Why Moore wants to turn back time to playing days

Mar 5 2008 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

IT is not uncommon for football managers to wistfully reveal their deep and impossible dream on any Saturday afternoon is to be on the pitch as one of the team.

Many concede that management is simply the next best thing to rolling back the years to their playing days.

For Tranmere’s Ronnie Moore, those pangs to be a player again will be stronger than usual at Oldham Athletic on Saturday.

It’s not that Boundary Park holds any special memories from Moore’s long playing career through the 1970s and 80s. This has more to do with football’s tribal rivalries – and the potential for players to strike a blow for their side of an argument more effectively and eloquently than managers ever can. Moore knows with certainty that he will encounter plenty of stick from the Oldham fans this weekend. They did not take to his management style during a 15-month spell in charge at Boundary Park prior to the move to Tranmere in the summer of 2006.

“I might take my ear plugs because I will get only be in for a bit of stick from the vocal locals,” Moore said.

Having a go back at spectators is not an option for managers if they want to avoid falling into disciplinary hot water with the FA however.

Moore said: “The fans can shout what they want at you but if I respond then they are going to report me and have me done. So there is no way I am going to do that.

“It’s better to be playing than standing there – and I wish I was. If you are playing you can stick the ball in the back of their net – and then you love it!”

Moore insists he cannot understand the reasons for the antagonism shown towards himself and assistant John Breckin by Latics supporters.

He said: “We kept Oldham up when we first got there for the final 10 games of the 2004-05 season. They could have been in League Two now if it hadn’t been for us. The next season we finished 10th, which was the club’s best League position in years.”

On his first return with a new club last season, Moore suffered the frustration of seeing Tranmere concede an injury-time winner to the Latics.

Even so he says: “I’m relishing going back to Oldham. There are lots of decent people there and just one or two nasty ones.

“It will be nice to milk the wonderful appreciation I will get from the Oldham fans! They can’t wait to have a little pop at me.

“If we win I won’t to get off the pitch until 5.30pm. If we lose I will be the first one of the pitch and up the tunnel.”

Moore enjoys the knockabout side of football rivalry. “It is one of the reasons we are in the game,” he says. “It’s good as long as it is not malicious. It can get out of hand sometimes.

“At Oldham the dugout area is very exposed. You are not even under cover. When you come out of the tunnel the crowd on both sides of you. So whether you sit down or stand up in the square, you are getting the abuse.”

Tranmere striker Ian Moore – the manager’s son – is expecting to take some flak of his own on Saturday.

Ian signed for Rovers from Hartlepool after pulling out of a move to Oldham at the 11th hour on the final day of the January transfer window.

Ian reckons he was “15 minutes away from having a medical and signing” for Oldham when he received a call from his father urging him to “get down to Prenton Park and sign for us”.

Ian said: “Oldham were not pleased at all. I got a few nasty texts on my mobile phone. I expect my dad and I will both come in for some stick from the fans.”

Ronnie added: “Ian will be looking to do his dad a favour by scoring a goal and shutting them all up. That’s what I would love to be able to do!”

Tranmere stage their Player of the Season dinner at the Belmont Suite, Prenton Park on Monday, April 28.

Fans can vote for their player of the season, young player of the season and goal of the season by filling in a form at the club shop or by e-mail to playeroftheseason@tranmererovers.co.uk

Tickets are available from the club shop.