BATTLE OF THE ROVERS AT WEMBLEY
Norwood eyes Wembley return – eight years on
JAMES NORWOOD was a little more baby faced the last time he played at Wembley.
The Tranmere Rovers striker was an 18-year-old back in 2009, representing England schoolboys in an international against a France side featuring Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin.
While Norwood, who would later to go on to win seven caps and score four goals for England C, was on the end of a 4-2 defeat that June afternoon, he did manage to get on the scoresheet.
And thinking back to his only taste of playing at the home of football conjured up special memories for the 26year-old ahead of today’s visit.
“We are the last schoolboy team to play there,” Norwood says. “I just remember everything being so big. It was a hot day and Wembley is a bit of a suntrap. Walking into the changing rooms – they were huge. There’s enough space for two of you in your locker. I just thought, ‘Wow!’
Aura
“The pitch was massive, everything about it was incredible. It was such a weird feeling because you knew you were somewhere special. It has an aura. You go underneath the stadium levels to get to the changing rooms – you see how it is for England. “It’s an unbelievable place and I envy people who play there so often. So many good players have played there. Hopefully some of them have left some magic on the pitch.” Key to Tranmere’s success this season, Norwood says, has been getting the Tranmere fans behind them. More than 12,000 will be in London this afternoon and the striker says the importance of the game is not lost on anyone. “It’s massive,” Norwood says. “The club has obviously had a tough three or four years. As players and staff we just want to give them something to shout about. That would be brilliant. They’re great, they turn up in their droves every week, home and away.
“In the six years I’ve played in this league I can’t remember a team taking 1,500 fans away as many times a season as we have.
“We had over 10,000 there last Saturday for the second leg against Aldershot and it was amazing. Luton and Bristol Rovers have had that but this atmosphere was even more electric. It’s a religion up here. It’s scary how much all the people in Birkenhead love the club.
“When I signed I saw the stadium and met the the chairman. He was explaining the magnitude of the club to me. I couldn’t see it. Obviously I could see the big stadium but not the support.
“In my second game we played Chester at home and the atmosphere was scary in how loud it was. It reminded me of playing somewhere with 30,000 fans. They live and breathe it. It’s refreshing to see. They’re there week in, week out. At other clubs fans turn up when they’re available. Here they make themselves available.”
Belief
Since boss Micky Mellon took over from the sacked Gary Brabin in October, the club have forged on in the promotion race despite a number of injuries.
Norwood points to the close-knit spirit between the players, who have fostered a competitive spirit with plenty of in-house, lighthearted, competitions.
“It’s down to the chairman for bringing it round,” Norwood says. “He’s got a group of lads together who have a massive belief in where we should be and where people want to be.
“The main difference here is how much the players want to improve. You walk into the gym after training and there are lads going through their programmes to get stronger and quicker. I’ve never had that before.
“We all have a cup of tea, go the gym, meet up on days off – the whole atmosphere is great. Then we’ve made sure we’ve got a bigger relationship with the fans this
season. As a whole community there is a great buzz.”
That’s come from engaging with the support away from the club with school visits and the players also dipped into their own pockets to contribute £200 to buy season tickets for those less fortunate.
Hurdle
“We’re hoping to inspire another generation of kids who want to support Tranmere,” Norwood says.
“Although if their parents are Tranmere fans already they don’t have much choice! But it’s getting to the people who might not have been to a game before to come. With the atmosphere what it is, people want to come back.”
Next season they want to be watching their side in the Football League again. Standing in the way of a return after a two-year absence is Norwood’s former club Forest Green Rovers.
Tranmere will arguably start as favourites after finishing on 95 points – four behind champions Lincoln City. And Norwood says they have no fear of falling at the final hurdle.
“The gaffer just wants to win every game,” he says. “Regardless if we were fifth and 15 points off it, it would still have been exactly the same. We’ve got experienced players so the occasion shouldn’t faze us.”