Connor Jennings signs two-year extension at Tranmere Rovers.

Tranmere Rovers have today announced that Connor Jennings has signed a two year deal with the club.

Jennings’ contract had expired at the end of the 2017/18 campaign but has put pen to paper and will stay at Prenton Park until 2020.

The former Wrexham midfielder joined the club in 2016 and has been a big part of the promotion winning squad that Micky Mellon has had at his disposal.

This comes as a relief to the Tranmere Rovers fans, after Jeff Hughes announced that he would leave the club to return to his hometown Larne. Before Andy Cook also left the club yesterday, to sign a deal with Sky Bet League One outfit Walsall.

Jennings is the second player to sign a contract this week after Mark Ellis signed for the club from Carlisle United.

 

Former Rovers goalkeeper Sam Ramsbottom: “The passion will show through.”

Former Tranmere Rovers goalkeeper Sam Ramsbottom believes that there is enough in the side to win the game at Wembley today, and knows that the passion will show through.

Ramsbottom has been at Macclesfield Town since October and won the Vanarama National League. But insists that there is no malice in it because, Tranmere is still very much on the forefront of his mind.

“It will be a tough match like all matches in the National League are, but I am sure they will have enough in the tank to get the result against Boreham Wood.” Sam Ramsbottom said.

“I think the passion which has shown through in their performances this season, will help them at Wembley. With it being a one-off game, they will be down in their thousands and hope they win the game and get promoted.” he added.

“I have still got a lot of friends at Tranmere, and I know there is no malice the fact that we managed to win the league, and they didn’t.

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“Tranmere still holds a large place in my heart. I was there for thirteen years and grew up playing for Sean Garnett and Ronnie Moore.”

Ramsbottom is hoping that the Whites do get promoted by Saturday teatime and admits that it was horrible being relegated to non-league, as he was still on the books at that time.

Rovers were relegated to the Vanarama National League on the final day of the 2013-14 season and have been there ever since, with the opportunities rising to get out of the league and back into what is now the EFL.

“I hope they do go up because it is a big club and do deserve to go back into the football league,” Ramsbottom said.

“A lot of people, with myself included are dying for them to go up. It was horrible on the last day of the season away to Plymouth going down, and the fans deserve much better and I am sure they will get that.” he commented.

“I will be watching on the TV, cheering them on and hopefully Micky and the lads can get the result that we all want them to get.”

The goalkeeper admitted that there was never a clear point in the season when Macclesfield Town could sit comfortably because they were well educated on Tranmere Rovers’ strengths and knew they could not sit back.

The Silkmen ended up winning the Vanarama National League by ten points, but Ramsbottom insists that there was never a time when they thought they had won it until the end.

“There were lots of times in the season where we knew the job was not done and Tranmere could still catch us, especially when they had the games in hand.” Ramsbottom said.

“There was never really a moment when we thought we had won the league, because Tranmere have the ability to turn it around but fortunately for Macclesfield they didn’t, and we got over the line.” The goalkeeper added.

 

EXCLUSIVE: IAIN HUME DISCUSSES TRANMERE ROVERS’ CHANCES AT WEMBLEY.

Tranmere Rovers ‘legend’ Iain Hume believes that the fans will be a massive addition to the side at Wembley as the side prepare for the National League Promotion Final against Boreham Wood.

Hume made over 100 appearances for the club and will be there tomorrow supporting the players in with the Tranmere supporters.

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“This year watching the semi-final, seeing the Kop full, reminded me of old times, when we were pushing in the football league and it is somewhere where the team needs to be.” Iain Hume said.

The support is one of the best, they will always get behind the lads and with probably four times the amount of fans as the opposition, they can definitely make an impact.”

“The players will realise, how big the club is and that it should be back in the Football League.”

“That will be the driving force tomorrow.”

“I will be driving down, sitting with the fans and hopefully watching the lads pull it off.”

