MATCH PREVIEW: Tranmere Rovers vs Swindon Town

Swindon Town head to Tranmere Rovers tomorrow, Monday 10 April, as the Robins look to bounce back from defeat to Mansfield Town on Good Friday.

Town held an impressive record against today’s opponents until recently, winning seven straight games in a row from 2011 to 2019, but have faltered recently with two draws and a loss in their previous three encounters.

Rovers head into the tie in similar form to Town, and the Robins will be hoping to bring a much needed three points back to SN1.

Here's a preview of the opposition ahead of the showdown.

The lowdown…

Tranmere were founded in 1884 and originally named Belmont Football Club, before adopting their current name a year later.

They were formed when the footballing arm of two cricket clubs merged, and won their first game 4-0 against Brunswick Rovers.

Tranmere played their first matches at Steeles Field in Birkenhead, before moving to Ravenshaw’s Field and taking it over from Tranmere Rugby Club.

They renamed the stadium Prenton Park in 1895, but it wasn’t until 1912 that they moved into their current stadium of the same name.

Today’s hosts competed in regional leagues before being invited to be a founder member of the Football League Third Division North in 1921.

They won the league in the 1937/38 season but were relegated a year later. They dropped as low as the Fourth Division in 1961 before promotion back to the Third Division in 1966/67.

Tranmere struggled with financial problems in the 1980s and went into administration in 1987. However, fans were rewarded for their loyalty in that time with the club’s most successful period in the 90’s, where they consistently competed in the second tier, and were close to reaching the Premier League with three consecutive play-off finishes - but ultimately missed out.

More recently, they had a brief stint in non-league as they were relegated to the Conference in 2015, ending a 94-year spell in the Football League.

They were promoted back to the Football League in 2018 under Micky Mellon and achieved back-to-back promotions under him after beating Newport at Wembley for their second consecutive play-off final victory.

Rovers were controversially relegated back to League Two on a points-per-game basis after the season was curtailed due to the COVID outbreak in 2020.

Did you know?

 Interestingly, Tranmere’s first kit was made up of a blue shirt, white shorts and socks, temporarily moving to an orange and maroon combination before returning to the original blue.

It wasn’t until 1962 they adopted their now signature all-white kit, which they did to distinguish themselves from local rivals Everton. This change coined the Super Whites nickname that is still used today.

Their season so far…

 Tranmere have enjoyed mixed success this season.

After a difficult start to the campaign, the Super Whites put together a five game winning run in October which took them to within two points of the play-off places.

Since then, they’ve struggled with inconsistent form, securing back-to-back wins only twice, and as a result have remained mid-table for the majority of the season.

Tranmere’s recent form has seen them without a win in six matches, and their points tally over the past five games places them second bottom.

Last time out…

In our last fixture against Rovers, which took place back in November at the County Ground, Town earned a 1-1 draw, with Jacob Wakeling cancelling out an early opener from Josh Hawkes.

Former Robin Jordan Turnbull was given his marching orders in the closing seconds of the stalemate.

Head-to-head…

Swindon have a good record against today’s opponents, with seven wins, three draws and one defeat.

Tranmere, however, hold bragging rights in the last three outings with a win and two draws.

18/19: Swindon Town 3–2 Tranmere Rovers W

18/19: Tranmere Rovers 1–2 Swindon Town W

21/22: Swindon Town 0–0 Tranmere Rovers D

21/22: Tranmere Rovers 3–0 Swindon Town L

22/23: Swindon Town 1–1 Tranmere Rovers D

The manager…

Last month, manager Micky Mellon was relieved of his duties after an underwhelming campaign that has seen Tranmere languish in mid-table.

Since then, his assistant Ian Dawes has overseen the first team, as Chairman Mark Palios takes time to mull over his options for next season.

Players to watch…

Josh Hawkes

Tranmere have struggled for goals this season, with only two teams in the division scoring less.

As a result, they’ve had to rely on the whole team chipping in, and 24-year-old Josh Hawkes has contributed well with nine from midfield.

The Stockton-on-Tees born midfielder made his name at Hartlepool, where he made 61 appearances in League Two before being snapped up by Sunderland.

Hawkes made just one appearance in League One for the Black Cats before he was loaned to Tranmere, where signed permanently back in January last year.

Ethan Bristow

The left-back has been a mainstay in the Tranmere starting eleven this season, and only he and fellow full back Josh Cogley have played in every game this term - an impressive feat for someone who is just 21-years old.

Bristow started at Reading, making six appearances in the Championship before he signed for Tranmere during last summer’s transfer window.

The defender has also chipped in with one goal this term and two assists, so Town will need to be wary of his threat on the flank.