SCooperSomersaults
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- 22 Sep 2005
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- Player
- Johnny Morrissey
Pre-season 08-09 guide
With the players back in pre-season training, running up mountains and being tortured by Les Parry, it’s time to have a look at some of the fixtures we’ll be playing in the coming weeks ahead of the season proper which commences on August 9th and a lowdown of the summer transfer dealings. Because, let’s face it, we’ve all missed the football since last season finished in May!
Fixtures:
Sat 12 July – Liverpool [h], 15:00
Wed 16 July - Heswall [a], 19:00
Sat 19 July - Marine [a], 15:00
Tue 22 July - Southport [a], 19:30
Sat 26 July - Morecambe [a], 15:00
Tue 29 July – Bolton [h], 19:45
Sat 02 August - Blackpool [h], 15:00
Mon 04 August – Cammell Laird [a], 19:00
Rovers kick off their preparations with a mouth-watering clash with Liverpool. It’s 19 years since the two sides played such a game in pre-season, a long time considering the close proximity of the two clubs. The game has created a lot of interest from both sides of the river, and Prenton Park will be packed to the rafters for the game, having sold out a week before the match.
Although, our Premier League neighbours won’t include their international players involved in Euro 2008 and World Cup qualifying in South America, there may be appearances by Mssrs Gerrard and Carragher and possibly their Italian new signing Andrea Dossena and new Swiss full back Phillipp Degen. All this should mean a very stiff early test for the Tranmere players, although results are not important at this stage. In any case, it will be a boost to the club’s coffers to have a full house for such a game and should help Ronnie Moore build the side for next season.
After the Liverpool clash, Tranmere embark on what has become a regular tour of local sides for warm-up matches. On the 16th we visit Heswall who always provide strong opposition, as do Marine whom we visit on the 19th. They are always hard fought games, and good preparation for the Rovers players for the hard season ahead.
Then on 22nd July we travel to Southport. The Conference North side were hosts to a competitive game between the two teams last pre-season, so Rovers will be expecting a similar challenge this year.
On July 26th Tranmere make a step back up to face league opposition in the shape of Morecambe. Managed by Sammy McIlroy they enjoyed a successful first season as a league club in 07-08, and should give Tranmere a very good game again, although last year Rovers were easy victors in this equivalent fixture winning 3-0 at Christie Park.
Two home fixtures follow, first with the visit of hated rivals Bolton Wanderers, who will face Rovers on July 29th at Prenton Park. A strange decision to arrange a “friendly” with fierce rivals, but this is the second successive visit from the Lancashire club to the Wirral. Last year the Premier League outfit ran out 1-0 victors in a closely fought game. It would be nice to turn the tables on them this time around.
Another Lancashire side, indeed another with whom we hardly have happy relations, visit Prenton Park on 2nd August – Blackpool. They just survived relegation back down to League One last season, so this again should be a close game and very good test ahead of the season start a week afterwards.
The final game of the pre-season campaign comes at Cammell Laird. The match takes place on 4th August, and will likely include a very much second string line up after the game had to be rearranged to fit in the Liverpool and it being close to the season start. Cammell Laird are very much an improving non-league side, although they lost their star player Jamie McGuire last year, and defeated Rovers a couple of years back in this regular pre-season outing. It will be as always a tough game for Rovers, although the two clubs have a very friendly relationship.
Transfers: (correct as of 10/07/08)
In:
Gareth Edds – defender/midfielder [free transfer from MK Dons]
Edrissa Sonko – attacking midfielder [free transfer from Walsall]
Bas Savage – striker [free transfer from Millwall]
George O’Callaghan – midfielder [free transfer from Cork City]
Out:
Robbie Stockdale [released – free transfer to Grimsby]
John Mullin [released – free transfer to Accrington Stanley]
Shane Sherriff [free transfer to Shrewsbury]
Calvin Zola [£200,000 to Crewe]
Paul McLaren [free transfer to Bradford]
Steve Davies [tribunal to Derby]
Mike Jones [released]
Michael Johnston [released – free transfer to Bangor City]
With the players back in pre-season training, running up mountains and being tortured by Les Parry, it’s time to have a look at some of the fixtures we’ll be playing in the coming weeks ahead of the season proper which commences on August 9th and a lowdown of the summer transfer dealings. Because, let’s face it, we’ve all missed the football since last season finished in May!