“I will be there, I might not be singing all the songs because I can’t keep up with how good they are now but I will be giving all my support to the players.” He added.

The striker admits that what happened last season was not a bright spark in the books for a Rovers fan but believes in the side to put it right this time around.

Hume, who has won promotion with Jeff Hughes and Scott Davies knows that they will be itching to set the record straight.

The former Rovers man stated that the team had finished the season off well, and with the slow start, the players deserve great credit.

“The disappointment last season will push the lads on tomorrow and they deserve to be in the final, after the disappointing start, they have really rallied at the end of the season and deserve the plaudits for that.”

“I was in the same team as Jeff Hughes and Scott Davies with Fleetwood getting the promotion, and obviously having that loss on record they will be itching to put it right this year.”

“Rightly, they have finished in second spot, and have the experience within the side to win a match at Wembley.”

Looking back at the Semi-Final, Hume was not afraid to admit that it was a slow start but explains that it cannot be a repeat at Wembley because the opposition, Boreham Wood have it in them to punish Rovers.

“They went into the Ebbsfleet game a bit sluggish and the thing is they cannot do that at Wembley because knowing Boreham Wood, they like to get the ball down and play too and the pitch there is far bigger and it will make it a struggle,” Hume said.

“Micky will know that and make sure that they come out of the blocks fighting from the very start of the match,”

Tranmere Rovers front duo James Norwood and Andy Cook have been vital to secure points for the Whites this season.

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With over 40 goals between them, Hume expects them to have a big part to play in tomorrow’s big match.

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“It is massive! Goals win you games, and I know it is said too much in football but defences win championships and Tranmere have got one of the best defensive records too.

“But having the goals which they have scored this season were ridiculous and Cook has shown what he can do.”

“If they can link up together on a pitch like Wembley they will trouble any defence. So they will be a massive threat, and full of confidence.”

“The expectation is there for both of them, they will go into the game with the belief of scoring the goals in the final.”

Hume, looking back at his time at Prenton Park, in comparison to now, he realises that the club should not be in non-league.

The former Leicester City man has faith in Micky Mellon and his backroom team to get Tranmere Rovers back to where they warrant a place to be, back fighting in the Football League.

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“The club was in the league for nearly 100 hundred years and it shows the pedigree of the club and it does not want to be non-league.”

“There are three coaches in the team who have been captains, Micky (Micky Mellon), Jacko (Mike Jackson) and Nixon (Eric Nixon), they are all captains and leaders which will be a massive impact.”

EXCLUSIVE: OLLIE BANKS TALKS TRANMERE FINALS, AND THE FUTURE.

Former Tranmere Rovers loanee Ollie Banks has “every faith” that Tranmere will go and get the victory against Boreham Wood in the National League Play-off final on Saturday.

Banks, who left Tranmere in January, then went on to have a loan spell at Swindon Town where he made 17 appearances and has recently been released by his parent club Oldham Athletic.

“I have every faith in the lads that they can finish the job off. I have not got a bad word to say about Tranmere. I really enjoyed my time there, and they are a great set of lads.” Ollie Banks said.

“It depends what the frame of mind the players are in, but I am sure that they will all want to put last season’s disappointment behind them with a win!”

“The staff and the fans were fantastic and they deserve to have something to shout about come Saturday teatime.”

“But I really think there is enough passion in the side that they will go and get the job done.” The midfielder added.

Tomorrow will be a match where there will be a lot of familiar faces around, and Banks is making the trip down South to get behind the boys in white!

“I am going tomorrow to support Tranmere! I’m not sure where my ticket says it is for but I hope I am in with the Tranmere fans!” He said.

Banks released from Oldham Athletic a week ago refuses to rule out a return to Prenton Park either in the immediate or long-term future.

“I would never rule anything out. I loved my time at Tranmere and I would like to return one day. Whether it is this summer or in the future, it is definitely somewhere that I would like to play again.” Banks said.

