Tranmere Rovers
Crocked
Tranmere Crest
By David Sindall
February 3 2026
A strange experience. We actually had players join us during the January window. Given our injury problems in an act of faith to assume any will play for us, but fingers crossed.
Holidays mean I only actually saw Will Tamen play for us once in the flesh, and once in a game on Sky. He seemed good but then got crocked. Same could be said for Dylan Jones. He gave us pace up front but then also got crocked. Jayden Joseph, fantastic player, really had something but then also got crocked. If this was a murder mystery novel you would start to wonder who the culprit was, bodies are falling everywhere. Not just loanees. Super Connor Jennings has played all season with enthusiasm and demonstrated incredible leadership, then he got massively crocked. Have we suffered a curse similar to the Chicago Cubs? Now that you can’t buy a pint of Trapper’s Hat in the Fan Zone will we forever see our talents cursed to a life on crutches?
It’s also been an unusual transfer window in that we have only seen one player depart. Richie Smallwood, Bradford’s Captain last season, has uppedsticks for Bristol Rovers. In a previous article I wrote that Richie was a disappointment, some comments on social media when his departure was announced have been shameful. Things didn’t work out for him here and I hope he does better at the Gas. He was a better player than most of us have ever come close to, he wore the shirt did his best. Our and his life will go on.
Now we have to keep our fingers crossed and hope that all the injuries are out of the way. Max Dickov, Zech Oberio, Lewis Warrington and Stephen Negru have all signed up for a tour of duty at Prenton Park aka the Somme. How long they will wear the Rover’s shirt for remains a mystery, but let’s hope they can at least make it until the end of the season. Our decline in form has been dreadful. Injuries have played a major part. January was a month when we accumulated more injuries than points.
The current squad and manager need our support. These are uncertain times at the Club and this will be unsettling some of the players. It was right that Connor Jennings was given an immediate contract after his injury. Yet it’s worth remembering that most of our squad are youngish lads try to make a go in a profession that is harsh. Contracts aren’t renewed, injuries are sustained. Supporting Rovers has never been a task for the faint hearted, but now, more than ever, we need to get behind the lads and support the team. Let the players have pride in wearing the shirt and pride in the support they get. Everything else will be a bonus.
All views expressed are personal
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Discussion started by Total Tranmere (IP Logged), 03/02/2026 08:43
03/02/2026 08:43
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Solar Campus is built over an old clay pit , my grandparents used to back onto the filed in Heyes Drive . They ended up living their as one of their children had bought the house, when they cane to sell the sale fell through as the mortgage company would not lend not for this reason, so my grandparents bought the house cash. This was back in the 80's. I did a bit of research around the substrate beneath obviously being clay based and old clay-pits, tied in with some work Im doing.
In short professional athletes who train/play on such surfaces as clay pits, mining areas, previous industrial sights have a significantly higher incidence of injury's and not specifically muscular injuries when training/playing on clay based substrate or old mining areas etc.
Injuries sustained were not necessarily as a direct result of the clay surface, and included such injuries as Hip and hip joint injuries, Knee and ankle joint injuries , elbow injuries. Such as deterioration of the hip joint requiring surgical intervention to shave the joint.
These are obtained as a result of the regular impact on the firmer surfaces even when pitches or arenas were professionally built with substrate stripped back.
Muscle injuries are also seen in higher incidences as surfaces are heavier particularly over wet weather periods. The lower levels of sediment remain hard and retain water having a tendency for areas of collapse. Resulting in uneven or inconsistent surfaces.
The heavier surfaces put strain on ligaments and muscles leading to reduced ability of the body to protect joints from impact injuries.
This is only my research completed on the internet to support my own involvement in coaching , specifically around track and field.
My summation is we should go and train on the PP pitch or the oval pitch for the last 17 games.
In short professional athletes who train/play on such surfaces as clay pits, mining areas, previous industrial sights have a significantly higher incidence of injury's and not specifically muscular injuries when training/playing on clay based substrate or old mining areas etc.
Injuries sustained were not necessarily as a direct result of the clay surface, and included such injuries as Hip and hip joint injuries, Knee and ankle joint injuries , elbow injuries. Such as deterioration of the hip joint requiring surgical intervention to shave the joint.
These are obtained as a result of the regular impact on the firmer surfaces even when pitches or arenas were professionally built with substrate stripped back.
Muscle injuries are also seen in higher incidences as surfaces are heavier particularly over wet weather periods. The lower levels of sediment remain hard and retain water having a tendency for areas of collapse. Resulting in uneven or inconsistent surfaces.
