Tranmere manager Les Parry swoops to sign Leicester’s Luke O’Neill as fans rally to boost spending power

Feb 19 2010 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

MANAGER Les Parry made a modest investment in signing a teenage defender to aid Tranmere’s survival battle – then saluted the “fantastic” initiative of supporters who plan to boost his spending power by £10,000.

Rovers recruited Luke O’Neill on a month’s loan from Leicester City and the 18-year-old is lined up to start in the League One encounter with Leyton Orient at Prenton Park tomorrow.

Parry is introducing O’Neill, a former England under-17s international, as a straight replacement for Shaleum Logan, who is starting a two-match match suspension for collecting 10 yellow cards this season. Logan also misses next Tuesday’s home game against Huddersfield Town.

The fund-raising plan devised by the Tranmere and Wirral Football Supporters Trust, dubbed “Les Aid” could provide Parry with enough funds to sign a player of established quality and experience for the final two months of the campaign.

The Trust plan calls on individuals with shareholdings in the club, however large or small, to agree to donate a number of their shares to the cause – and for the supporters to buy them at the special price of £3 per share. All proceeds will then go to the “Les Aid” fund to be passed on to Tranmere for use in strengthening the squad.

Parry said: “It is a fantastic gesture and just goes to show what the core of fans here are like. The fact that they are prepared to put their own money behind the club’s fight to stay in this division says a lot.

“I met with the fans behind the scheme this week. It was a fleeting meeting because they were coming in to talk to our financial director Richard Hughes.”

Trust chairman Ben Harrison says he is confident the £10,000 target can be met by the end of a special fund raising event at Prenton Park on Thursday March 4, which Parry is due to attend.

How far would £10,000 go in the current loan market? Parry says: “It depends on the help the parent club gives us when we sign a player. But we might be able to put a little bit extra to it and get a Championship player here for two months.”

Parry explained Tranmere will be spending more on O’Neill’s hotel and travel costs than wages. He said: “Leicester have helped us with the cost of Luke’s wages. He’s only a young lad so is not on big money. It’s not an expensive move and we do have a little left in the kitty. I like to leave something back for emergencies.”

O’Neill, a first-year professional at the Walker’s Stadium, has a couple of substitute appearances at senior level under his belt this season.

Parry said: “Luke’s experience is limited but he is a good defender and I don’t think he’ll have a problem fitting in with us.

“Losing Shaleum for two weeks is a blow because he has been one of our most consistent performers. We looked at the options of replacing him from within the squad. It meant either moving Marlon Broomes from centre-back to right-back or moving Gareth Edds out of midfield to right-back.

“They were a bit like complicated chess moves. I don’t like changes for change’s sake. I felt that bringing in a specialist right back would give us our best chance of winning the games on Saturday and Tuesday. I don’t want to disrupt other areas of the team because they have been performing well.”

Rovers will give fitness tests to front man Craig Curran (dead leg) and Ian Goodison (ankle) before tomorrow’s game. Centre-back Goodison has been nursing the ankle problem for a fortnight and Chris McCready stands by to deputise.

Shareholders or supporters who want to contribute to the “Les Aid” initiative can go to the Trust’s website www.twfst.org.uk or email lesaid@twfst.org.uk