So it was to the, slightly modified, tune of Dean Martin’s 1954 single ‘Sway’ that Tranmere secured their place in League Two for 2025-26.
With a full Kop in fine voice, Rovers saw off a relatively amenable Crewe side 2-0. The nerves and worries heading into the game were soothed by Tranmere’s confident professionalism and the visitor’s lack of goal threat.
Indeed, so sure of survival were the Tranmere faithful that the celebratory smoke bombs were set off, not after the full time whistle or a goal, but midway through the second half, engulfing the stadium in a grey cloud for several minutes.
That confident professionalism has been lacking for much of the season, however. Until Andy Crosby stepped in to replace the departing Nigel Adkins, relegation to the National League looked a distinct possibility.
Dismal displays had littered the campaign under Adkins. The contrast under Crosby was like night and day. Hammering Chesterfield 4-0, clawing back a point from 3-0 down with 12 minutes remaining at Accrington and the smash-and-grab victory at Bradford show the variety of positive performances since the change of manager.
Over 9,000 fans filled out Prenton Park for the Crewe match. The stadium was lively before kick off, perhaps with nervous energy.
It took only 22 minutes for the majority of those inside the ground to breath a sigh of relief, with captain Tom Davies nodding home a Regan Hendry free kick.
After Crewe’s Tom Lowery had an effort on goal blocked, the away team would not muster another effort until the fourth minute of injury time in the second half, by which point Tranmere were two goals up and safe.
Kristian Dennis rolled Omari Patrick’s clever pass into the back of the net late on, to secure safety for Tranmere.
The pitch invasion at full time may well earn Rovers a fine, but nobody really cared. A season of struggle had come to a close with the best possible outcome.
Canvassing fans’ views on the season on X, there was much agreement on issues such as goal, game and player of the season, while the matter of the biggest disappointment was rather more wide ranging.
The highs of the season were few and far between, and almost invariably came during Crosby’s late season revival. Patrick’s outrageous 25 yard equaliser in the 11th minute of stoppage time at Accrington was almost unanimously voted goal of the season, and providing an Istanleybul moment for the fans, who celebrated with wild abandon.
Patrick, along with beleaguered and overworked goalkeeper Luke McGee, received honourable mentions in the player of the season vote, but were beaten to the award by Lee O’Connor.
Versatile and tenacious, the Irishman has played in a variety of positions during the season, and was handed the captain’s armband when regular skipper Davies was unavailable. His wholehearted approach has endeared him to the Tranmere faithful, who appreciate his tireless work-rate and perfectly timed slide tackles.
The aforementioned games at Bradford and Accrington, and the demolition of Chesterfield were all voted as among the best, albeit in an uncompetitive category. The choices for worst game were plentiful, with the embarrassment of losing to non-league side Oldham at home in the FA Cup particularly prevalent in the voting, along with the defeats at Morecambe, who hadn’t won at home for eight months, Walsall and at home to Accrington, Adkins’ final game in charge.
A lack of communication from the top, and the prevarication before deciding to oust Adkins were particular points of disappointment, next to the more straightforward answer of the season as a whole.
Owner Mark Palios had said that the budget given to Adkins in the summer was the biggest of his tenure, so finishing 90th out of the 92 teams in the Football League is a poor return, especially when fans are asked to pay some of the highest season ticket prices in the division.
With a trip to Newport all that stands between Tranmere and the end of the season, planning for a much improved campaign in 2025-26 must begin now that the owners know which league they will be competing in. The bulk of the squad are out of contract, meaning there is scope for an overhaul.
For the supporters, who stuck by the team during the darkest periods of the season, they can stroll off with the tune of ‘Sway’ ringing in their ears, safe in the knowledge that they still support a Football League club.
(Featured image by Chris Watson)