Last week, Tranmere Rovers came from behind twice to beat Ebbsfleet United, and Banks admits that they are all tough matches, no matter who the opposition is.

“I don’t think it matters, who it is in the final. They are all big strong sides in and around the playoffs, and are tough to beat on the day, as was proven last week against Ebbsfleet.”

“They (Tranmere) have obviously shown a lot of character to come from behind twice in the Semi Final and then win comfortably in the end.”

The supporters this season at Prenton Park have been at their best, supporting the team, Banks urges them on to continue that tomorrow.

“There is a massive crowd and with it being a cup final, it can be an intimidating atmosphere when the Tranmere supporters get behind the team, which is very noticeable as a player.”

 

National League Playoff semi final: Match Report: Tranmere Rovers 4-2 Ebbsfleet United

After 120 minutes of football, it is Tranmere Rovers go into the Final of the Vanarama National League playoffs on Saturday 12 May after 4-2 win in extra time, at Prenton Park.

Many people expected this one to be an easy win for Tranmere Rovers and Micky Mellon, but outcome an in-form Ebbsfleet United side who did not roll over.

The game was level until 16 minutes in when Luke Coulson capitalised on some scruffy defending from the home side and looped a header over Scott Davies in the Tranmere goal.

This was then followed by a period of pressure for the visitors who saw efforts from Whitely and Kedwell go very close to doubling the lead.

Then it was the home side’s chance to attack and that they did, with a fabulous double save from Ashmore and then one block from a defender from Norwood’s effort to deny Rovers from drawing level.

Twelve minutes before the break the scores were level, Liam Ridehalgh found James Norwood who drove a low shot into the bottom corner, for the forward’s 22 goal of the campaign (including the regular season).

The pressure from the home side did not stop there, Nathan Ashmore, regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the league was called on again to deny a Josh Ginelly shot which was flicked on by Andy Cook.

Moments later, Tranmere attacked again, a cross whipped in from the left flicked on by Jeff Hughes but it just could not fall for Norwood, central of the penalty area.

The second half was all about who could come out stronger, and with just six minutes gone, the away side took the lead once more.

A mix up in communication at the back for Tranmere between defender Ritchie Sutton and goalkeeper Scott Davies allowed the ball to fall to Myles Weston who passed the ball into the empty net!

A great response from the hosts, Josh Ginelly who had been influential for the whites all game unleashed a ferocious shot into the top corner to level once more!

With Prenton Park erupting, Tranmere grew into the game very quickly and had chances to go into the lead but Ashmore again to the visitors’ rescue, Norwood’s effort straight at the keeper, Norburn’s attack which was dealt with by the man between the sticks for Ebbsfleet!

Fifteen minutes from time, saw both sides go for the win, Andy Cook headed wide at the far post before Danny Kedwell seen his shot fire over the crossbar at the other end.

With no winner at the end of 90 minutes, the game went into extra time, and with the away side already playing 120 minutes of football this week prior to today, it looked a big ask for Daryl McMahon and his team.

That proved with Tranmere having the majority of the first half of the extra time period, and Ashmore keeping his side in the game with saves from Norwood and Cook’s efforts at goal.

If there was a way to win this game of football, then it was to do it in style.

The home side finally took the lead for the first time in the match with a moment of class. A James Norwood free-kick curled into the top corner of Ashmore’s net giving the Ebbsfleet keeper no chance!

From then on it was Tranmere’s game, Larnell Cole smashed an effort home to make it 4-2 after some great play by the home side with great possession leading to the goal.

Unfortunately, it was ugly scenes toward the end of the match which will have an overriding factor on the great game of football.

A scuffle after a free kick was given to Ebbsfleet inside their own penalty area saw Dave Winfield struck Jay Harris who hit the ground and was consequently shown his marching orders by the referee.

In the madness, a backroom staff member of Ebbsfleet United was also sent off from the dugout.

