Our ‘class’ fans can help us to beat the drop says Tranmere Rovers striker Craig Curran

Mar 1 2010 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

CRAIG CURRAN reckons Tranmere fans deserve a big thank you for standing behind the team through a difficult season at Prenton Park.

The young front man argues that the occasional grumbles and groans from the regulars are understandable, given that the team have spent all but a few weeks of the League One campaign in the relegation zone.

As Rovers prepare for important and demanding home games against Southampton next Saturday and Leeds United a week tomorrow, Curran says the backing from the faithful is more important than ever.

“I think our fans have been class,” Curran said.

“We were in the relegation zone from August to February and we were losing a lot of games earlier in the season.

“I have seen a lot worse than the way our fans reacted. They have been good to us.”

Curran could soon have a new team-mate to help in the fight against the drop – thanks to the generosity of those supporters.

This week the Tranmere and Wirral Football Supporters Trust hope to hand over £10,000 to manager Les Parry to be invested in a loan signing.

The money is being raised through the Les Aid initiative.

Chairman Ben Harrison says the Trust hope to generate most of the revenue through a shares initiative.

The 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.

There will also be raffles, auctions and other fund raising initiatives at the Les Aid event at Prenton Park on Thursday night, when all fans are welcome.

Tranmere held on to 19th place in the League One table even though the weekend fixture at Brentford was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Griffin Park.

The match was called off after a second inspection of the playing surface on Saturday morning as heavy rain hit on the London area.

Brentford’s chief operating officer David Heath said: “We did everything possible to get the match played including the use of a water removal machine for two-and-a-half days. But mother nature won.”

As Tranmere focus on preparations for the Southampton and Leeds games, Curran says the pressure to win home matches comes not from the fans but from the position the team find themselves in.

He said: “I think we’re more than good enough to get the job done.

“We have 14 games remaining and I think we are capable of getting well clear of the relegation places in that time.

“But the way we approach it is not to look beyond the next game. That’s the best way to do it.

“I think if we try to plan ahead too far it does not work out. So we go into every game trying to win it.”

Curran spent most of last season sidelined by stomach and back injuries, returning to action for the last few weeks of Tranmere’s brave attempt to secure a top six finish under Ronnie Moore.

So, on a personal level, the 20-year-old is grateful to have established himself as a first-team regular once more under Parry this season.

He added: “Last season we were pushing for the play-offs and now we’re at the other end of the table and it is hard down here.

“But if you look at the form table for the last two or three months, we are in the top half.

“We are moving in the right direction and I can only see that continuing.”