The SouthernSWA exists to;
· Promote the interests of Tranmere Rovers Football Club (“TRFC”) and its supporters in the London area and elsewhere across the South East of England.
· Support (and generate wherever possible) fund raising opportunities for the benefit of TRFC.
· Provide direct financial support by way of sponsorship or other means to TRFC and any official body, such as the Tranmere Rovers Trust, and Tranmere Rovers Official Supporters Club raised through supporter led activity.
· Provide social activities, functions, interactions and a communication platform for members regarding and with TRFC and official TRFC groups (specifically around South Eastern away games).
· Develop and encourage the growth of the TRFC supporter (individual and other) networks across the UK and internationally.
· Uphold the reputation of TRFC and its fans and promote good relations between members and members of other football supporters’ organisations.
We currently have four members on the management team who are striving to achieve the above goals.
WILL OULTON
Hailing from Higher Tranmere, Will moved to London in the mid 80’s and currently works as a senior executive in a City based investment management company.
Having witnessed many ups (Leyland Daf and Bolton play-off wins at old Wembley) and downs (Tranmere under John Barnes), the best thing about the SSWA is the great friendships and sense of camaraderie that have come with it but the stand out has to be the SSWA gathering for the Chester game and the scenes at Cookies winner. Priceless SWA.
MARK RICHARDSON
Mark first started racing up and down the Kop’s open terraces in 1972 as an excited 6 year old while living in Bromborough. He moved south at the age of 12 when his father’s job moved from Port Sunlight to Unilever Head Office on the north bank of the Thames.
Having graduated in Dentistry, he gave it up the next day, pulled on a coloured jacket and started waving his arms around trading derivatives on the London Traded Options Market. He still works in investment banking.
A season ticket holder for well over 20 years, he makes his way back “home” as often as possible.
ROB MORGAN
Although being born in Wiltshire, I spent 17 years on the Wirral before leaving just before my 20th birthday in 1984. First game at Prenton Park in February 1974 was, for the time, an unusual match, being played on a Sunday. We drew 1-1 with Bournemouth with a young midfielder by the name of Mark Palios being unable to prevent one Harry Redknapp scoring for the visitors. After that, many more of our usual Friday night fixtures followed and I was hooked.
Over the years there have been many memorable games. I’ve loved the semi-finals, both league and cup, we’ve been involved in. Aldershot, Ebbsfleet and Forest Green over the past few seasons and before that Bolton and Villa in the League Cup semis. All our Wembley finals too have been very special occasions. Nor's late winner against Boreham Wood and Connor's even later winner against Newport - blissful moments of sheer joy! One other to mention was our 1991 return to the (then called) Second Division, and our first home match of the season against Bristol Rovers. There was a feeling of anything being possible!
As the years passed, I found myself bumping into fewer and fewer friends at games and it wasn’t until joining up with the Southern SWA that the social side of supporting Tranmere Rovers has been re-established for me! These days Southern matches are easier for me to get to but I still head back to Birkenhead as often as I can.
LEWIS GLASSON
Lewis moved to London in early 2015 and is a founder member of the SSWA.
After meeting Jon Mottershead and Alex Marks at Cambridge away in March 2015, Lewis, Jon and Alex formed the SSWA with the shared intention to improve the matchday experience for Tranmere fans based away from the Wirral and, most importantly, to meet like-minded Tranmere fanatics! The group quickly grew as many other émigré fans joined us to meet at pubs before southern away games and to watch matches together.
Lewis is from Chester and grew up in North Wales but his family on his mother’s side are Birkenhead natives – several generations having been born and raised in the streets off Borough Road. His grandfather used to work on the docks at Lairds and – after being brought back to Blighty after stowing away (twice!) - on a Saturday he would stand on the old Borough Road side with his dog and watch the likes of Dixie Dean and Bunny Bell.
Lewis has supported Tranmere since he was a child and his first game was a 3-0 drubbing of Bristol City at Prenton Park in 1992 when a certain Mr Micky Mellon played for the opposition. Naturally he was hooked and Tranmere matches soon became permanent fixtures in his calendar – his first away game being a trip to the old Victoria Ground in Stoke in 1995.
Lewis is a Solicitor Advocate (specialising in property and commercial litigation) at west end law firm Kerman & Co.
Favourite player growing up? - Pat Nevin. We like the same music.
Favourite southern ground? - League: Fulham. A proper football ground in a lovely setting. Non-league: Clapton – because of the Ultras!
Favourite Tranmere match? - Tough one – the Bolton semi and the Southampton comeback stick out. But it has to be hammering Everton in their own back yard. The VNL play-off final comes close, but I hated almost every minute of that game until the final whistle went!!