The heavier surfaces put strain on ligaments and muscles leading to reduced ability of the body to protect joints from impact injuries.
This is only my research completed on the internet to support my own involvement in coaching , specifically around track and field.
My summation is we should go and train on the PP pitch or the oval pitch for the last 17 games.
Or not because 98% of the injuries have been contact or sustained in a match and nothing to do with the campus...
Crazy how you know more than everyone at the club.
Crazy how you know more than everyone at the club.
I played on the St George's school pitches, which is now Solar campus. The track that let to the old council changing rooms, from Leasowe Rd, once you passed them, was the old brick works before you get to the Bidston golf course. The pitches down there were full of discarded bricks and slurry and such, same as the Links View pitches.. But the training pitches we use, were new pitches, seed grown by Mallinsons. On top of the clay based ground. The biggest problem the club faced was no irrigation on the pitches. Until a well had been dug and one put in.
However, the club have just last summer spent the ground budget on the training pitches at solar campus instead of the PP pitch. When both were needed.
The pitch at PP is showing a lot of wear and tear and the weather has been wetter and colder in January.
The many factors that have contributed to the injuries is many.. Not only the the pitches, the conditioning, the lack of professional development within the club, the lack of professional experience, within the football staff and much more.
And the main reason is the continuous cost cutting across the club for too long and the financial restraints of the owners to own a modern football club.
The club is in a mess and the takeover needs to happen. The other prospects are unthinkable.
However, the club have just last summer spent the ground budget on the training pitches at solar campus instead of the PP pitch. When both were needed.
The pitch at PP is showing a lot of wear and tear and the weather has been wetter and colder in January.
The many factors that have contributed to the injuries is many.. Not only the the pitches, the conditioning, the lack of professional development within the club, the lack of professional experience, within the football staff and much more.
And the main reason is the continuous cost cutting across the club for too long and the financial restraints of the owners to own a modern football club.
The club is in a mess and the takeover needs to happen. The other prospects are unthinkable.
When Ian Holloway got the Swindon job, one of the first things he said was that their training ground was cursed, and he was gonna get his wife, whom he described as a white witch, to cast a spell to rid the curse, lol...Does AC's wife have magical mystic powers to help clear up our injuries...?..Get the players back to the old ways of training eg, training along the Wirral beaches and running up and down Moel Famau..that will toughen and strengthen legs, knees and ankles more than these machines, gadgets and whatever else equipment they use down at Solar Cramp Us.
Quote:rossb07
Or not because 98% of the injuries have been contact or sustained in a match and nothing to do with the campus...
Crazy how you know more than everyone at the club.
Not saying I know more than anyone at the club in specific context of individual injury's: read and ingest what Ive written rather than jumping down peoples throats.
As context I work in sports personnel and performance management. Ive worked with the club under the old owners along with and still do work with many other players/athletes/teams . And believe it or not professional sports people and or teams do lie to you about things constantly all the time for loads of reasons.
To benefit my business and knowing the history of that area I have begun a research paper on the subject, previous papers have been written of which I've reviewed some of as part of this research.
But again you're being oddly specific about the campus and then back tracking away from it. Out of curiosity which firm is it? Smaller world than first thought...
I know ive brought the solar campus pitches up before ,cos i was told 2years ago by a groundsperson thst some of our players then wouldnt play on 1of the pitches . Im sure he wasnt just making it up.no reason.
That was the 4G pitches wasn't it? Had a lot of work done there in the last 18months on the pitches to be fair...rightly or wrongly.
Quote:not sure rossrossb07
That was the 4G pitches wasn't it? Had a lot of work done there in the last 18months on the pitches to be fair...rightly or wrongly.
Quote:It is well known that the solar campus pitches were chosen ahead of PP, for that reason.Loyden1
I know ive brought the solar campus pitches up before ,cos i was told 2years ago by a groundsperson thst some of our players then wouldnt play on 1of the pitches . Im sure he wasnt just making it up.no reason.
Apparently, allegedly, the manager had to choose between them to be upgraded.
And I'm sure that the solar campus pitches have not been upgraded every season since before covid.
When the players train, they usually use both pitches, because it's easier to set up for the different sessions they use. And the day before the next match, they use one pitch specifically for playing the first eleven v the rest to get reach for the next game. So one pitch gets more use than the other.
AC was asked about injuries in one of his match pressers. He was really clear about the fact that most if not all of the long term injuries were caused by contact.
Dylan Jones tweaked a hamstring on Saturday- I hope that’s no more than a minor niggle. It might be due more to the intensity of play in the lower leagues rather than anything to do with the pitches.