Fixtures:
Sat 12 July – Liverpool [h], 15:00
Wed 16 July - Heswall [a], 19:00
Sat 19 July - Marine [a], 15:00
Tue 22 July - Southport [a], 19:30
Sat 26 July - Morecambe [a], 15:00
Tue 29 July – Bolton [h], 19:45
Sat 02 August - Blackpool [h], 15:00
Mon 04 August – Cammell Laird [a], 19:00
Rovers kick off their preparations with a mouth-watering clash with Liverpool. It’s 19 years since the two sides played such a game in pre-season, a long time considering the close proximity of the two clubs. The game has created a lot of interest from both sides of the river, and Prenton Park will be packed to the rafters for the game, having sold out a week before the match.
Although, our Premier League neighbours won’t include their international players involved in Euro 2008 and World Cup qualifying in South America, there may be appearances by Mssrs Gerrard and Carragher and possibly their Italian new signing Andrea Dossena and new Swiss full back Phillipp Degen. All this should mean a very stiff early test for the Tranmere players, although results are not important at this stage. In any case, it will be a boost to the club’s coffers to have a full house for such a game and should help Ronnie Moore build the side for next season.
After the Liverpool clash, Tranmere embark on what has become a regular tour of local sides for warm-up matches. On the 16th we visit Heswall who always provide strong opposition, as do Marine whom we visit on the 19th. They are always hard fought games, and good preparation for the Rovers players for the hard season ahead.
Then on 22nd July we travel to Southport. The Conference North side were hosts to a competitive game between the two teams last pre-season, so Rovers will be expecting a similar challenge this year.
On July 26th Tranmere make a step back up to face league opposition in the shape of Morecambe. Managed by Sammy McIlroy they enjoyed a successful first season as a league club in 07-08, and should give Tranmere a very good game again, although last year Rovers were easy victors in this equivalent fixture winning 3-0 at Christie Park.
Two home fixtures follow, first with the visit of hated rivals Bolton Wanderers, who will face Rovers on July 29th at Prenton Park. A strange decision to arrange a “friendly” with fierce rivals, but this is the second successive visit from the Lancashire club to the Wirral. Last year the Premier League outfit ran out 1-0 victors in a closely fought game. It would be nice to turn the tables on them this time around.
Another Lancashire side, indeed another with whom we hardly have happy relations, visit Prenton Park on 2nd August – Blackpool. They just survived relegation back down to League One last season, so this again should be a close game and very good test ahead of the season start a week afterwards.
The final game of the pre-season campaign comes at Cammell Laird. The match takes place on 4th August, and will likely include a very much second string line up after the game had to be rearranged to fit in the Liverpool and it being close to the season start. Cammell Laird are very much an improving non-league side, although they lost their star player Jamie McGuire last year, and defeated Rovers a couple of years back in this regular pre-season outing. It will be as always a tough game for Rovers, although the two clubs have a very friendly relationship.
Transfers: (correct as of 10/07/08)
In:
Gareth Edds – defender/midfielder [free transfer from MK Dons]
Edrissa Sonko – attacking midfielder [free transfer from Walsall]
Bas Savage – striker [free transfer from Millwall]
George O’Callaghan – midfielder [free transfer from Cork City]
Out:
Robbie Stockdale [released – free transfer to Grimsby]
John Mullin [released – free transfer to Accrington Stanley]
Shane Sherriff [free transfer to Shrewsbury]
Calvin Zola [£200,000 to Crewe]
Paul McLaren [free transfer to Bradford]
Steve Davies [tribunal to Derby]
Mike Jones [released]
Michael Johnston [released – free transfer to Bangor City]
