After three long years in the non-league wilderness, Tranmere Rovers are back… and tonight’s glamorous FA Cup third round tie against Tottenham is a reward for the supporters who have stuck by the club through some dark and despairing moments.
Two successive relegations and tumbling out of the Football League was a bitter pill to swallow. After all, Rovers had been a Championship club until 2001. With cup triumphs a regular occurrence, Friday night's clash with Spurs at Prenton Park is a sign that days like that may be slowly returning to Birkenhead.
It really has been a resurgence from those dark days of the drop. Under the stewardship of Mark and Nicola Palios, Tranmere are finally moving in an upward direction after years of under investment and stagnation. Mark and Nicola have brought about stability off the pitch which has allowed manager Micky Mellon and his staff to focus on building the team on the pitch, and the blend appears to be working nicely.
Since the heady days of the 1990s and early 2000s, Tranmere had been happy just to 'get by' or 'survive'. Ambition was not something too widely spoken about at Prenton Park and this ultimately led to the downward spiral out of the Football League in 2015.
Fast forward to today and Rovers are back in the EFL after a dramatic play-off final win at Wembley last May. Not only that, but they are challenging for a second-successive promotions, sitting just outside the League Two play-off places. Should they pull it off, it would cap a remarkable story.
In manager Micky Mellon, who had two spells at Prenton Park as a player, Rovers have someone in charge who has a genuine affection for the football club. There's no two ways about it, Mellon cares. He instils that same passion, not to mention bucket loads of belief, into his players when they cross the white line.
In the past, you could have been forgiven for calling Tranmere 'bottlers', failing to deliver when it mattered most.
With this team, it feels different. There is a never say die attitude, complimented with a belief that anything can be achieved with hard work, desire and determination. Look at the play-off final win over Boreham Wood if you're looking for any proof of this. Down to 10 men after 42 seconds, following a red card to Liam Ridehalgh, Rovers overcame all adversity to regain their place back in the EFL.
Not to mention the quality within the squad of players. James Norwood has stolen the headlines with his goals this season, 18 up to now, Ollie Banks is a cultured midfield player who dictates play from the middle of the park while Manny Monthe and Steve McNulty form one of the most formidable central defensive partnerships in League Two.
Some of the play this season from Mellon's men has been breath-taking. Quick, slick passing football which has truly put smiles back on Rovers fans' faces. It has restored pride in their football club again and a long overdue sense of optimism has returned to Wirral after far too long in the doom and gloom.
An FA Cup tie against Tottenham provides financial rewards, tickets sold out within a couple of hours of going on general sale, but more importantly, it is helping remind the wider public that Tranmere Rovers is still here. Alive and kicking.
Paul Harper (@paulharper82) is the co-host of the This is Tranmere podcast. Listen to the latest episode here.
