National League Promotion Final 2018

Less than a minute into Saturday's National League Promotion Final and it looked as though Tranmere Rovers would be experiencing the disappointment of defeat for a second successive season after nerves got the better of Liam Ridehalgh and he was dismissed for a lunging challenge after losing control of the ball.

However the red card seemed to temporarily unnerve opponents Boreham Wood, as if they were unsure what approach to now take to a game they had entered as underdogs.

During those crucial next few minutes Tranmere managed to get their noses in front and then made a tactical substition that allowed them to regroup and invite Boreham Wood to try and break them down.

So successful was the Rovers rearguard that they only conceded one clear-cut chance in the remainder of the first half but that was enough to pull Boreham Wood level deep into stoppage time.

The pattern continued after the break in a match of few chances but one that was an absorbing battle of wits and was decided by James Norwood's header less then ten minutes from time.

An explosion of joy at the final whistle made it clear how much promotion meant to a Tranmere club who came so close last year and, although it's so often a football cliche, the support that came relentlessly from the stands really did seem to make a difference to the players on the field when they needed it most.

It was good to see, too, how the players made sure that chairman Mark Palios got to lift the trophy and how he was cheered by fans when appearing on the big screen.

I wrote in May 2015 about how determined both Mark and Nicola Palios were that relegation out of the Football League would not spell the end of the club and huge credit goes to both of them and everyone at Prenton Park for embracing the challenge of the National League while trying their utmost to get out of it, all the while trying to put Tranmere on a more secure economic footing.

As for the occasion itself this was the second year that I had taken up the 'early-bird' offer for neutral supporters to attend the National League Promotion Final for £20 (£10 concessions) which gives the buyer prime seats in the Club Wembley section of the stadium.

Many Non-League clubs were represented in this area and it offers a prime view of both the action and the after-match celebrations but prices for the two competing teams were more expensive which may reflect the costs involved for the National League to hire the stadium for their showpiece occasion.

The overall attendance of 16,306 also reflects the fact that Boreham Wood are a club very much on the up but who are at present trying to grow their supporter base. 

Will the game be in North London game next year? Perhaps the potential sale of Wembley will be one of the factors in that.

Tranmere Rovers FC

It's just over two years since I wrote an upbeat article on the fortunes of Tranmere Rovers, despite their relegation to the National League.

I said at the time that some clubs deserve praise 'not because they have necessarily slashed prices but because of the transparency with which they make their pricing decisions' and cited the Birkenhead club as a case in point.

Rovers return to the Football League has yet to materialise, their 95-point haul last season not enough for automatic promotion before I saw them stunned by three first-half Forest Green Rovers goals in the play-off final at Wembley, but the club themselves remain well-run by Mark and Nicola Palios and still a huge part of the local community.

Prenton Park hosts England Women versus Russia in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday 19 September with tickets for the 7pm kick-off priced at £10 for Adults and just £1 for Children and Concessions.

Before then this a double-header of action at the ground this weekend.

On Saturday Rovers take on Barrow and, to mark Women in Football Day, admission for all Under 18's is just £2.

Vice chairman Nicola Palios told the official TRFC website: "There are already a lot of girls' football teams and other groups booked to come to the England game and we hope they’ll take advantage of our special offer and come and try some National League football for only £2."

And on Sunday there is a Premier League 2 fixture between Liverpool Under 23's and Manchester City at 1pm. General admission is priced at £3 for Adults and £1 for Children and Concessions.

Tranmere Rovers v Forest Green Rovers

Tranmere Rovers supporters prior to Sunday's National League play-off final at Wembley which, despite the greater numbers in attendance from Merseyside, was won by Forest Green Rovers and means the Gloucestershire club will be playing in the Football League next season for the first time in their history.

I went to the game having enjoyed last season's clash between Forest Green and Grimsby and took advantage of the early bird ticket offer which meant Level 2 tickets at Wembley were available for £20 Adults and £10 Concessions.

