FROM ZERO TO 75 WITH TRANMERE ROVERS
Easter Monday marked 75 years to the day of one of Tranmere Rovers ' longest serving fans .
Jeff Bushell , 75 , first visited Prenton Park as a 6-month old on Easter Monday 7 April 1947 , when Tranmere Rovers beat Hartlepool United 4-1 . Jeff was brought to that match by his Dad , Eric , and the pair watched the game from the ' old kop ' ( Jeff now has a season ticket in the ' new ' kop ). Jeff ' s Dad had a strong link to Tranmere Rovers as Dixie Dean was one of his good childhood friends . Apart from a few years when he lived in Spain with his wife , Sandra , Jeff hasn ' t stopped coming to Tranmere since that first match in 1947 , and has since introduced his two sons , Andy and Rich , to Prenton Park and now brings his three grandsons to watch the games .
Football has always been a huge part of Jeff ' s life as both a player as well as a spectator . As Captain for his school team he led them to win the Cheshire Schools Cup , and at one point he was offered a trial for Tranmere Rovers in which he scored a goal , but unfortunately Tranmere missed out on the opportunity to sign Jeff and he went on to play in local leagues for over 20 years as a key player in bringing numerous silverware back to his club . To mark the occasion of his 75 years supporting Tranmere Rovers , the club were kind enough to host Jeff and Sandra on Easter Monday when Tranmere beat Exeter City 2-0 .
Reflecting on the day , Jeff said " I have followed Tranmere through the ups and downs over the years and although it has been emotional at times , I wouldn ' t want to follow any other club . The fact the club have recognised my support in this way has been a smashing experience . Getting the important win against Exeter was the icing on the cake ! Thank you for an amazing day ."
Jeff has no plans of stopping now and is looking forward to celebrating his 80th anniversary of supporting Tranmere Rovers .