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BloggerProfile |
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Peter
Bishop |
Bio
Hi, my name is Peter Bishop and I’ve been
watching Rovers since 1968 and can now proudly
say I am a shareholder - which is something I
was once promised by a now departed director of
the club as a reward for being heavily involved
in the ‘Save the Rovers’ campaign in 1982. They
say everything comes to those who wait…
For my sins I was Tranmere Programme Editor
between 1985 and 1999 when the pressure of doing
a second, almost full time, job ( not forgetting
the fags, booze and too much fatty food!)
brought about a skirmish with the Grim Reaper on
the back of publishing my second book, a
pictorial history of the club.
My first book, the ‘A-Z of Tranmere Rovers’ is
now in the ‘JR Hartley’ category while my
latest, the Complete Record, with Steve Wilson
and Gil Upton, was launched in September and is,
we believe, the definitive bible on all things
Rovers.
I also used to write a 300 word weekly column in
the Daily Post called “View from the stands”
which was supposed to reflect the views of
supporters but was much sanitised by the
Newspapers’ sports editor so not to upset a
certain female Chief Executive who had bent his
ear about my supposed subversive opinions…..
Having spent much of the past 30 years sat in
the Press box having to control myself in a
professional manner I now sit in the home
paddock and enjoy the banter and the opportunity
to abuse referees and opposing coaching staff as
everyone else does!
Related links
Buy the 'Complete Record' here |
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24/12/09
Bishop's blog
The Great Escape
Search
the Christmas TV listings and unsurprisingly you will find that
classic war film “The Great Escape”. Cue we all start whistling
the theme now ……Well, now more than ever would be a good time
for the lads up in the Kop to adopt that theme tune to drive us
to safety in the second half of the season.
I will admit to being extremely pessimistic about our chances
until very recently. On paper the squad Les inherited from John
Barnes is probably the weakest I have seen for a couple of
generations -worse even than that which brought us down from
what is now the Championship- but there is no doubt in my mind
Les Parry has somehow galvanised them into a unit which can
paper over its weaknesses and exploit its few strengths and get
results, at least in home matches.
Now first and foremost I would like to make it clear I love the
bones of Les Parry. He is one of those unique characters the
game throws up who is not only good at his job but a gem to have
around the dressing room.
If you’ve ever read his programme columns (and I am the one who
gave him the opportunity back in the early 1990’s) you will
quickly realise the man has an impish sense of humour and can
get away with insulting anyone including the player’s wives and
girlfriends (and believe me that takes guts!). To be on the
treatment table in front of Les can be an unnerving experience
as he will expose and ridicule your every physical deformity yet
still manages to apply great pastoral care to heal both mental
and structural damage of his flock. To the long term injured
like Bas he is an emotional crutch.
Laughter is perhaps his greatest healing aid. We didn’t call his
treatment room the
“slaughterhouse” without good reason! The players may moan about
the way he chides them at times but there is never any doubt
about the esteem in which he is held nor the respect they have
for his knowledge and skill in restoring their aching limbs to
full working order.
But as League Manager, well I have to say that is a leap of
faith. Unlike Nigel Atkins at Scunny (who managed Bangor City
before qualifying with the sponge) Les has no previous as a
Football League player or coach. He has by his own admittance
been a frustrated manager from a fans perspective for all these
years and has witnessed the best and worst of Kingy, Aldo, Dave
Watson, Ray Mathias, Brian Little, Ronnie and John Barnes. He
must have learned a lot watching them and seeing how they handle
such situations.
Les himself knows it’s a risky move. On the Football League TV
programme he told Clem he intended to appoint another Physio
(Chris Malkin?) on a short term contract and if he were to get
the bullet the replacement physio would get the bullet so he
could shuffle back into his old job….
So far the players seem to be responding to Les the Manager and
his coaches, Shaun Garnett and the Chief. Perhaps the penny has
dropped that the devil they know from the treatment room is
better than the devil they don’t know in the manager’s office.
I am sure Les realises he wasn’t the first choice for the job.
Just about every out of work manager in the lower leagues has
either been sounded out or interviewed and according to the
rumour mill one, Keith Hill, actually said yes but then left it
to PJ to work out a compensation package with his club and
that’s where it ended.
Others apparently listened and then politely declined on the
basis they weren’t impressed by the salary on offer, the meagre
playing staff budget and being saddled with a couple of thirty
something players on much longer and more expensive contracts
than their recent performances could ever justify.
However much I love Les Parry for the manner in which he
embodies the spirit of Tranmere Rovers a part of me would have
preferred us to have appointed an experienced manager with a
track record that stand scrutiny, wise in the ways of dealing
with agents and procuring decent players at this level on the
cheap.
After all wasn’t that the accusation we all levelled at Barnes
during his disaster laden tenure? I lost count of the number of
people who pointed out he lacked any sort of management
experience at this level and yet here we all are embracing our
favourite cuddly uncle with chicken legs as he lives out his
dream calling the shots to keep us clear of footballs basement.
And looking at what he has to work with it’s a big ask and that
squad could be depleted even further in the transfer window if ‘Backof
theecho’ leaves when his short term contract expires and one
of the richer clubs comes calling for Ash Taylor.
Unless PJ can squeeze something extra from his pension fund it’s
unlikely Les will have any resources available to him to help
bale us out of our predicament. God help us if we get a few
injuries or the inevitable suspensions. For the life of me I
cannot understand the logic of allowing us to slip ignominiously
from this division. Is not a third tier Football League club
worth more in the shop window than one in the basement? Does
that not justify investing just a little to preserve that
status? Why run us into the ground?
Just showing a spark of ambition might be enough to encourage a
few of the recent deserters to return and back Les and the lads
as they plot their “Great Escape”. That’s it I’m whistling it in
my head again and will continue to do so every time we pick up 3
precious points between now and the conclusion of what could be
a defining season for the club.
If things do eventually go sour you can be sure it will hurt no
true fan more than the one who has drawn the short straw for the
job no one else apparently wanted.
“Who needs Mourinho we’ve got our physio!” Go for it Les!
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