By Deadly Submarine
February 7 2011
The fourth of our new weekly feature which seeks to create the Tranmere Rovers Team of the Decade for the noughties looks this week at the poll to determine the best centre-back to play for the Club between 2000 and 2009...........

For the next seven days, you have the chance to have your say in the fourth of our 12-part series which looks at the best Tranmere Rovers team of the noughties (2000-2009).
Position by position we are giving you the chance to vote on who you think is the best Rovers player (2000-2009) and tonight we begin our fourth poll to find the best centre-back of that era and at the end of the week the winner will take his place in the team outright whilst the five players who missed out on top spot in that poll, will do battle for a second week to fill the other centre-back position.
Last week the vote took place for the best right-back of the Decade and Ryan Taylor was the outright winner, joining goalkeeper John Achterberg who won our very first poll to find the best goalkeeper and Gareth Roberts who was voted best left-back. The question is though who will join Achterberg, Roberts and Taylor in the team next?....
The candidates for Centre-Back are as follows.....
Dave Challinor

A Rovers player between 1996 and 2002 after signing from Bromborough Pool, Challinor was most well known for his long throw-ins which were a huge weapon for Rovers, particularly during their cup giant killing exploits in the early part of the decade and was part of the squad that reached the 2000 League Cup Final at Wembley. Challinor is now Manager at Colwyn Bay.
Ben Chorley

Cockney defender Chorley spent two years at Prenton Park between 2007 and 2009 and won a place in the hearts of Rovers fans for his performances alongside Ian Goodison, particularly in the 2008/09 season when Rovers narrowly missed out on a play-off place on the final day of the season at Scunthorpe. Chorley now plays for Leyton Orient in League One.
Ian Goodison

Currently Tranmere’s longest serving player, Jamaican international Goodison joined the Club in 2003 to link up with his former Manager at Hull City, Brian Little. An instant hit with the Rovers fans, Ian has since gone on to make 314 appearances including substitute appearances and also represented Jamaica in the World Cup.
Clint Hill

Another legend amongst Rovers supporters, Clint Hill’s career low point was perhaps being sent off in the 2000 League Cup Final at Wembley for two bookings but his performances during his five year Rovers career (1997-2002) earned him much praise after coming through the youth ranks at Prenton Park.
Michael Jackson

Something of a journeyman even before he joined Rovers, Michael Jackson signed for Rovers in 2004 after initially being on loan during the 2002-03 season and subsequently spent two seasons at Tranmere before moving on to Blackpool where he eventually captained the Seasiders out of League One.
Ian Sharps

Ian Sharps had an eight year career at Prenton Park from 1998 to 2006 and initially was a product of the youth system at Rovers before signing professionally and was a member of the Rovers squad throughout the cup giant killing era and right up to Rovers near miss in the play-off semi-finals in 2005 under Brian Little. Sharps is now playing for Shrewsbury Town in League Two.
So who do you think is the best Rovers centre-back of the 2000’s? Have your say now by voting on our Site Poll which you can find on most pages of the Website (on the bottom of the left hand side menu when viewing the Message Forum and on the right side when viewing this story).
Votes will be counted up until next Sunday when the result will be announced and a feature on the winning player will be published. If you feel you wanted to vote for more than one player this week you should also remember that next week you will have a chance to vote for the same players again minus this week’s winner in order to determine the second centre-back spot.

