of Conor McAleny and failed to shore up the defence, despite Curle signing some defenders over the summer (who have spent more time on the treatment table than the pitch). We will probably have enough to keep ourselves out of the relegation spots at the end of the season, but it is going to be a lot closer than I initially realised. We are fortunate that only two teams go down and there are some absolutely rubbish sides in this division, but it will be tight…… especially if we end up with a points deduction at any point.
Abdallah Lemsagan pictured at the home of Oldham Athletic.
Matt Jones talks about the Play-offs of 2005 and 2009, two games that shaped his successful books and the fortunes of Tranmere’s very recent history.
‘I was there as a fan in 2009 and that was quite an incredible season, Tranmere had built a brilliant team. Obviously they had got to the Play-offs in 2005 under Brian Little, with an eleven that runs off the tongue with the names of John Achteberg and Eugene Dadi. However, the side that nearly reached the Play-offs four years later was so different in that there were no real superstar players. Yes, you had Ian Thomas-Moore who had been brought by a club for a £1million in the past but it was more full of proper work-horses, they had lots of ability but they had worked so hard to reach the stage that they were able to get to. Players such as Anthony Kay, Ben Chorley and Steve Jennings etc’
John Achteberg, the current Liverpool goalkeeper coach, was at Rovers for 11 years of his playing career between 1998 and 2009. He played in the 2005 game at Prenton Park against Hartlepool United.
‘Tranmere were phenomenal that year at home, wiping the floor with the likes of Leicester but they built momentum up at the end of the season which brought a win or lose all tie. Throughout the game, Tranmere were fantastic but they just ran out of a little bit of steam come the end, Gareth Edds being sent off and the man who scored the goal for Scunthorpe would’ve been marked by him’
‘One of my pet hates in football is fans who enjoy celebrating the misfortune of the team playing against more than the fortune of their own team’s success and at the end of the game quite a few fans ran towards the Tranmere supporters and at Steve Jennings who was on the floor’.
‘It just wasn’t really to be and we lost out by the skin of our teeth. We’ve since been able to talk to at least half of that 2009 squad and they say the same, that it was sad to not reach the play-offs as they had given their all throughout the season. That was the start of Tranmere’s demise really, you look at the team that started the game against Scunthorpe and a lot of players went on to leave in the summer for pastures new’
Ronnie Moore was the manager for the 2008/09 campaign but was dismissed following the frustrating result at Scunthorpe. This brought the start of Rovers demise.
Ahead of Hartlepool United’s trip to Merseyside this weekend @StottyHUFC spoke to me about all things Pools. We delve into on and off pitch matters amongst a range of other relevant subjects including his experiences as a fan.
How long have you been a Hartlepool United supporter and how did you first come across the club?
Supported them all my life, so nearly 18 years due to it being my Dad and Grandad’s local club.
What are your best and worst experiences during your time supporting ‘Pool?
The best has to be the playoff final of last season, there’s no doubt about that. The roar when the pen got saved was unbelievable and I’ll probably never get a feeling like it again. The worst? Probably relegation back in 2017, although when the Torquay keeper scored last min that comes very very close.
Random fact about the club/the area?
I’ve only just found this out myself but American singer Meatloaf is a Hartlepool fan!
We’re currently a month into the 2021-22 league campaign but what are your thoughts and expectations for your club in the season ahead and how do they compare to those that you had at the start of last season?
Last season I expected us to get to the playoffs, maybe like 6th or 7th but to not win it. We were brilliant throughout the last campaign, especially the second half of the season. I expect and think we will get a mid-table finish maybe 10-13th although we have started very strongly and with Challinor in charge who knows, the man is magic.
Dave Challinor is the current gaffer and has been since 2019. What are your thoughts on him and how does he normally approach games from a tactical perspective?
In my opinion Dave’s the best manager we have ever had, certainly the best I can remember. In my opinion, he’s the best in league two due to the fact he took us from a bottom half national league club to playoffs in league two however early it may be. This proves how good he actually is. We usually play with a back three and our captain Nicky Featherstone is the one who keeps us ticking and most of the play goes through him. As a team, we like to play football and not hoof it often.
Who are the owners of Hartlepool United and what are your thoughts on them? Are there any current off-field projects that are exciting you and other supporters?