With one half of the final selected now via the elimination process, Tranmere Rovers await whoever wins the other semi-final between Sutton United and Boreham Wood tomorrow.

TEAMS:

TRANMERE: 1) Scott Davies, 2) Adam Buxton, 3) Liam Ridehalgh, 4)Ritchie Sutton, 5) Stephen McNulty, 9) Andy Cook, 10) James Norwood, 15) Ollie Norburn, 18) Josh Ginelly, 24) Jeff Hughes, 29 Larnell Cole

Subs: 22) Rhys Taylor, 8) Jay Harris, 19) Andy Mangan, 16) Jack Dunn, 33) Manny Monthe

Ebbsfleet United: 1) Nathan Ashmore, 3) Jack Connors, 4) Dean Rance, 5) Dave Winfield ©, 6) Kenny Clark, 7) Jack Powell, 8) Andy Dury, 9) Danny Kedwell, 25) Luke Coulson, 27) Lawrie Wilson, 28) Corey Whitely

Subs: 2) Marvin Mccoy, 11) Myles Weston, 13) Jon Miles, 23 Norman Wabo, 26) Chris Bush.

 

 

 

 

Vanarama National League Semi-Final: TRANMERE ROVERS VS EBBSFLEET UNITED PREVIEW

Tranmere Rovers welcome an in-form Ebbsfleet United at Prenton Park this lunchtime, as the two teams clash in a one-off match, with the prize being the Play-Off Final at Wembley.

The Rovers finished in second place two games before the end of the season, with Sutton United closest behind them but unable to pull back the points difference.

Ebbsfleet United, have been made to do it the hard way. A good run of form towards the end of the season saw them shoot up the table and into the playoffs with their dream very much alive.

Daryl McMahon’s side got the better of Aldershot Town on Wednesday night in a match which was locked 0-0 right to the very last whistle before spot kicks!

The Kent outfit was 3-1 down in the shootout before a dramatic comeback saw book their place for the Semi Final at Prenton Park.

Micky Mellon’s team are not taking anything for granted, but have the advantage of having the whole week to prepare, whilst Ebbsfleet have been recovering from their previous match, and travelling.

Tranmere Rovers Manager Micky Mellon believes that it is the best chance for the team to show the Prenton Park faithful what they are made of.  Embed from Getty Images

The former player also admitted to the local press, that he is really looking forward to the challenge ahead for his team.

This season is the Whites’ third season out of the Football League after they were relegated following a 94-year spell.

“We’re looking forward to it, we’re switched on and know it’s going to be a big game so we’re really looking forward to playing in front of a big crowd. It’s exciting.” Micky Mellon told the Tranmere Rovers official website.

 “I can’t ask any more from the supporters, just get right behind us as they always do.” He added.”

“It will be a fantastic day for everybody, it’s what Tranmere wants to be involved in and should be involved in as a football club.”

“We’ll keep our focus and try and get it over the line and we should be in for a fantastic afternoon.” Mellon said.

Meanwhile it is all about the pressure being off for Daryl McMahon as he brings his side to cause an upset at Prenton Park and to secure a place for his side in the final.

 “Tranmere have been excellent this year with the best home form in the division,” McMahon told Ebbsfleet United’s official website.

“But we don’t care about that. It’s a one-off game, 90 minutes, the pressure’s on Tranmere, it’s not on us. We can go there, relax and enjoy it again and play our football.” He said.

Talking about previous meetings between the two sides, the Irishman believes that his team are totally different now.

 “When we played Tranmere away up to now, we’re a massively different team today than we were then. We had no Powell, no Drury, no Whitely or Clark.

 “We’re a totally different side and we were a side off the back of 2-0, 3-0 defeats in that game then.”

The former Fleet player expects a big atmosphere at the match and knows that his players need to be ready to be playing in front of the mass crowd which is expected.