That positive, meant to attract neutral spectators, was more than counterbalanced, perhaps, by the fact that walk-up tickets were £36 and £41 with no concessions on the dearer Level 1 seats and a price of £18 for Under 16's on the Level 2 seats, meaning an expensive day out if you wanted your children to sample the Wembley atmosphere.

As has been pointed out, the match was organised by the National League hiring the stadium rather than the FA so those costs have to be taken into account but, as much as I thought the game provided a positive image for the top-tier of the Non-League pyramid, a second successive attendance of under 20,000 may prompt a rethink for next year's venue.

Sticking with Wembley and this Sunday's Non-League Finals Day has both the FA Vase and FA Trophy Finals taking place and tickets priced at £25 Adults, £10 Concessions and £1 Under 16's and lots of activity taking place in between the two games.

Down But Not Out: Tranmere Rovers FC

I've got fond memories of Tranmere Rovers, partly from living on Merseyside while at university and also from growing up in the Midlands when they were often the opposition on 'The Central Match' with John Aldridge inevitably banging a goal or two in against Derby County or Wolves as Rovers almost made it to the top-flight of the English game.

Rovers will be in the Conference next season after a fairly disastrous campaign in 2014/15 but the club, under the ownership of former FA chief executive Mark Palios and his wife Nicola, are still upbeat about the future.

Sometimes I write about clubs on Affordable Football not because they have necessarily slashed prices but because of the transparency with which they make their pricing decisions.

Tranmere are a good case in point with very detailed explanations on their website about 2015/16 Season Tickets (some of which have come down in price, some of which have gone up) and a very wide range of categories in which to buy, one of which is an extension of the Affordable Family Ticket they offered on a match-by-match basis in 2014/15.

There is also a season ticket available to long distance supporters who live over 75 miles away from Prenton Park.

Affordable Live Football at Tranmere Rovers

Since taking over at Prenton Park in, former Football Association chief executive Mark Palios and his wife Nicola have been working hard to market Tranmere Rovers as an affordable venue for families to watch live football and just under 6,000 saw a crucial victory against high-flying Shrewsbury Town last weekend.

Their ongoing offer allows an adult to bring two under-17's to a home game for £20 with additional under-17's only £2 each.

It is available to the first 100 families buying their tickets for each game from the club shop or online and is in place for the upcoming fixtures against Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday 3rd March and Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday 7th March.

Port Vale Scrap Matchday Price Increase / £5 Entry at Tranmere Next Saturday

Following on from Coventry City's recent decision to do so, Port Vale have scrapped matchday charges with immediate effect starting with this Saturday's home game against Leyton Orient.

Prices had previously gone up by £3 in the three hours before kick-off although chairman Norman Smurthwaite told the official club website that this was not a 'revenue-increasing' ploy but designed to ease both congestion and pressure on the ticket office as the game approached.

It's an ideal-world (or the Premier League as it is otherwise known) scenario in many ways but the reality at this level of the game is that a lot of people are not in the habit of buying tickets in advance and want the flexibility of being able to decide on the morning of a game whether they are attending or not.

Cash turnstiles, no matchday increases and unreserved seating areas can all go some way towards achieving this and even if it means a hundred extra people come through the gate who otherwise would not have gone then that makes a financial difference.

Meanwhile, to mark the unveiling of a statue commemorating former manager Johnny King on Saturday 1 November, Tranmere Rovers are hoping to fill the Prenton Park stand that is also named after him for the game against Stevenage.

To do this, adults, seniors and young persons (17-22) can buy tickets in the Johnny King Stand for £5 with Under-17's £2.

Tranmere Rovers Chairman Mark Palios told the official club website: “Johnny King’s achievements as manager of Tranmere Rovers are legendary at this club and the statue is a fantastic tribute to him.

"It would be wonderful to see a full Johnny King Stand at the game against Stevenage and our fans helping form a mosiac in his honour."