League Two Insight: Tranmere Rovers

Ahead of the Spireites’ return to the Football League and League Two, we are taking a look at all 23 other teams that make up the division.

We are continuing with Tranmere Rovers:

FACT FILE

Team Name: Tranmere Rovers Football Club

Nickname: The Rovers

Year Founded: 1884

Stadium: Prenton Park

Capacity: 16,567

2023/24 SEASON

Tranmere went into their fourth successive season in League Two in hope of once again reaching the third tier. One win in the first seven league games proved to be the end of Ian Dawes’ reign as manager. Nigel Adkins was brought in on an interim basis, that was made permanent in November, but saw his side provide inconsistent results. The Rovers produced four wins on the bounce around the turn of the year as they climbed to 15th place. Tranmere failed to keep the run going and continued their theme to the season – a lack of consistency. By the end of the season, Adkins guided his side to a 16th place finish, well clear of the relegation zone and a fair way off the play-off places.

MANAGER

Nigel Adkins began his senior career in football in 1983 when he signed a professional deal with Tranmere Rovers. His managerial career began ten years later when he became player-manager of Bangor City. He won two League of Wales with Bangor, two promotions to the Championship with Scunthorpe United and back-to-back promotions with Southampton. Adkins returned to Prenton Park in May 2023 as technical director before being made interim manager three months later. The appointment was made permanent in November 2023.

KEY PLAYER

Connor Jennings and Tranmere Rovers have a special relationship, with the striker a year into his second spell with the club. During his first spell, he won promotion twice via the play-offs.

Last season in numbers:

Appearances – 44

Goals – 12

Assists – 6

Yellow Cards – 12

Red Cards – 0

Minutes Played – 4,198

PLAYED FOR BOTH

In September 2013, Ollie Banks joined League Two side Chesterfield from FC United of Manchester. He made an immediate impact and scored nine goals in 33 appearances to help the club to the League Two title and to the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Banks played 99 times for the Spireites in his three years at the club before joining Oldham Athletic.

During his time at Boundary Park, the midfielder was sent on a one-month loan to Tranmere Rovers. The Rovers were promoted back to the Football League at the end of the 2017/18 season, and they signed Banks on a permanent basis. He played an integral part in their second successive promotion via the play-offs.

Banks left the club after three years before joining Barrow. However, in the summer of 2022, he returned to Chesterfield. In his second stint, Banks played a part in the club achieving promotion from the National League.

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD

P 102     W 45     D 20     L 37

Since 1922, Chesterfield and Tranmere Rovers have come head-to-head over 100 times. The Spireites have a slight edge over the Merseyside club with eight more wins. A Jordan Bowery winner gave the Blues the win in the 100th fixture in March 2012.

PREVIOUS GAME

In the 2012/13 season, the two sides were drawn against each other in the second round of the FA Cup – just four months after Tranmere won the League Cup fixture. Chesterfield, who were one division below their hosts, took the lead in the first half when Luis Boa Morte’s corner was poked home by Liam Cooper. Cole Stockton levelled things up before the break when his long-range effort bobbled past Tommy Lee. Tranmere secured the path to the third round in the second half after Adam McGurk swept the ball into the back of the net.