TRANMERE ROVERS SACKED RONNIE MOORE - 5th Jun 2009 2:26pm
: RONNIE MOORE SACKED FROM TRANMERE ROVERS
TRANMERE Rovers have today terminated the contract of manager Ronnie Moore with immediate effect.
Ronnie joined the club in June 2006 and took them to ninth place in League One in his first season, 11th in 2007/08 and then seventh last season, just missing out on a play off position.
In a statement, the club said: "Attendances have dropped by more than 19 per cent during the last three years and the club felt that now is the right time to move forward in a new direction."
Chairman, Peter Johnson said: "I'd like to thank Ronnie for his services to the club over the last three seasons and to wish him well for the future.
"We now need to focus on next season and we will start the process of finding a new manager and assistant manager immediately in preparation for the pre season training which starts on July 1."
Lorraine Rogers stood down as Tranmere Rovers chairman at the end of the season after ten years with club, although she still retains a seat on the board
Moore's assistant manager Peter Shirtliff has also departed to join Swindon Town.
At a press conference only this Wednesday, which turned out to be his final one for the club, Moore was looking to the future.
After signing Oldham midfielder Mark Allott, Moore said: "Next season you can guarantee that the team is going to be a lot younger and so someone with Mark's experience will be vital to us.
"The way budgets are now, it's not only here where budgets are going to be cut, but all over."
He said he was also searching for a new assistant manager.
"It's a shame we've lost Peter, because he's done a great job and is an excellent coach. It will be hard to find a replacement for him.
"But I suppose if somebody offers you more money, there's not a great deal you can do. Deep down, he probably feels Swindon Town will do better than us this season, which will be a challenge for us.
"I've got four or people who I'm interested in as replacements for Peter and have had about 20 phone calls."
Outside Rovers' Prenton Park this afternoon, fans have had a mixed reaction to the news.
Andrew Kendrick, 19, from Prenton said: "I was shocked, in a way, but also excited to see what would happen with the club next. But I didn't want him to leave.
"I thought that he'd been a good manager and I wanted him to stay, because he's just signed a new player. Hopefully, we'll get a big name manager like Paul Ince or someone like that."
Wayne Lamb, aged 19, from Prenton said: "To be honest, I think he should have got sacked because he came to the club all mouth saying he would get us up into the top two.
"Never mind finishing in the top two, he didn't even get us into the play-offs.
"I've never liked him and think he should have been sacked a long time ago. Hopefully a big name like Paul Ince comes in."
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LIFE AND TIMES OF RONNIE MOORE:
Ronnie Moore was born in Liverpool and he began his playing career with Tranmere Rovers as a centre-half, before making a successful switch to centre-forward.
He also played for Cardiff City where his somewhat disappointing goalscoring record of six goals led some fans to sport badges bearing the legend "I Saw Ronnie Moore Score".
He later played for Rotherham United, Charlton Athletic and Rochdale, before returning to Tranmere, where he finished his playing career.
In a recent poll, Moore was voted as Rotherham's greatest ever player, beating the likes of Mark Robins and Paul Hurst.
Moore's first managerial post was a two-month caretaker spell at Tranmere, while still acting as a player.
After later acting as assistant manager to John King, he replaced Steve Joel as the manager of Conference side Southport in the 1996/1997 season, before beginning his first full-time managerial role in 1997 at former club Rotherham United.
He proved a success at Millmoor, taking the club from the Third Division to the First Division in successive seasons. Moore helped keep Rotherham at this level for three years but left the club early in 2005.
Moore then joined Oldham Athletic in March 2005, and the club did enough to avoid relegation in his first season.
He achieved a mid-table place the following year but parted company with Oldham because of poor season ticket sales.
Moore soon returned to management with former club Tranmere in June, 2006, just eight days after leaving Oldham.
He started in charge of Rovers by buying nine players in the close season, quality players like Chris Shuker and Paul McLaren.
In his first year at Rovers he guided his team to a 9th place finish, after looking set for a play off place for most of the year.
Again he shuffled things around in the summer with Kevn Ellison and Jason McAteer amongst the departures.
In came goalkeeper Danny Coyne, defenders Antony Kay and Ben Chorley and midielder Adnan Ahmed.
In his second year it was another near miss, this time Rovers finished 11th after being top in mid-October.
Injuries seemed to be against Ronnie also as his two key wingers Chris Shuker & Steve Davies were ruled out for long spells. He did enough in his first two years at the club to earn a new contract in May 2007.
This season, Moore took Rovers to within an inch of the play-offs, a last-gasp equaliser in the final game of the season from Scunthorpe Utd denying them the position.
