There is more to this appointment than meets the eye. When Peter Johnson first took over at Tranmere back in 1987 his first act was to entice Johnny King back to the club, knowing that a man whose heart lay with the club would give it his all. Johnson proclaimed that we would be in the Second division by 1991, which everyone scoffed at. Yet sure enough we made it there and had also got the bargain of the decade in bringing John Aldridge to the club.

But in reaching this level, we knew we had a tough season ahead of us. The free flowing football that had seen us command decent gates had become all about keeping it tight, although there were a couple of exceptional games (not least the 6-6 game against Newcastle, and a rip-roaring 4-3 win against Wolves). Not only that, the increasing infrequency of Friday night games due in no small part to having no local derbies of any note (Barnsley was probably the nearest we had to a local derby that season) meant that crowds started to dip.

This was enough to cause Johnson to speak out publicly at this time about the lack of support for a team whose fortunes on the pitch were on the rise. His pleas for five figure gates fell on deaf ears and he soon found himself enticed by the thought of taking over at Everton. In spite of being good for a top 6 finish in what was now the first division, Johnson jumped ship to a team about to embark on a relegation dog-fight in January 1994 and presided over a period that most Evertonians would rather forget.

The official line was that he had sold his controlling stake in Tranmere to his then Chief Executive Frank Corfe, a local construction magnate who presided over the construction of the all new Prenton Park yet still couldn't keep his business going, fuelling suggestions that the club was not in his hands as was claimed.

Then Everton made enquiries in August 1998 for Tranmere's Steve Simonsen, and the truth emerged. Johnson had not sold his stake to Corfe as claimed, thereby breaching rules regarding dual ownership. The deal to buy Simonsen went through, but Tranmere only saw a fraction of a fee reported to be 3 1/4 million. Something was rotten at Goodison and Prenton Park.

Johnson's hand forced, he sold his controlling stake to relieve himself of all involvement at Everton, greeted with universal glee by our bluenosed friends. He decided to take a back seat on his return to Prenton Park, placing Lorraine Rogers (his then squeeze) in charge. With no-one willing to replace Ms Rogers when she stepped down at the end of this season, Johnson has found himself back in the spotlight.

It has been an open secret that Johnson has wanted rid of his burden at Tranmere for at least the last 15 or so years; but who would want to take on a club based in an area where the population has declined over the last decade and where Tranmere are behind the pecking order to the likes of Liverpool, Everton and even Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal?

Prenton Park is worthless whilst Tranmere Rovers remain in existence. Yet the value of the land as a redevelopment opportunity is a good deal greater. It may sound fanciful, but the decision to replace a good manager who kept us from falling into oblivion (Ronnie Moore was Tranmere through and through, which the fans, as few as we are, appreciated fully) with someone with less experience (the Celtic experience is not an issue, but ten years out of the game is simply too long) smacks of someone who has pressed the self destruct button.

Of course, John Barnes could surprise us all. For starters, he'll probably get a game if he brings his boots. But in all seriousness, this could be the beginning of the end for Tranmere.

"Look at how Paul Ince wasn't given enough time at Blackburn."

How long should he have been given? Until Blackburn were relegated? Becuase that's where they were going with Incey in charge.

Barnes is as bad as the racists he decries.

"as bad"? No he isn't.

A black man wondering whether race played a part in the sacking of another black man, is not even close to being as bad as a racist. That's just a ludicrous and offensive thing to say.