Our owner is Raj Singh, a local businessman and I loved him last season when he was backing Dave bringing in players like Luke Armstrong and Jamie Sterry which massively contributed to our promotion. However, he doesn’t seem to be giving Dave what he wants contract wise which is frustrating considering what he’s done for this club and apparently. In terms of off field projects, we are going to be starting on a new modernised stadium soon which brings an element of excitement.
Who are your key players and danger men?
Tyler Burey has to be the man, 3 goals 1 assist in 3 league starts. He has electric pace and his ability to get past a man is second to none. He has been quality, but you also can’t look past Gavan Holohan after his worldie last weekend and overall goal scoring prowess from midfield.
If we are to take a look at this summer’s transfer recruitment, what are Challinor’s big pieces of business and would you have liked anything else to be done?
This summer we lost our two top scorers from last season who combined got 32 goals which is a big loss, we also lost our best centre back. However, Dave has done well with his recruitment bringing in the likes of Neil Bryne and Tyler Burey who have been brilliant. I still feel like another experienced forward could have been a useful addition, someone who’s good in the air ideally.
What are your thoughts on Tranmere, as a club in general and who do you believe are their ones to watch?
Tranmere are a good club with great fans and a good side which probably shouldn’t be in this league, considering the way they were demoted. As for ‘ones to watch’ you can’t really look past Liam Feeney and Callum McManaman, both players who are surely too good for this league as they have played much higher in the pyramid. I’m also worried about new recruit Josh Hawkes as ex-players always seem to score against us.
Score prediction for Saturday afternoon’s encounter between Tranmere and Hartlepool at Prenton Park?
I’ll go with a 2-1 Pools win with Luke Molyneux scoring the winner.
20-year-old Tyler Burey is Hartlepool United’s danger man with three goals and one assist in his first three league starts for the club.
This Saturday afternoon Tranmere revisit Glanford Park for another ninety minutes of League Two action. Ahead of the clash in North Lincolnshire, I caught up with Iron supporter @tobyskelt0n
Last season I spoke to Toby for his first ‘meeting the opposition’ feature with myself and his love for Scunthorpe United shone. He has been watching the Iron for as long as he can remember and the greatest moment he has experienced with them so far? Winning promotion to the Championship via the Play-offs in 2009. This time round I asked him about his current thoughts on the club’s manager and owner, the upcoming game and the threats to watch for either side.
Having a look back at last season, how would you say it went in terms of expected success and how will the upcoming campaign be different? What are your expectations/predictions/ambitions for the next ten months?
Last season we ended up precariously close to relegation, barely clinging onto our football league status. Securing our place in the league was always the main target though, so it wasn’t too much of a shock seeing us down at the bottom end of the table. I’d expect a similar sort of season this time around, as many of our more gifted players have moved on. If we once again manage to stay in League Two for another season, it will be a success for the club.
What are your thoughts on gaffer Neil Cox? He has held this role now for just over twelve months and was Neal Ardley’s respective assistant at AFC Wimbledon and Notts County.
Neil Cox has always had a tough time at the club, presiding over long periods of poor results and things generally going against him. One of these was the transfer embargo placed on us this summer, which has limited the number of players we can sign. Cox has, however, managed to bring in a set of players who, so far, look far more committed than the last set of players, and I believe that now he has finally been allowed to bring in his own players, the team will gradually improve.
What are your thoughts on the way that the club is run? The owners in particular, who are they and how long have they been at the club?
Peter Swann is the chairman, having been at the Iron since the summer of 2013. Under his tenure, the club has enjoyed relative success as promotion contenders at the top end in League One, but now it faces perhaps its most perilous period in its 122 year history. Finances have been slashed, even before the pandemic as a result of overspending and now it appears the club is paying the price for those halcyon League One days. Swann has taken away all of the club’s assets, so naturally there is a hesitancy from the club’s supporters to fully trust the chairman at the moment.
What players will pose the greatest threats to Tranmere at Glanford Park?
I’d say Devarn Green poses the biggest threat. He’s started the season brightly, demonstrating electric pace and a determination to run at any defence. His final pass or touch seems to be lacking however, and is something he needs to work on to become to complete package. We are short on attacking options at the moment, but loan striker Jake Scrimshaw scored on his debut last week, and seems to be a real talent already. He works hard off the ball and showed great agility with his goal against Sutton.