McMahon states that the first quarter of the game will be absolutely vital for his team to stay strong.    “They’ll probably have 15,000 or 17,000 fans baying for blood straight away and we’ve got to go out and handle that.”

“We know that first 15, 20 minutes against Tranmere we’ve got to be strong.”

Tranmere Rovers FC’s motto this week has been to “Pack Prenton Park” with a number of adverts going out to big up the biggest chance the Rovers have had to get ever closer to the Football League once more, since the 3-1 defeat to Forest Green Rovers at Wembley last season.

Admission to the game can be found here:

Home supporters:        https://www.trfctickets.co.uk/home-matches

Away Supporters:       https://www.trfctickets.co.uk/visiting-supporters

How the decline of the Premier League TV deal has been impacted by illegal streams

The new TV deal

Over the the past two years, the substantial TV deal has often been on everyone’s lips, and indeed the funds from it which have been brought in by Premier League clubs both prior to and this season because of the new deal.

In recent weeks it was announced by the Premier League that the newest TV deal had been signed by both BT and Sky for packages A, B, C, D, and E. However, the remaining two being F and G they are still available to be bought by a broadcasting company. Which if they are bought then the TV deal could surpass the £8 billion mark.

Reports within the media are suggesting that the remaining packages are going to be offered to internet giants including Amazon and Netflix, with the hope that it can spin live football broadcasting in a different way once more.

The Premier League have claimed that there are “multiple bidders” for the remaining packages and said that a digital company could still get the rights to them.

According to The Guardian, the new deal signed between the two massive broadcasting companies, is roughly £500m less than the old TV deal which was a reported £5.13 billion.

The most obvious reason for this is the lack of subscribers paying the likes of BT and Sky to watch the matches, which is indirectly related to illegal streams which has increased massively in recent months. The difference is approximately a 10% drop since the record TV deal.

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This is reflected in Sky’s 2017 annual report. In football, Serie A, Bundesliga and Champions League managed record breaking viewings where as the Premier League views for the year were down from the previous year.

The clubs

Premier League clubs benefit massively from the TV deal, which is partly the reason why transfer fees, recently have gone through the roof!

Including Gylfi Sigurdsson moving to Everton for a reported £50m and most recently Virgil Van Dijk who moved to Liverpool for around £75m. Embed from Getty Images

Transfer fee records have been broken across the board in the top flight with a number of clubs setting new transfer records, including Arsenal and Manchester City.

Because of the revenue that the clubs bring in from the TV money, it allows them to either profit like Liverpool have (£39m) or even renovate the facilities which is evident at Manchester City.

Who is at fault for this?

Partly the TV companies are to blame to blame for this but one of the key issues is, the numerous amount of streams that people find to watch their favourite teams, even when the specific games are not even being broadcast on the regular TV channels.

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Streaming is arguably the most ‘efficient’ way to watch football nowadays because all you need is a fast enough Wi-Fi connection to run it.

In a survey that was conducted in 2017 shows that approximately a third of those who voted opted for finding a stream over the internet to watch a football match on, coincidentally it was mostly young adults.

The Guardian completed a survey on how everyone watches football, there were mixed opinions and answers but the vast majority said that they stream the football at home.

In 2017, it was announced that Sky’s Premier League viewing figures hit a low, which had outdone any figure from the past seven years. The average viewing for Sky’s live TV channels fell by 14% throughout the 2016-17 season.

There are a number of reasons why the viewing figures have been impacted but streaming was not the only contribution to this. One of the factors is social media. Snapchat, for example, released their new ‘live’ story feature which sometimes involved coverage from a match that was being covered by Sky.

What impact will it have?

With the two remaining packages not being bought by both Sky and BT, it will allow the broadcasting of Premier League football to possibly reach a new level. This in turn could be bad news for the two TV broadcasting giants.

It has already been shown recently that the coverage of football has gone online thanks to the upgrade in technology and Wi-Fi connections.

