Tranmere Rovers
Spent Convictions
Tranmere Crest
By David Sindall
September 30 2025
Wasn’t there a time when this club purported to be a beacon of our local communities? That meant not just the locality, but also the communities of interest locally. Disabled supporters, non heterosexual supporters, the whole gambit of diverse communities. Whilst across the pond identity politics have been labelled a ‘problem’, here it’s not quite the case. Yet our reputation risks being squandered in two areas.
Let’s start with disability. When I look around me on match days I see many supporters with disabilities. I don’t mean wheelchair users but people who have impairments but muddle through at the games. They may be people who have developed poorer mobility, or who’s sight or hearing is fading, but certainly in and around my seat there are plenty of people that meet the definition of disability contained within the anti discrimination legislation. Contrary to what you might think, most supporters with disabilities muddle through. They develop their own way for negotiating the various obstacles that prevent them enjoying the game. It might be that the P.A. isn’t clear enough, or that there are a lack of places to grab onto as you climb your way up to your seat in the main stand. Progress has stood still.
Worst still away fans have no accessible facilities. Despite the good work of the Disabled Supporters Association the club is not putting resources into making further improvements. In the past many football clubs decided to lump home and away disabled supporters in the same location. I never understood the logic of this. It’s as if disabled supporters can’t get angry with each other. It also means that if you come to Prenton Park as an away supporter who uses a wheelchair you can’t sit with your mates. I suspect most non-ambulant disabled away supporters decide not to come.
Then there is Rover and out. Their presence at matches reminds us that football supporters come in all shapes and sizes and not everyone is heterosexual. For a period the club seemed to back their endeavours. Now, with a player returning from a ban for homophobic insults, the club have become silent. Many fans would expect the club to say something and a fair proportion expected the club to do more than simply let the player sit out the ban.
Ties to our community are important. The supporters Trust have been organising collections for Wirral Foodbank and supporters have been generous. We need to remind ourselves that the Club is set in an area where many are hungry and lack the income to have the basics in life. At the same time intolerance is on the increase. Just at the point when the club needs to speak out it says very little.
This is a long way from the vision that was once promoted. Tranmere’s unique selling point was its USP as being close to the communities we serve. Of course there is an hiatus. The Club is up for sale and it might be unrealistic to expect explicit commitments to further activity. Yet Club sales do not remove the need for us to be part of a broader alliance, where our roots in our community are rooted in the interests of our communities.
If you have the conviction that supporting your local community isn’t a luxury then this becomes a no brainer. Convictions don’t change. Most of us could be institutionalised for carry the notion that ‘we are by far the greatest team the world has ever seen’. Yet supporting Tranmere is a conviction. Just like supporting our local community.
The views expressed are personal.
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
30/09/2025 16:46
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
I had however pointed out to the hierarchy of the club a year ago that their actions and how they were dealing with the community would spoil the legacy they promoted of being a "community club".
In my view it was connected with any intention takeover and they were clearing the decks of any none football related factors that future owner that may impact on a sale as well as cutting down on running cost.
One thing that came up during these discussions was that the community department was charged for office space under the Kop even though it is a registered charity and is the face of the club's ccommunity work.
People will probably tell me that is fine as the Club has to make money but in my eyes that rent money, which was possibly raised by the department from grants, should have gone to the community.
It seemed to me that all the good work the club had put into community projects was being tainted and that they they were reducing interest in the community aspect of the club as they pursued a sale.
And a local.
I would imagine if the takeover happens (if!)
nicola and mark will be more interested in the community of their retirement plans in the Isle of Man!
The 'In the Community ' at the club is funded mainly by the FA. And it would follow all the cost cutting the owners have done. It wouldn't have survived the cuts.
The club is in a mess and barely surviving, and the ground and surrounding area of the ground is a disgrace with the white elephant of the fan park very distinct. The missing seats and lack of match day staff etc. Never mind the power cut v Accrington and last week, parts of the ground closed because of power issues.
We need a takeover desperately.
Words are cheap, and they seem the only commodity that the club falls back on
It wouldn't have cost an awful amount to get it done.
And be more welcoming to away supporters and would have paid for itself over time.