In general, what are your thoughts on Tranmere as a club and where do you think they will finish come May? Who do you believe are their key men?
Tranmere have had a tough start to the season, but I do see them challenging for a playoff spot. They’re a big club at this level, and I’m sure promotion will be the club’s aim, especially after losing in the play offs last season. I’d say their key men would be the experienced players like Jay Spearing and Callum McManaman. Having that experience is invaluable at League Two level, and both players have played at a far higher level.
What is your score prediction and how do you think Cox will address this game from a tactical perspective?
My score prediction is 0-0. I’m going for that as Scunthorpe look much improved defensively, but rather blunt up top. Tranmere themselves have only scored once in the league this season, so I’m not expecting a high scoring match. I think Cox will focus on defensive stability, and if we are to have any success in this match, I’d like to see Scrimshaw given better support around him, rather than endless punts up towards him.
The game may see a return of a familiar face for Rovers in United forward Devarn Green. However, what are your thoughts on him and the transfer business Scunthorpe have been able to complete thus far across the course of the summer?
Green is probably the most exciting player in our squad at the moment. With the departures of Abo Eisa and Kevin van Veen in the summer, Green is largely perceived to be the flair player in the squad, the one who can get the fans off of their seats. Our transfer business has been hampered by the embargo, but the players we have brought in all seem to have put in very good effort levels, even if sometimes their quality can be slightly lacking.
If you could change one thing or sign one player in the next few days, what would that change or transfer be at the club?
Tough question! The one thing I would change would be the embargo. Currently, we have 23 “professional” players in the squad, which fills the limit. This means that in order to sign anyone, we have to get rid of players first. The squad is already rather thin, with injuries and covid cases decimating the squad in recent weeks. Removing the embargo would mean we could finally have that strength in depth which we so desperately require. The one player I would sign would be Jem Karacan. We had him at the end of last season and it was clear to see that he was a cut above the rest. He was a calming presence in the centre of the park, and was exactly the experienced, cool character we needed in the squad.
Former Rovers forward Devarn Green is now one of the hosts main attacking threats. ‘Green is probably the most exciting player in our squad’.
After picking up a great three points on the weekend, Heswall FC fell to defeat against table topping Mersey Royal at Gayton Park in a five goal thriller on Wednesday evening.
Talking to people around the club pre-match, including the players, it was obvious that the visitors had quality in abundance. It didn’t take too long for visiting individuals to show varying signs of brilliance with pace and trickery to beat the hosts’ defensive shape. However, there were few chances in the opening stages for either side. In truth, the best opportunity arrived in this period of the game when Heswall keeper Fin Collins rushed off his line to collect the ball from the toes of a surging Royal forward.
The first half was probably typified by a five minute passage of play just after the 20minute mark, a Mersey Royal defender being shown the first yellow card of the evening for kicking out on a fast forward who was closing in on their box before a stray backwards ball from a host defender was nicked as the forward ran towards the goal before seeing his inevitable effort being blocked on the line.
It was the hosts that went into the lead, on the half hour mark, after a beautiful volley from the edge of the box flew into the top corner of the Royal net. Shay was the goalscorer, leaving the keeper hopelessly stranded as the reserve graduate’s effort flew over his head.
The visitors ended the half in better form and most probably should’ve gone into halftime as leaders. Their equaliser came after a cross from the left was misjudged by the young keeper who was beaten to the ball by a forward who leaped high to leave the net empty and without much to do to get his side back into the game. However, they were probably kicking themselves come the halftime team talk as a shot was over hit by a forward in the box. The goal looked relatively impossible to miss but the ball sailed into the trees.
The visitors came out of the blocks in the opening stages of the second half as they started in dominant fashion, the first great opportunity to get themselves in front in these stages being an unmarked shot from inside the box which went agonisingly wide of the post.
However, the hosts soon evened the momentum out with a good shot as they hit the post from a volley outside of the box. With some of the players in acres of space though, the visitors were able to counter-attack with speed from their number 7 and this resulted in a questionable and dubois penalty.
The early stages of second half domination would be rewarded when Royal got themselves in front from the spot, an effort which slotted into the right-side of the net sent the keeper the wrong way as he dived to his left.