THE GLOBE
TRANMERE Rovers have today terminated the contract of manager Ronnie Moore with immediate effect.
Ronnie joined the club in June 2006 and took them to ninth place in League One in his first season, 11th in 2007/08 and then seventh last season, just missing out on a play off position.
In a statement, the club said: "Attendances have dropped by more than 19 per cent during the last three years and the club felt that now is the right time to move forward in a new direction."
Chairman, Peter Johnson said: "I'd like to thank Ronnie for his services to the club over the last three seasons and to wish him well for the future.
"We now need to focus on next season and we will start the process of finding a new manager and assistant manager immediately in preparation for the pre season training which starts on July 1."
Lorraine Rogers stood down as Tranmere Rovers chairman at the end of the season after ten years with club, although she still retains a seat on the board
Moore's assistant manager Peter Shirtliff has also departed to join Swindon Town.
At a press conference only this Wednesday, which turned out to be his final one for the club, Moore was looking to the future.
After signing Oldham midfielder Mark Allott, Moore said: "Next season you can guarantee that the team is going to be a lot younger and so someone with Mark's experience will be vital to us.
"The way budgets are now, it's not only here where budgets are going to be cut, but all over."
He said he was also searching for a new assistant manager.
"It's a shame we've lost Peter, because he's done a great job and is an excellent coach. It will be hard to find a replacement for him.
"But I suppose if somebody offers you more money, there's not a great deal you can do. Deep down, he probably feels Swindon Town will do better than us this season, which will be a challenge for us.
"I've got four or people who I'm interested in as replacements for Peter and have had about 20 phone calls."
Outside Rovers' Prenton Park this afternoon, fans have had a mixed reaction to the news.
Andrew Kendrick, 19, from Prenton said: "I was shocked, in a way, but also excited to see what would happen with the club next. But I didn't want him to leave.
"I thought that he'd been a good manager and I wanted him to stay, because he's just signed a new player. Hopefully, we'll get a big name manager like Paul Ince or someone like that."
Wayne Lamb, aged 19, from Prenton said: "To be honest, I think he should have got sacked because he came to the club all mouth saying he would get us up into the top two.
"Never mind finishing in the top two, he didn't even get us into the play-offs.
"I've never liked him and think he should have been sacked a long time ago. Hopefully a big name like Paul Ince comes in."
--------------------------------
LIFE AND TIMES OF RONNIE MOORE:
Ronnie Moore was born in Liverpool and he began his playing career with Tranmere Rovers as a centre-half, before making a successful switch to centre-forward.
He also played for Cardiff City where his somewhat disappointing goalscoring record of six goals led some fans to sport badges bearing the legend "I Saw Ronnie Moore Score".
He later played for Rotherham United, Charlton Athletic and Rochdale, before returning to Tranmere, where he finished his playing career.
In a recent poll, Moore was voted as Rotherham's greatest ever player, beating the likes of Mark Robins and Paul Hurst.
Moore's first managerial post was a two-month caretaker spell at Tranmere, while still acting as a player.
After later acting as assistant manager to John King, he replaced Steve Joel as the manager of Conference side Southport in the 1996/1997 season, before beginning his first full-time managerial role in 1997 at former club Rotherham United.
He proved a success at Millmoor, taking the club from the Third Division to the First Division in successive seasons. Moore helped keep Rotherham at this level for three years but left the club early in 2005.
Moore then joined Oldham Athletic in March 2005, and the club did enough to avoid relegation in his first season.
He achieved a mid-table place the following year but parted company with Oldham because of poor season ticket sales.
Moore soon returned to management with former club Tranmere in June, 2006, just eight days after leaving Oldham.
He started in charge of Rovers by buying nine players in the close season, quality players like Chris Shuker and Paul McLaren.
In his first year at Rovers he guided his team to a 9th place finish, after looking set for a play off place for most of the year.
Again he shuffled things around in the summer with Kevn Ellison and Jason McAteer amongst the departures.
In came goalkeeper Danny Coyne, defenders Antony Kay and Ben Chorley and midielder Adnan Ahmed.
In his second year it was another near miss, this time Rovers finished 11th after being top in mid-October.
Injuries seemed to be against Ronnie also as his two key wingers Chris Shuker & Steve Davies were ruled out for long spells. He did enough in his first two years at the club to earn a new contract in May 2007.
This season, Moore took Rovers to within an inch of the play-offs, a last-gasp equaliser in the final game of the season from Scunthorpe Utd denying them the position.
THE GLOBE