Tranmere

Rovers roar at home

Tranmere Rovers v Darlington

Johnstone Paints Trophy Round Two

Tuesday October 31st, 7.45pm

New manager Ronnie Moore has taken Rovers into the play-off positions in League One, with their home record particularly impressive.

This is the second of three home games for Rovers in eight days and three matches within a week for Darlo - sandwiched between the Poolie derby and Chester at home on the Friday. So don't be surprised if neither side is at full strength or that bothered.

Man to watch
Chris Greenacre The ex-Mansfield and Stoke striker is among the goals again this season.

Full match preview on the D@rlo Uncovered website.

Away fans are normally housed in the Cowshed Stand, with 2,500 seats behind the goal, but Rovers for this tie are only opening part of the ground and we will be in the Borough Road Stand. Ticket prices are £7 for adults - cash on turnstiles; £3 for OAPs and young persons (17-22 years), which must be bought from Darlington FC ticket office first; and £2 for juniors (16 and under) - cash on turnstiles. Adults buying match tickets before 12 noon on the day of the game will be entitled to two free junior tickets, on sale at Darlington's main ticket office.

Tranmere Rovers FC:
Prenton Park, Prenton Road West, Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, L42 9PN
Tel: 0151 608 4194
History: Formed in 1884 as Belmont FC, with a merger of Lyndhurst Wanderers and Belmont Cricket Club. Name changed a year later. The club moved to its current home in 1912 and joined the Football League in 1921. The later to be famous "Dixie" Deans made his debut for Tranmere as a 16-year-old in 1924, scoring 24 goals before moving to greater fame at Everton. In 1935, Robert Bell scored nine goals and missed a penalty in a 13-4 win over Oldham. After struggling in the 1980s, the club enjoyed a resurgence and some Cup success in the 1990s, with striker John Aldridge as player and player-manager. Rovers lost the 2000 League Cup final to Leicester. In recent years, they reached the play-off semi-finals under Brian Little.
Record Attendance: 24,424 v Stoke City, FA Cup 4th Round, 1972
Capacity: 16,789
Last season: 15th
Honours: League Cup runners-up 2000, Div 3N champions 1937/1938, Div 4 runners-up 1988/1989, Leyland Daf trophy winners 1990
Record victory: 13-0 v Oswestry, FA Cup Qualif, 1914
Defeat: 1-9 v Tottenham, FA Cup 3rd Round, 1953
Nicknames: Rovers
Colours: White with blue trim
Manager: Ronnie Moore
Chairman: Lorraine Rogers
Famous fans/connections: William "Dixie" Deans, Ian Muir, Ray Mathias, Jason Koumas, (players), Ron Yeats, Frank Worthington, John Aldridge (player-managers). Half Man Half Biscuit, Ray Stubbs, Elton Welsby (fans).
Click for Streetmap of ground

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Take the Mersey tunnel to the M53; at junction 3 exit the M53, at the roundabout take the first exit A552 Birkenhead. After Sainsburys, when you reach the Half Way House pub turn right at the traffic lights onto B5151 Mount Road. Take the first left into Prenton Road West for the ground.
Parking: There is residents parking in areas closest to the ground, but some streetparking the other side of Borough Road. There is a club carpark for early birds at the ground and also a car park near the technical college on Borough Rd (heading back towards town).Iif parking in the town centre, the council's pay and display carparks in Birkenhead are on their website or there is a full list on the Birkenhead town website

Trains: The ground is nearly 1.5 miles from Birkenhead Central Station. At the clock tower roundabout out of the station take a left, following Borough Road (sign-posted Heswall, Clatterbridge). After a mile, turn left onto the B5151 Borough Road (signed Clatterbridge and Tranmere Rovers FC) and the ground is on the right.
You can also catch a train to Rock Ferry station, just over a mile from the stadium. Turn right and walk up the road until you reach a roundabout. Turn right there and walk up until close to the Sportsman pub. Take a left turn down Everest Road and walk to the bottom to reach the away end.
There are numbers 42, 177, 447 and 464 buses from Birkenhead bus station in the town centre to the ground.

Blue Star Taxis 0151 651 0000
Wirral Mersey Cabs 0151 652 7777
All The Fives Taxis 0151 666 2322
Trafalgar Taxis 0151 645 7777

Darlington FC Supporters Club
Coach Time tbc, Contact: 01325 243911. See Darlington Supporters' Club for more details.
EVENING TRAIN TIMES:
No late trains back to Birmingham New Street, Darlington, London Euston, Leeds or Nottingham.
Last train back to Sheffield 22.04 (arr 01.14).
Manchester Piccadilly: 16.38-Liverpool Lime St (17.29) 17.43 arr Birkenhead Central 17.52. Rtn: 22.37-Chester (23.11) 23.22 arr 00.29. Fare: Cheapday return £10.90.
Liverpool Lime Street: Every 15 mins until 23.19. Fare £1.65
Chester: Last trains 22.37, 23.07, 23.37. Fare £3.90

Real ale/town centre
Old Colonial 167 Bridge Street, Birkenhead
Cains pub in the town centre, within a 10 minute walk of the station but the wrong end for the stadium, so only go if you have time. CAMRA-listed. DAFTS recommended.
The Crown, 128 Conway Street, Birkenhead
Good choice of real ales, comfortable and welcoming - away fans invited to share the banter with locals. Local CAMRA recommended and also one of Stedders' favourites, which is good enough for us. A short stroll, between Birkhenhead Central and Conway Park stations. DAFTS recommended. Click for streetmap
The Stork, 41-42 Price Street, Birkenhead
A splendid Victorian heritage pub with mosaic floor, stained glass and a choice of real ales. Open from 11.30am, meals served. Nearest to the Conway Park station. Click for streetmap
Near the ground
The Prenton Park Hotel, Borough Road/Prenton Rd West
Close to the away turnstiles and popular, as you'd expect, with visiting supporters. Usual fare, no real ale, just Boddington's. Sky TV, pool, no hot food.
The Mersey Clipper, 17 Preston Road West, behind the main stand. Welcomes away fans. Stones Bitter/Greenalls. Food and Sky TV.
The Sportsmans Arms, Prenton Rd East
are recommended for away fans.
The Swan, Woodchurch Road, Prenton
A bit of a walk, but away-fan friendly and parking available.

Wirral council's comprehensive tourism website has links to online accommodation bookings and places to visit, as well as eating and drinking. Tourist Information Office: Woodside Ferry Terminal Birkenhead Wirral CH41 6DU. (0151) 647 6780.
Of course you can take a "ferry across the Mersey" from Birkenhead or just a heritage cruise. Or walk around the historic Hamilton Square, with buildings restored to their former glory.

There's the Wirral Takeaway in Borough Road, and a burger van outside Prenton Park pub, unless you want to eat in the ground.

If you'd like to be e-mailed a regular bulletin with the latest updates on this site - including details of DAFTS members known to be travelling then E-mail DAFTS

Rail timetables Virgin Trains GNER National Express Online map
Hotels/B&Bs Birkenhead Town Centre Wirral Council Wirral Tourism Chester Standard Wirral Globe Wirral CAMRA

Surfing there...

There is The official site, the best are probably the Rovers Rearguard - which is the Rivals site or the Total Tranmere site, which despite the pop-ups has lots of information. While The White Review is a neat, stats-heavy independent site.

Next away match:
Lewes (FA Cup 1 - Sat Nov 11, TBC)
Lincoln City (Sat Nov 18)

No responsibility is taken for accuracy, if in doubt check before travelling.