Considering that the penalty was questionable, it was relatively just that the hosts managed to pull the game even with another moment of excellence from young forward Shay. Netting his second goal of the game, another one of his efforts from outside the box reached into the top corner yet again leaving the visiting keeper with little chance of saving it.
However, you could argue that Royal had the best opportunities of the second half and after a Heswall man was booked for a late kick on a surging forward they were able to take all three points from Gayton Park as the ball fell to the foot of a Royal forward following a scramble in the box. The effort was fired into the bottom corner, another strike in which either keeper would have very little chance of saving. It was to be the visitors that were the happiest come the full time whistle.
Heswall are next in action in the West Cheshire League at Gayton Park on Saturday at 3pm.
Tranmere v Newport is a fixture that will be forever remembered by some for Conor Jenning’s last minute headed winner in the 2019 League Two Play Off Final. The two clubs will again meet, this time at Prenton Park, on 21st August for another League Two encounter. Thus, I spoke to @1912Exiles about County and a range of other relevant subjects ahead of a game which will be very close in quality at an early stage of the 21-22 campaign.
How long have you been a Newport supporter and how did you first come across the club?
I moved to South Wales in 2001 and started following County a couple of years later, when we were founder members of the Conference South and playing in front of crowds of about 600-800, at a windswept athletics stadium in the middle of an industrial estate. Compared to County fans of an older vintage, who saw us wound up and then having to restart life playing in Gloucestershire because of a legal wrangle with the FAW, I was very fortunate – even more so given that over the last two decades, we haven’t been relegated, have won two promotions to regain our place in the Football League, and have played five times at Wembley! The good times won’t last forever, but hopefully we’re not done yet on the incredible rollercoaster that is life as a Newport County supporter.
Having a look back at last season, how would you say it went in terms of expected success and how will the upcoming campaign be different? What are your expectations/predictions/ambitions for the next ten months?
Speaking of rollercoasters, last season had everything. We charged off into an early lead and were top in December before losing key loan signings Scott Twine and Brandon Cooper. Without Twine’s flair (and goals) and Cooper’s defensive solidity, we unravelled spectacularly in January and February and couldn’t buy a win. Our pitch woes further added to our misery, resulting in us having to play a couple of games at Cardiff City’s ground. Thankfully, Mike Flynn stopped the rot and we rediscovered our early-season form to end up as the form team going into the playoffs – only to lose at Wembley to a penalty-that-never-was (it was a dive, and outside the box) against Morecambe.
This season, we’d love to have another crack at promotion, but losing Josh Sheehan (to Bolton) and Joss Labadie (to Walsall) leaves our midfield lacking two talismanic players so there’s a lot of pressure on the new signings. Critical to any success will be a bit more creativity in the middle of the park – with it, we’ll be Top 7 again, but without it we’ll be mid-table.
What are your thoughts on gaffer Michael Flynn? He has been County manager since 2017, guiding the Exiles out on to the Wembley turf in the League Two Play Off Final against Tranmere two years later.
With the budget and the players at his disposal, most County fans will lavish nothing but praise on Mike Flynn. Not only did he keep us up in 2017 against all the odds (we were 11 points adrift when he took over), he has since provided us with countless wonderful (and lucrative) cup runs, some spectacular memories, two playoff finals and – last season – a much more attractive brand of football than County have played for years. His signings have been the proverbial curate’s egg, but with a new Sporting Director to help him, there’s hope that we might finally achieve that elusive promotion to the Third Division.
What are your thoughts on the way that the club is run? The owners in particular, who are they and how long have they been at the club?
We are the owners, so we think we’re wonderful! As a fan-owned club, there’s no easy answer when the team needs a new striker or a loan signing to provide cover – if we want it, ultimately we’re the ones who have to pay for it. But the club is being run sustainably and is living within its means, which is undoubtedly a good thing. The biggest challenge we face (like many clubs) is not owning our ground – we share Rodney Parade with the Newport Gwent Dragons, which not only puts the pitch under pressure, but also restricts County’s ability to maximise non-matchday income. That’s the biggest long-term challenge we face.
What players will pose the greatest threats to Tranmere at Prenton Park? From afar, how much of an influence to the team do you think Mellon will have on his return in comparison to the one that Keith Hill had? In general, what are your thoughts on Tranmere as a club and where do you think they will finish come May?
