The Club has considered several highly qualified candidates however Ian's coaching abilities, knowledge of the playing squad and the staff as well as the Club's aims to balance player development with winning games ultimately made him the standout choice.
Andy Parkinson will continue his role as first team coach and will continue to be a key figure in the development of players in the first team environment as well as supporting the manager.
The Club continues to search for the right candidates to strengthen the staff supporting the manager and has made progress with regard to appointing a Technical Director to provide oversight of the key football processes relating to recruitment, player development and first team management.
Speaking about his appointment, Dawes said:
“It’s an honour to be appointed manager of Tranmere Rovers. Having already had three interim spells, I’m now ready to take control of the team and implement my own style and ideas.
“It’s an opportunity I’m relishing and I want to reassure the fans that I personally hate failure and would not have taken the job unless I was confident of bringing success to the Club.
“I know it is equally important to win games as it is to develop players. Every player that steps foot onto that pitch has to play for the badge and make the fans and the Club proud and this is one of the key messages I will be implementing.
“With the players we have under contract, the re-signing of a few and adding the right players and balance to improve the squad, I believe we can see an improvement and get back to having something to play for come the end of the season, at the positive end of the table!”
Tranmere Rovers Chairman, Mark Palios, commented:
"We have moved away from appointing experienced managers who have spent years on the managerial merry-go-round and who come (and go) with their own supporting staff because, each time one departs, the club they leave effectively has to start rebuilding its support staff and systems from scratch.
“A successful team needs a good manager, but it is equally important to get the recruitment and development right, so it is our intention to bring in an experienced Technical Director who will work alongside Ian Dawes and ensure that our recruitment and development systems are the best they can be, and that we get the balance right between the medium term aim of developing players, and the short term imperative of winning games, which is what we all want.”
The entire Tranmere Rovers community would like to extend a warm welcome to Ian Dawes as he takes on the role of manager and wish him the very best of luck in his new position. We have no doubt that with his leadership and guidance, the Club will continue to thrive.