It’s the FA Cup again this weekend and I want to take this opportunity to commiserate in advance with Tranmere Rovers after their embarrasing 2nd round exit at the hands of Aldershot Town*
* I reserve the right to alter that last bit after the event to cover up my own embarrassment.
Update: They managed a draw and live to fight another day.
Another Update: Third round draw has been made and if they can get through it is home to Wolves next.
Because it is Tranmere an obvious choice for the music…those Footie & Music stalwarts HMHB.
(I’m sure that Nigel Blackwell & co. will have enough material for a double album after this season)
– For those of you who haven’t been following the fortunes of the Prenton Park outfit…
Last year the Rovers were thereabouts near or in the top 6 all season. But after a 1-1 draw on the final day they missed out on the playoff places. To build on this progress the suits decided, even after the manager Ronnie Moore had steered them to the upper reaches of League One for the past two years, that he should be sacked.
In an official statement, the club said: “Attendances have dropped by more than 19 per cent during the last three years and the club felt that now is the right time to move forward in a new direction.”
That direction was the opposite one Moore had taken them.
10 days after Ronnie Moore got his cards…actually I was going to say that it was the club who announced his appointment but it wasn’t. It was John Barnes himself (obviously relieved at finding gainful employment again) who broke the news.
How many times have we seen this “former great footballer/little to no coaching experience/given the managers job” formula ? And how many times has it failed ? Barnsey added to this certain doom scenario by selecting his old mate Jason McAteer (coaching/management experience….err…none) as his number two.
Now to give the Anfield and England rapper his dues, when he was at Celtic ten years previously his record was P29 W19 L8 D2, but it was that Inver Cali Thistle headline which pushed the Celtic board to him him the push.
Needless to say that this Tranmere gamble failed and Barnes (with McAteer) was sacked after their Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat at Bury.
The club’s Physio Les Parry was installed as a temporary Caretaker Manager and is still there. Parry has said that he’s not interested in the job permanently. Under his current tutelage they’ve lost more than they’ve won and Tranmere are bottom of the table, so it would have been doubtful that he would have been offered. But he is in charge for their FA Cup 2nd Round Proper tie against Aldershot and if it isn’t anything but a win come five o’clock, it will mean the exit door for him too.
BUT BEFORE ALL OF THAT…
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» HMHB – Friday Night And The Gates Are Low » HMHB – Dead Men Don’t Need Season Tickets (Peel Session) |
A bonus Peel Session track – HMHB covered an old song that is associated with Bristol Rovers.
This one includes an introduction by the great man himself.
» Further reading:
– Mike Whalley: I know we can’t go wrong
– On This Football Day: February 8 – Super Caley Go Ballistic, Celtic Are Atrocious
more songs for the day of the replay plaese!!!!