Despite the pain of losing to you at Wembley, I have a lot of time for Tranmere – you’re a ‘proper club’, with great fans and a magnificent ground. Last time I came to Prenton Park was in your promotion season where we scored early and then defended for our lives for 85 minutes to get a thoroughly undeserved 1-0 win, which your fans took extremely magnanimously in the circumstances. I then stayed in a camping pod on a llama farm in the Wirral with my son, which made for a memorable weekend! I’d expect you to be top half this season, but beyond that it’s very hard to make predictions in Div 4.
What is your score prediction and how do you think Flynn will address this game from a tactical perspective?
We’d be delighted with an away point. At this stage, it’s too early to really get a sense of how good we are – if we can score, we’ll be okay, but that’s by no means a given. I’ll say a 1-0 win, but I don’t know to whom!
Random fact about Newport?
There are a few good ones:
As a city, Newport boasts one of only ten transporter bridges in the world – well worth a visit if you have time to kill ahead of our game in February!
Not a fact as much as a tip, but when your fans visit later in the season, I can recommend Ye Olde Murenger House as the best pre-match pub in Newport for anyone who likes a ‘proper’ pre-match boozer; the Tiny Rebel bar opposite is also excellent.
What are your worst and greatest experiences whilst supporting the club?
Worst was probably losing to Morecambe in May – it still hurts. When we lost to Tranmere two years previously, I felt the better side had one on the day even if a few decisions went against us, and that season qualifying for the playoffs was an unexpected bonus. Last season, I felt we had done enough to earn promotion and dominated the game at Wembley. It deserved to be won by something better than a disgraceful penalty decision.
The best would probably be any one of our recent cup scalps – for me, even though we didn’t win it, drawing against (and nearly beating) Spurs at home in 2018 was incredible and made me burst with pride at how far we had come as a club.
The game may see a return to the Wirral for Kevin Ellison. However, considering he was a trialist for the club at some point during this summer, what are your thoughts on his contract renewal and how do you think the club have done in terms of player turnover in pre-season?
He has now signed on for another year, but in a player-coach role. I think County fans are delighted to have him back – partly because he’s a useful option from the bench, but mostly because he’s an incredible ambassador for the club, doing so much great community work and being a wise old head for our crop of young players. More generally, over the summer we probably lost the players we expected to lose and kept most of the ones we wanted to keep (Labadie being the exception). It’s too early to say how well the new signings will do, but there are some good options there, and most of us expect this season to be the one where Lewis Collins (who came through the ranks at County) will really make his mark on Div 4.
‘When we lost against Tranmere, I felt that the better side had won even if I also felt that a few officiating decisions went against us’
Chris Redmond – sports coaching and a journey through mental health struggles.
For me, the past year has put plenty into perspective and it has made it evident how important a healthy social and life balance really is. Personally, there was a stage where I really struggled and having nothing to look forward to was certainly one of the reasons. Thus, I recently caught up with someone who I have great admiration for in Chris Redmond. He’s given plenty of people something to look forward to in his organisations and groups which all focus on exercise and having a positive outlook on different situations. We all spoke somewhat about the club we love, Tranmere, ahead of the new campaign.
To start our conversation off, could you firstly just tell me a little bit about yourself and your upbringing around mental health and football. What were you like throughout your school years and what part did football and exercise in general play in your lifestyle and earlier stages? Was it something that you were emotionally invested in? Did you play for or go to any sporting clubs?
I had a strong upbringing, a full home of Mum, Dad, older brother and younger sister. I played football as a youngster, but I don’t ever remember winning a match! I certainly played for the team who never won a game – youth football was very different 20+ years ago, we were playing on close to full size pitches and it was 11 kids running around like headless chickens. My first dabble as a football fan was probably around 1990 when I was unfortunately given a Liverpool shirt by my auntie, so as a 5 year old I accepted it for what it was and wore it. My head got turned by a young boy called Laurie. He was sitting in the playground in school (still around the age of 5!) and I asked him what he was doing. He asked me who I supported, I didn’t know how to answer, so I asked him who he supported and he said “Tranmere Rovers” – not having a clue what a “Tranmere Rovers” was, I dutifully agreed that I also supported them and here we are 31 years later, I’m still absolutely in love with the club. I remember watching the World Cup 1994 and I loved every second of it. Seeing teams like Brazil and Italy that year was incredible and cemented my love for the sport. Tranmere has provided some of the best moments of my life outside of my family, and football was a huge part of my childhood and still a massive part of my life. I’ve exercised for as long as I can remember, running laps of a playground, going to the gym, swimming in the holidays with friends and having a long period of time kickboxing and bodybuilding. I spent the first part of my adult life in the gym lifting weights 5 times a week, and in 2014 I started running. Now I run 4 times a week and I lift weights twice, partly because I’m pretty competitive but mostly to look after my mental health.
