FRIDAY night football is something of a tradition at Tranmere – but Andy Ritchie’s no fan.

His week’s work is geared around 3.00 on a Saturday afternoon, so there have been some changes to the schedule for the second time in a fortnight.

Ritchie’s side went down 2-0 at Doncaster the Sunday before last in a League I game which kicked off at 4.00 for the benefit of the Sky cameras.

Town fans might remember their team going top of what is now the Championship with a 3-2 Friday night Sky success at Tranmere in September 1998, when Wayne Allison (2) and Marcus Stewart scored.

There’s no live coverage at Prenton Park tonight – but Ritchie would happily miss out on a night relaxing in front of the box if it meant another three-point return from Birkenhead.

“I suppose avoiding Saturdays makes sense for Tranmere from a crowd point of view because of the proximity of Liverpool and Everton,” said Ritchie, whose side face another Friday fixture at Swansea on November 16.

“But for me, Saturday afternoon and Tuesday or Wednesday nights are the right time for football.

“As a manager, you get used to working around those kick-off slots, so when they change, you have to think about when to let the players rest and when to push them harder in training.

“Time will tell whether we’ve got things right this week!”

Ritchie, who opted to give his squad Tuesday off, has a lot of respect for Tranmere manager Ronnie Moore – and his in-depth knowledge of two of his squad.

“Both Chris Shuker and Antony Kay were in my team at Barnsley,” said Ritchie, who was boss at Oakwell between March 2005 and November of last year.

“They are both good players, and under different circumstances, I might have tried to sign both.

“But Chris, who is a nippy winger, was already under contract at Tranmere.

“Although Antony played in midfield when I went to watch Tranmere against Walsall recently, he’s really a centre-back, and while he was available in the summer, that was an area in which we were well supplied.”

Of Moore, who was a more-than-useful striker for Tranmere in the Seventies and cut his coaching teeth at the club under John King, who took them into what is now the Championship, Ritchie said: “He’s a good manager and a good bloke.

“He was in charge at Rotherham when I was at Barnsley, so we came across each other quite often.

“And he’s also had a spell at Oldham, where I often went to watch games.”

Ritchie, who tracked Moore’s striker son Ian as a possible close-season recruit, added: “While Ronnie both played for and managed Rotherham, Tranmere seems to be his spiritual home, and he’s put together a decent squad over there.”

Having taken over the close-season before last, Moore’s team finished ninth in League II last time around.

The man who is aiming to regain the Championship spot lost in 2001 made four close-season squad additions, including Kay and ex-Town midfielder Adnan Ahmed, who is currently on international duty with Pakistan.

The others were Burnley goalkeeper Danny Coyne, who was recently on Welsh international duty, and Ben Chorley, the MK Dons centre-back.

Moore has also brought in Cardiff winger Kevin Cooper on loan.

With Wakefield-born Chris Greenacre, who scored three times in two meetings with Town last season (both of which finished 2-2), and Gareth Taylor providing plenty of experience up front, Tranmere have made a solid start this time and are up in sixth place to Town’s 16th.

Saturday’s 1-0 setback at Swindon was only their second defeat in the league, the other coming at home to Leeds on the opening day.

Tranmere (from): Coyne, Stockdale, Sherriff, Chorley, Goodison, Shuker, Jennings, McLaren, Tremarco, Cooper, Taylor, Greenacre, Zola, Jones, Kay, Curran, Henry McWeeney.

Town (from): Glennon, Sinclair, Skarz, N Clarke, Mirfin, Keogh, Wallwork, Holdsworth, Collins, Schofield, Brandon, Kamara, Young, Cadamarteri, Beckett, Booth, Broadbent, Racchi, Smithies.

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Greater Manchester).