One of these is Now TV. This is interesting because the firm is actually owned by Sky UK. There are reasons why Now TV would be more efficient, one of those is you don’t necessarily need to be a Sky customer to be able to watch the content that they air.

It also allows the subscriber to purchase a day pass if they only want to watch a specific event which is an excellent USP, the fact that they don’t have to sign up for the month. The way that they catch the customer is that the monthly pass automatically renews if it is not cancelled, which is where most fall down.

So in that respect, Sky would not lose out at all with them effectively owning Now TV, whereas BT completely lose out on this occasion which could potentially put them further behind their closest competitor (at the moment).

Facebook, Amazon and even Netflix could get an opportunity to sign a deal with the Premier League and if that happens it could be the start of a new chapter for live football.

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For Amazon –  which previously secured the UK rights for broadcasting the tennis US Open, it would be a win-win situation for the electronics commerce giant.

 

Drissa Traore has his say on his move to promotion challengers Tranmere Rovers:

New Tranmere Rovers signing Drissa Traore made his feelings clear, and said how he felt to be joining a club like Tranmere Rovers.

The midfielder joined the club late on Wednesday night, with a tweet from Traore’s Twitter account, which was then confirmed by the club via the official website on Thursday.

“It feels great because I have not been getting much football at Forest Green Rovers, and I can now come into the team and help get promotion for the club.” Drissa Traore said.

Traore spoke about having the experience and desire to play for Tranmere Rovers and believes that promotion will happen if everyone tries their best.

“Yeah I definitely can bring something to the side, I already have the experience and know what you need to be like to get promotion.” He said.

“We need to put in 100 per cent if we are going to do it right!” The midfielder added.

The 25-year old has experience playing at all levels at the bottom of the EFL and National League, and believes he can handle the pressure playing for such a big team within the division.

“I have been playing in League One and Two. I also have experience in this league. I know the pressure that comes with playing for a team like Tranmere Rovers.” Traore admitted.

“You need to be at your best and that is what I will do. I can’t wait to get started.”

The former Swindon Town player spoke about the fan base at Tranmere Rovers and admitted that it was a “brilliant atmosphere” at the games against ‘The Rovers’ last season.

“When I played against Tranmere last season it was a brilliant atmosphere every time, the fans never stop singing and I am so happy to play for them now.”  The Ivorian born midfielder said.

Tranmere Rovers midfielder Ben Tollitt believes that the goal is to win the league this season.

Tranmere Rovers midfielder Ben Tollitt believes that winning the National League title is the desired aim for the team ahead this weekends derby against fellow promotion rivals Wrexham.

The Rovers are on a good run of form having won seven of their last nine league matches and are hot on the heels of their opponents who boast the best defensive record in the division.

Tollitt is confident that Tranmere can continue their fine run of form and secure a return to the Football League.

“The goal this season has always been to win the league and the way the team have been playing, we are catching up those at the top after having a slow start.” Tollitt said.

“So they will be looking over the shoulder because they know we are hitting form.” he added

Looking ahead to the massive mouthwatering tie against Wrexham, Tollitt thinks the team should just treat it like any other game.

“Every game is different, against different teams but really every game should be treated the same. Of course it is a local derby and both sides are fighting high up in the league.”

“Everyone is up for it, and we all know how important the result of it could be.”

“If I am involved then I’ll go into it with a fresh mind, try my best and ultimately,  try and help the team get the three points.”

The former Everton Scholar has stated that he can’t think of a better fan base in the National League for the supporters to be so up for every game.

“It is awesome, I don’t think there is many clubs in our league that would take that many fans to an away game.” Tollit said.   

“But it is not just this game they have been superb all season and the best we can do for them is to win the game and send them back to the wirral with three massive points!”

EXCLUSIVE: OLLIE BANKS INTERVIEW AFTER HIS RECALL TO OLDHAM ATHLETIC

Oldham Athletic midfielder believes that it was heart-warming to see what the Tranmere supporters had to say about him following his recall to his parent club.