When did you first come across Tranmere and what are your greatest and worst memories that you’ve had following the club? If you had to name some of the best and worst players and places that you’ve seen and been to in that time, what players and places would you name? As above, I first came across Tranmere as a 5 year old in a school playground – I genuinely didn’t understand anything about football whatsoever. I went to my first game which was Grimsby at home in the old format of the reserve games, which were fantastic! We won 3 – 0 and I was buzzing about it. I’ve had season tickets for 30 odd years on and off (I had to stop in my 20’s because of work commitments but still got plenty of games), now I go to the home games and the occasional away as I’ve got a young family. I sit with my Dad and the gang who we’ve grown to know over the past 5 years of sitting in the main stand. I’ll get the worst memories out of the way first – obviously the relegations were awful. The second of the back to back relegations was the worst because of the nature in which it happened. Mark and Nicola have brought so much hope to the club and then we did the most typical Tranmere thing ever and we employ a narcissist in Adams who destroys the morale of the team and we get relegated! The atmosphere around the club and the ground was so toxic, it must have been a bit shit to have the job of sorting that out. The Forest Green final was also an extremely low point, it was a foregone conclusion by half time so I had mostly gotten over that by the end of the game but the journey home was absolutely horrendous. Sometimes you just need to be away from people at times like that, and being on a coach for 5 hours wasn’t fun, a coach full of people who are gutted. The journey was miserable. The worst players I’ve witnessed will be left out, but there was a group of the 2014/15 season that should never be seen in a professional team. Their commitment to earning their wage was never there, and their right to wear the badge of any football club is none existent. I’m obviously a Tranmere man through and through, but I wouldn’t wish some of those players on any club. The best moments of being a Tranmere fan are much more important and prominent in my memories. The cup runs of the late 90’s early 2000’s were something special. When David Kelly scored that goal at Wembley the place went insane. Over 40,000 fans going bonkers, as Tranmere fans we don’t get to experience that mass celebration very often. So that was pretty special. Norwoods header against Boreham Wood was obviously incredible for different reasons. When it was 1 – 1 the time seemed to be flying by, when the goal went in I thought “we’ve got to hold onto this for another 30 minutes”, before looking up at the clock in shock that it was 82 minutes gone. I turned to my good friend and said “fucking hell, there’s 8 minutes left – we might actually do this”, the following 10+ minutes were absolutely horrendous from a fans point of view. After the final whistle went I think I hugged everyone within a 10 seat radius. It’s moments like these that you really feel emotion, and when you’ve had deep mental health struggles where you never thought you would feel them, it makes them extremely special. My Rovers heros are from the 90’s – Aldridge, Morrissey and Co. Just incredible. As a man approaching middle aged, I’m not sure I’d say I have idols now, but I value a footballer who works hard for 90 minutes and knows what it means to wear the badge. Peter Clark, Jay Spearing, James Norwood are all men from recent years that I highly appreciate for their values and work ethic they offer every single game.
Socially, how would you describe the role that Rovers have in your life? I recently saw a tweet from yourself that said how great fellow supporters were. What will it be like to finally be around others in the stadium instead of watching behind the iFollow cameras and how would you say that Rovers fans interact with each other through social media? Is there a sense of community and social strength?