Dylan Jones tweaked a hamstring on Saturday- I hope that’s no more than a minor niggle. It might be due more to the intensity of play in the lower leagues rather than anything to do with the pitches.
Quote:Brenk
AC was asked about injuries in one of his match pressers. He was really clear about the fact that most if not all of the long term injuries were caused by contact.
Dylan Jones tweaked a hamstring on Saturday- I hope that’s no more than a minor niggle. It might be due more to the intensity of play in the lower leagues rather than anything to do with the pitches.
Is play particularly intense at lower levels? I would guess that there are demands on players bodies at all levels?
In recent years, the technology of pitches has moved at a pace, with artificial surfaces as well.
What this means is that the pitches need maintenance and care more importantly the treatment for growth.
The surface because of the mixture of sand, plastic and drainage, becomes increasingly stable and harder as the season progresses, Usually as winter approaches a vertidrain is done because of the impactation. This opens the first six (ish) inches of the surface to increase drainage through the winter months of worse weather. There is not as much give, as there was in last century, when the give would be more slow, and divots would emerge. There is no divots with the newer pitches.
The technology of footwear has vastly improved, so has the different injuries. There is a correlation of the different injuries.
In the women's game, as they have moved to better (eh) pitches, there has been a higher occurrences of ACLs and MCLs than ever before.
It is no surprise.
The technology is moving on again as sport is always looking for continuing improvements.
The artificial pitch at solar campus is 3G. Which is Third generation of this particular surfaces.
The latest improvement is 5G.
As American sport moves on, the technology moves on and the likes of football clubs, try and keep up.
What this means is that the pitches need maintenance and care more importantly the treatment for growth.
The surface because of the mixture of sand, plastic and drainage, becomes increasingly stable and harder as the season progresses, Usually as winter approaches a vertidrain is done because of the impactation. This opens the first six (ish) inches of the surface to increase drainage through the winter months of worse weather. There is not as much give, as there was in last century, when the give would be more slow, and divots would emerge. There is no divots with the newer pitches.
The technology of footwear has vastly improved, so has the different injuries. There is a correlation of the different injuries.
In the women's game, as they have moved to better (eh) pitches, there has been a higher occurrences of ACLs and MCLs than ever before.
It is no surprise.
The technology is moving on again as sport is always looking for continuing improvements.
The artificial pitch at solar campus is 3G. Which is Third generation of this particular surfaces.
The latest improvement is 5G.
As American sport moves on, the technology moves on and the likes of football clubs, try and keep up.
Quote:rossb07
But again you're being oddly specific about the campus and then back tracking away from it. Out of curiosity which firm is it? Smaller world than first thought...
Solar being the cat that kicked the curiosity knowing that Solar and surrounds were a clay pit in the past, so research is focused on that area for now, not specifically solar.
Im my own business/free lance, work with specific individuals from my own networks rather than 'advertise'. Work location depends on the client , some remote some in person, speciality is sprinting/running/speed/strength. Work with a variety of sports to improve technique, strength, fitness, resilience, performance through training programmes. Just been working with a DP world lad on swing speed. And then coach sporadically some track athletes around the world but no living in that side as such.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2026:02:04:18:28:18 by Bored rover.
cole stockton likely on the move again, was supposed to go to barrow but fell though, whilst salford have signed another 2 strikers.
His only option now is the National League, their transfer window closes at 5PM tomorrow.
Are the teams we play particularly dirty, or are particular players being targeted, particularly after playing well in the first half and after a half time team talk by the opposing manager?
We remember Bournemouth v Tranmere in 2012 where Rovers led 1-0 at HT with Bell Baggio tearing their defence apart.
***SPORTY VIKINGS - BBC Radio Merseyside with Sean Styles****
👊👊 [tinyurl.com] 👊👊
We remember Bournemouth v Tranmere in 2012 where Rovers led 1-0 at HT with Bell Baggio tearing their defence apart.
***SPORTY VIKINGS - BBC Radio Merseyside with Sean Styles****
👊👊 [tinyurl.com] 👊👊
Quote:I remember that very well - The 2 clubs went in total opposite directions and within 2/3 years we went from top of league 1 to National league whilst the cherries climbed right up to the Premier league.Crazylegs Cranebird
We remember Bournemouth v Tranmere in 2012 where Rovers led 1-0 at HT with Bell Baggio tearing their defence apart.
I see that Crosby has given an update. Joseph,Tamen and Jones have all returned to their parent clubs for recuperation. They are still on loan but not expected back for 7-8 weeks 🤦♂️
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