Newport County returns to Rodney Parade on Saturday, August 29th, against Tranmere Rovers.
After an eight-goal thriller in the Severnside Derby, the Exiles will want to return to winning ways against Darrell Clarke’s men.
The Opposition
Last season Tranmere Rovers finished 21st, only two points away from the drop zone, after they managed to stay up dramatically on the last day with a draw against Grimsby Town.
This season has brought major change to the club with 13 new signings and a new manager coming in.
This season they have picked up four points from their opening two games against Shrewsbury Town and Port Vale and so far, have conceded only one goal.
The History
The club was formed in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, after two local cricket clubs, Lyndhurst Wanderers and Belmont, came together. However, a year later they changed their name to Tranmere Rovers.
In the 1990s under manager John Aldridge, they were challenging for the League Two title and had several memorable FA Cup and League Cup runs, bringing some of the best times to the club during that era.
In 2015 they were relegated from the Football League, but in 2018 they returned after winning the National League play-off final, then won promotion again in 2019, beating Newport County in the play-off final.
The Manager
Darrell Clarke was appointed in May 2026, taking over from interim manager Pete Wild, who helped keep the club up in League Two last season.
So far in Clarke career he has gathered over 700 games in management, with his most notable spell at a club being his first time at Bristol Rovers, where he led them from the National League to League One in consecutive seasons.
Before going into management, he played over 400 senior games, playing for the likes of Salisbury City and Sutton United, among many other teams.
As well as his success at Bristol Rovers, he managed Port Vale, where he got them promoted to League One via the 2022 play-offs, and has also managed Walsall, Cheltenham Town, and Barnsley, among his multiple spells at Bristol Rovers.
Ones To Watch
Charlie Whitaker is one of Tranmere’s key players after he scored 13 goals in a disappointing 2025-26 season to become the top goalscorer for them and was one of the main reasons they stayed up.
This season he has already opened his account in their opening-day win against Shrewsbury Town, starting this season strong.
Former Welsh international Will Vaulks is another to keep an eye out for, with the new signing playing every single minute of the league campaign so far and impressing in these displays.