Rovers are a part of your soul, It’s just how your football team works. When you see someone call us shit on social media then it’s kind of taken personally. Even though we do it to Bolton and Forest Green all the time. . . Like any fans we have our moments, but I think we’ve had our fair share of shit over time. The two relegations, the demotion on PPG, the madness of Jeremy Butler, Micky Adams, John Barnes and to some extend Gary Brabin (I liked Brabin, he just wasn’t the right man for us), I can understand why fans are so quick to react to appointments like Keith Hill – which most were proven right about. Sometimes we react too quickly, but it just shows pure passion and love for the club. I wouldn’t change the way we are, we’ve been through a lot as a fan base and because of that there can be tensions between us when we are quick to react. However, I don’t think this takes away from what the community offers. We have fans who are very open about their struggles with health, their families health or their mental health, and the reaction from our fans is always fantastic. The fact that the players and Nicola Palios get involved too really speaks volumes about the way we are as a community. When we take a shine to someone then they’re always welcome back to Prenton Park, Nors is a prime example of that. He’s one of us and when it comes down to it, we look after our own and they look after us. During lockdown (the first one!) I missed football so much, I think it’s all I talked about in the lads Whatsapp group. Not being able to go to the game was horrendous, I missed the whole routine of leaving my house to pick my dad up, the drive to the ground listening to the radio, the walk up to the ground, a pint pre match and seeing the gang that we sit with. I’m very excited to be back on Saturday, and even more excited to see us play under Micky again! I’m not a man who shows physical affection to anyone other than my partner and my children, but I may hug Leslie, Margie, Len and Bev when I see them at the game! (if they let me!)
If you didn’t struggle mentally throughout your childhood, when did you first notice that you probably needed help? For example, what was your mental health like six years ago that you referred to in a tweet? Did you find it easy to initially talk about it and what steps did you take to improve it? How would you describe your current position now to your lowest?
I’m never sure where I should start on this question. My wider and more detailed story is a bit of a memory shit show. Reflecting back I never really knew where I stood during my years in secondary school, I never really settled into a friendship group and that was mostly down to my inability to feel like people liked me. I wasn’t massively aware of that at the time and it isn’t something that I feel hard done by now, it is just something I acknowledge. During my late teens and early 20’s I had a bout of depression and was prescribed my first dose of tablets for that. As I headed into my early 20’s things started to escalate and I began to have panic attacks and longer and deeper periods of depression, also developing elements of OCD that I didn’t really understand. It was a very strange time, and I didn’t really know what was going on. I had some incidents in my work life, which escalated my anxiety and OCD and it was a huge downward spiral which resulted in me having a nervous breakdown in 2015 – hence the tweet about 6 years ago. I had a lot of suicidal thoughts and it was extremely harrowing, but the best side of this was that I had hit absolute rock bottom and I’d survived, so the only place I could go now was up. The breakdown put my problems out in the open, my family knew the full extent, work had to be told as I was having time off and I had to begin to address what was going on. There was no other choice now, and that was massive for my recovery. At my lowest points I was lying on the kitchen floor crying my eyes out at the prospect of going to work, I tied nooses around my neck, I struggled to an incredible extent to function at times. I remember going to Matalan with my Mum to buy some new towels and it felt like a big deal that I’d managed to go down and do it. I’ve got a great life now, I still have my struggles at times with the odd moment of panic over something that isn’t important but I’m working on that. I feel like I’ve won the war, but I’m not complacent with it. Now I compete in Ultra endurance running races, I’ve got a beautiful partner and two children and I run 2 successful businesses that help people with their physical and mental wellbeing. I manage my mental health through running and I know when things are getting a bit tough, I need to catch up on some sleep and perhaps reduce my alcohol intake a bit.
If you could describe yourself and your ambitions in life, at work and away from it, what would you describe yourself as and what goals do you have in a working capacity and at home? Is coaching something that’s always interested you or did that come through the Rovers club?
I’ve coached for the previous 11 years as a personal trainer and a running coach, it is something I genuinely love – although the working hours can be pretty brutal at times. In 2018 I opened Running Head First, a mental health organisation that helps people with mental health through running and other exercise forms. We help people who are experiencing mental health illness for various reasons, it may be depression, anxiety or OCD. They may be suffering a loss of a loved one or experiencing other challenges in their personal life. We also work with people who have cancer, children in poverty and youths who are engaged in crime. I want to grow Running Head First into a large north west based organisation that offers exercise, counselling and therapies as part of a wider and more holistic service to those in need. I have much bigger goals that I like to keep to myself. I’ve learned that you keep your aspirations and goals to yourself and there is a lot less pressure on you to succeed then – resulting in a higher chance of success! But. . .I’ve got plans to help a lot of people and raise lots of money in the process.
