Tranmere’s rise from being just a church youth team, to becoming a fully-fledged football league club is a story of climbing a very long ladder, slowly rung by rung. Formed in 1885 Tranmere only played friendlies until the 1886/87 season, when they entered the Liverpool District Challenge Cup. Hungry for tougher opposition, in 1889 they joined the West Lancashire League, then the Liverpool District League, then the Lancashire Combination and the Liverpool, Wirral and District League. 1897 saw them in the Combination League. Turn of the century and it’s the Lancashire Combination Second Division, the Central League, and the new Third Division North. Finally, on the 27th August 1921, Tranmere reached their goal and made their debut in the Football League. Phew! During this time Rovers played in blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks. In 1889 they switched to maroon and orange halved shirts, navy blue shorts and white socks in an attempt to dazzle the opposition, not by their football but by their kit. It must have worked as they kept it for five years before reverting back to blue and white. I seem to remember Man Utd doing the exact opposite against Southampton, and only for one half of the match, I say opposite as it was a grey kit and the Saints were not at all dazzled and gave them a good kicking. Rovers continued to play throughout the 1914/18 war, and although many players contributed to the war effort working in the local shipyards many were unjustly criticised for avoiding going to the corner of some foreign field, to somewhere like Belgium, in the cold wet dank dark of night, then ordered to dig an eight foot deep hole called a trench, in frozen conditions with a spoon, then live in that hole up to the waist in freezing mud, through the wind, rain, snow and whatever else the winter weather can throw at you, living off bully beef and stale mouldy maggot-infested bread, all washed down with a cup of “Oh at least it’s hot” liquid jokingly referred to as tea, while all the while you’re trying to snatch some sleep, which is impossible to do because you’re trying to dodge flying bullets, cannon fire, mortar bombs, tanks, gas, flame throwers, and the Hun in arm-to-arm combat. Before finally being relieved of this living hell by going over the top and getting shot. Now whoever criticises someone for not wanting to do that needs shooting themselves. Anyway, I digress, as is my way.
Many thanks, to the nameless benefactor from Tranmere Rovers who sent me pictures and information highlighting the different aspects of the crest, but failed to sign his/her name. As Tranmere proudly run onto the pitch when Saturday comes, it is the blue crest they wear on their shirts. (PIC 1) This, although bearing the many symbols of the previous badge, is a lot duller due to the loss of colour. (PIC 2) These crests have been adapted from the Birkenhead coat of arms. (PIC 3) These arms were granted on 28th August 1878, after the borough of Birkenhead was founded in 1877. This resulted from the merger of Birkenhead, Claughton-cum-Grange, Oxton and Tranmere. The symbols in these arms were taken from the seals of the former towns. The crosier and the lion were taken from the old Birkenhead seal, and represent the Benedictine Monastery in Birkenhead. The monastery was founded by Hamon de Massey in 1150, and the lion is taken from the arms of the Massey family. The oak is taken from Tranmere. The two lions are taken from Oxton. The meaning of the crescents in these arms is apparently unknown. This is probably why the description in the badge just says “moon”. Also unknown is the starfish-looking symbol in the bottom left quarter, which is really the right quarter as arms are described from the wearer’s point of view. It could be a star, which would tie-up with the crescents, but the badge suggests the sun, meaning light, and that ties in with motto. The crest shows the lion and crosier again, as well as an anchor, symbolising that Birkenhead depends on sailing and shipping. This is represented in the old badge with the image of a ship in the football, but not in the present badge. The old badge also has the motto from the coat of arms “UBI FIDES IBI LUX ET ROBUR” which when translated means, Wherever There Is Faith, There Is Also Light and Strength. This ties up the descriptions of the sun and lion in the badge.
Tranmere have been playing at Prenton Park since 1912, back then they had crowds of up to 8,000. Now the park holds 16,587 all-seated. Tranmere Rovers have the nickname “The Rovers” from the second part of their name, as opposed to the trannies from the first. A laughing Emoji would fit right in here now. If you do not what a trannie is kids, it’s what we used to take to the beach to listen to music, also known as a transistor radio. Rover’s rivals are Liverpool, Everton and Bolton. When the fans sing from the terraces they like to remind all opposing fans that they are definitely not Scousers, but are from Birkenhead. Sadly they fail to explain the difference as they sound very much alike once they open their mouths and start to talk or sing. The name Tranmere is in its entirety an old Viking name coming from the old Norse Trani-melr meaning, a crane or heron, a long-legged freshwater and coastal bird, and Meir = sandbank. So Tranmere means a long-legged bird on the beach. For more about Tranmere go roving to www.tranmererovers.co.uk
