Tranmere Rovers have been a true footballing success story in the last five years. The other team from Liverpool had just slipped out of the Football League when Mark and Nicola Palios bought the club. There was even a danger they might case to exist.

Since then they have had trips to Wembley, a couple of promotions but, just as importantly, built a solid football business with a positive impact on its local community.

The Palios’ have just finished their first five-year plan. It concluded with this husband and wife team taking on investment from Indonesia, a place close to my heart.

Vice-chair Nicola talked to me about Tranmere’s turnaround, the crucial revenue-raising community schemes, the importance of pro-active communication and what their next five-year plan may bring

TOPICS 

Do they consider themselves a success story?

The acceptance that was an emotional decision to buy the club

How a conversation on holiday after listening to Tranmere’s relegation on the radio prompted the purchase of the club 

Asking the hard questions to the previous owner and why the deal nearly faltered

They had financial and legal backgrounds but what did they lack?

Did Nicola encounter sexism when they took over in 2014

What about more passive comments like ‘Is your husband there?”

The three phases of the five-year plan - create space, change business plan, look for investment

Changing the dialogue with the fans

How they communicated a ticket price increase after they had suffered relegation to non-League - and why take-up increased 10%

Why they put a Supporters’ Trust representative in the management meetings and not on the board  

The issue of confidentiality and overcoming issues of trust and fear

The social media strategy that has brought 34% of their Twitter followers from overseas

Using educational courses for released players as a revenue driver for the club

How a football club brings in an audience that would normally ignore social services

Using the community scheme to extend the reach of Tranmere in the city with two major Premier League sides

Creating community spirit in Liverpool and whether you could replicate it in other cities

The structural issues in English football and the unintended consequences that harm the lower areas of the pyramid - EPPP and parachute payments

Balancing the success budget v community budget

The ‘danger zone’ of trying to move into the Championship

The club’s early work in Asia -  Mongolia 

The Indonesian investment, which has seen them take a place on the board and 15% of the club. Why do it and what is the plan?

What the Indonesian side are looking to get from the deal?

Using social media to a commercial relationship in Indonesian

The possibility of developing Indonesian talent at Tranmere [Jakarta Post story]

LINKS

Nicola Palios LinkedIn | Twitter

Tranmere backgrounder ahead of Play-off final

Hotel purchase sees money go to Tranmere

The story of Tranmere Rovers: How one club survive and prosper in the shadow of such powerful neighbours


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