Could you tell me a little bit about the roles that you have in mental health. Your twitter bio states that you’re a director of three mental health organisations but what does that entail, how did it come about and could someone who needed help get in touch with you about finding support? How would they do that? As above my work in mental health is directly with Running Head First, I’m incredibly passionate about reducing mental health illness. I was a complete write off after my breakdown, and it was down to a handful of people who showed some serious and probably blind faith in me that I didn’t have in myself. I had an incredible amount of support, sometimes it was the wrong support, but it was support regardless. Without my family and friends I would have been dead by now. I want to make sure that nobody ever has to go through what I went through alone, and if we can, stop them ever getting to rock bottom in the first place. We’ve actually merged the three organisations this week (I need to update the bio!) two of the organisations covered children’s mental health and nutritional interventions to aid people’s wellbeing. We support free of charge fitness and health programmes for those suffering with their mental wellbeing. Some programmes are online, but the majority of them are face to face. If people want to find out more about or join one of our programmes they can do so by contacting us on Instagram or Facebook (both Running Head First), email at chris@runningheadfirst.org or call us on 0151 315 1092 and leave a message with reception.
Touching solely on the Tranmere walking and running club and the work that you do for that. How did that first come about in terms of the ideas and the strategies of formulating them? How long did it take to set everything up and were there people working alongside you to create it all? Is it a group that works together or is it a group where people do their individual running/walking and the group sends them supportive messages? Has there been much success so far and what do you believe the end goal for it is, if there is one? How would someone come across it if the first time that they hear about it is through our conversation? The group is born from my passion to help people’s wellbeing and my passion for Tranmere Rovers. Birkenhead is one of the most socially deprived areas in the UK and by that there is a high chance of ill physical and/or mental health. We were in the heart of a pandemic, and I had some spare time with half of our business being closed down. I knew I wanted to do something for our community a long time ago and we tried to set something up, unfortunately it didn’t work out. With the rise of programmes online due to Covid and an increase in social isolation and people not getting to see their friends and family, it just made sense to set it up online and let it roll. I would love to bring the running club in person, especially as the club has so many options of where we could host it, such as the rec centre, Solar Campus and Beechwood Leisure Centre. Unfortunately our attempts to have these conversations haven’t been too successful, but my ultimate goal with this is to have running clubs based from one of the clubs facilities as well as remote running clubs for those who aren’t local to Birkenhead. We can then bring better health to the area and the club, we can increase footfall into the clubs facilities and we can hopefully bring additional funds to Tranmere Rovers in the Community and Running Head First, allowing us to both build on the great work that we are doing. So, if anyone from the club is reading this, then my email is chris@runningheadfirst.org and our number is 0151 315 1092 🙂
If someone was struggling and was in need of support, what advice would you give them and what strategies help you personally? One thing that really helped me throughout my counselling was the thought strategies, me and my counsellor went through the ways that I thought and felt about different situations.
Just get help. My success is not a template for anyone else to work from, but I hope my story shows that there is hope out there. Even if you think there isn’t! Speak to your family, go to your GP, go to the hospital if you’re in a crisis, do the things that make you feel good. Don’t do the things that make you feel bad. But most importantly, get professional help.
Looking towards the start of the new Tranmere season. What are your thoughts and feelings in terms of squad depth and quality? How great is it to have Micky back which coincides with the return of supporters and where do you think Rovers may finish come May? The squad depth worries me, and the lack of a reputable finisher is also a great concern. Micky has always had an unusual transfer policy, often favouring the older players, but players that know how to get the job done. If we had kept Otis Kahn and Danny Lloyd, as well as adding a finisher in then I’d think we’d be in a great position. Having said that, the man has achieved promotion with us twice. He knows how to finish a season and get a job done. I suspect that if we are around 10th in January, a few choice signings will be made and we will be in the play offs at the end of the season. If we get someone in before the end of the window (summer one!) then we could be top 3 at the end of the season. It really does depend on how well we start, regardless, we will be in the hunt for promotion in May.
Chris’ Twitter cover photo shows exactly what he thinks relates to a successful, happy and healthy lifestyle. You can find his Twitter account on the name @Chris_RedPT