“Obviously it is nice to be subject of such good words. Everyone thought that I had a positive impact since I came in. It is nice, and refreshing that they thought that about me.”

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Credit: Tranmere Rovers FC

Ollie Banks spoke

about how much he had to impress the team at Tranmere Rovers, because if he had not then it would have only meant that he had not done what he set out to do.

“When you as a player come into somewhere on loan you feel as though you have to impress, dropping down a couple of leagues. If I had come and not impressed, then it would only do damage to myself really.”

Following Oldham Athletic requesting that Banks should return to them ahead of the trip to Charlton on Saturday, Banks real iterated his desire to play first team football.

“I just love playing football for Tranmere and obviously Oldham wanted me back and Richie is well within his rights to do so. I just got on with it, I always give 100% for whoever I am playing for.” He said.

“If I had gone back to Oldham and played or come on as substitute then I would have tried my best. At the end of the day like Richie said in his interview, they pay my wages so that is what I have got to do.” Banks added.

Oldham Athletic manager Richie Wellens said in his press conference “If there is a permanent deal there for Ollie we’ll do it, but at the moment he’s under contract at Oldham Athletic.”

Ollie Banks reacted to that, and believes that it tells him what he is and is not allowed to do now Wellens has made that statement.

“I have had a few different people say different things to me and it is quite hard to get a straight answer. Seeing that in black and white now then that has made things clearer.” Banks said.

“Hopefully over the next few weeks or before the end of the transfer window then I can get something sorted which is obviously what Oldham want.” The midfielder added.

After reports that Banks enjoyed the scenery on the Wirral, Banks has said that he would be open to a return back to Prenton Park should it come into consideration.

“Tranmere is definitely a place that I would like to come back to. Although it is a step outside the football league, it is a massive club with a massive fan base. I think it was around seven thousand that came to the home games, it is not a club that belongs in the conference.”

Banks believes that the National League is still a good league even though it is outside the Football League.

“The conference is a good league, there is a lot of good teams and good players in it. I just play my football as best as I can wherever I am, I try my best to adapt to the playing style. There might be a few more clips to the ankles but that is about it that is different.”

Ollie Banks came to Tranmere Rovers towards the end of November and did manage to get off the mark in his last game of the loan spell, but also played very well in the middle of midfield during his time at the club.

He reinforces the fact that he arrived at the club with no match fitness and was very happy to get out of the loan what he did manage to in the end.

“I came to Tranmere with not much confidence, no match fitness and I had not played for a good few months. I did not know really what to expect.”

“I was hoping to firstly get into the team and then play on from there really. I was not expecting the positive response that I got from the fans at Tranmere.”

“It is really nice and is nice to be wanted.”

When Banks did eventually get his goal at Fylde, he felt disappointed with the result and indeed the fact that he was unable to put it right the game after due to his recall.

“I felt that it has been coming for a few weeks, I was saying to a few people that I think I will score tomorrow and it happened. It was nice to get off the mark.” The midfielder said.

“It was not a good performance all round against Fylde, but it was not good for me because I was not there to put it right the week after.” He added.

 

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Credit: Tranmere Rovers FC

Preparations for the game at Barrow were well underway for Banks when he got the call from his manager at Oldham.

“I only got the call on Friday afternoon, I had packed up my stuff at the training ground as I was preparing for the game to Barrow on Saturday.”

Banks, living out of the area did find the commuting difficult but believes that the support he received from everyone at the club made it all worth the hassle.

“The travelling was pretty hard, but when you have the support from the staff players and the fans then it makes the travelling all worthwhile and it did not bother me.”

Banks believes that the fact that the supporters, players and staff wanted him at the club helped him massively.

“It is nice; it is human nature to be wanted. When you are wanted then it has an effect on you.”

When you have not played for a long time then it can be difficult to get through a full ninety minutes, so my move at Tranmere helped me a lot!”