Editing Tranmere Rovers F.C. (section)

===Johnny King era===
Local businessman [[Peter Johnson (businessman)|Peter Johnson]] took over control and ownership.{{close paraphrasing inline|date=February 2024|reason=compare 'local businessman Peter Johnson took over control and ownership'.}}<ref name="official site history" /> This proved to be a turning point in Tranmere's history, the club under his ownership experiencing by far the most successful period in its history, in which manager [[John King (footballer born 1938)|John King]] took the team from the bottom of Division Four to the brink of English football's top league.{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=source only shows that John King managed the club between 1975 and 1980, and again from 1987 until 1996.}}{{primary source inline|date=February 2024|reason=claims like 'proved to be a turning point' and 'by far the most successful period' sourced to club website. and club website does not even mention any of this?}}<ref name="managers" /> King's first task was to avoid the team finishing bottom of Division Four, which would have resulted in their relegation from the football league. Safety was guaranteed in the last game of the season, with a 1–0 home win over [[Exeter City]] on the last day of the season.<ref name="TheCowsheds History" />

The first full season (1987–88) of King's second managerial spell in charge saw Tranmere make their first appearance at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], when a good mid-season run of form saw them qualify for the [[Football League Centenary Tournament]]. Tranmere defeated Division One clubs [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]] and [[Newcastle United]], before losing on penalties to eventual winner [[Nottingham Forest]].<ref name="wembley" /> The following season, King guided Tranmere to promotion as Division Four runner-up.<ref name="1988-89" /> Their final game played to secure promotion was against Crewe Alexandra, with both teams needing a point to gain promotion.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} The first half was contested as usual, but, in the second half, with the score at 1–1, neither team targeted the goal of the other, leading to combined celebrations when the game had concluded.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} Earlier that season, they had won several games in the League Cup, including against Division One [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]], in between wins against fellow Division Four club Stockport County and Division 3 club Blackpool, ultimately losing to Bristol City of Division 3.<ref name="league cup" />

At the end their first season in Division Three, Tranmere almost secured promotion to Division 2, losing 2–0 in the play-off final to [[Notts County]],<ref name="1989-90" /> a week after Tranmere's 2–1 victory over [[Bristol Rovers]] at Wembley Stadium in the [[1990 Football League Trophy final|final]] of the [[EFL Trophy|Leyland DAF Trophy]] had secured the club's first trophy.{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=source does not verify 'a week after' or 'club's first trophy'.}}<ref name="football league trophy" /> The form of striker [[Ian Muir (English footballer)|Ian Muir]] was key to Tranmere's success during this period. He joined the club in 1985, and scored 180 goals in eleven seasons. He became the club's record scorer, and, in 2012, the first inductee to their [[hall of fame]].<ref name="Ian Muir" /> Fellow hall of fame member [[John Morrissey (footballer)|John Morrissey]] joined the club in 1986.{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=year does not match source.}} The winger spent 14 seasons at the club, making 585 appearances.<ref name="John Morrissey" />

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In the 1990–91 season, Tranmere won promotion to Division Two for the first time since the 1930s, with a 1–0 play-off win over local rivals [[Bolton Wanderers]].{{additional citation needed|date=February 2024|reason=for 'first time since the 1930s'.}}<ref name="1990-91" /> Once again, Rovers made an appearance in the Leyland DAF Trophy [[1991 Football League Trophy final|final]], this time losing 3–2 to [[Birmingham City]].<ref name="football league trophy" /> This made the play-off victory over [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] Tranmere's fourth appearance in a Wembley Stadium final in just over a year.{{citation needed|date=February 2024|reason=source for all the games being at Wembley Stadium?}}

In summer 1991, former Liverpool player [[John Aldridge]] joined Tranmere Rovers, signing from Spanish club [[Real Sociedad]] for a fee of £250,000; he would remain on the club's payroll for the next 10 years, scoring 170 times to put him behind only Ian Muir in the all-time scoring charts.{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason='official site history' is dead link. archive link does not work from 1980s onwards. 'John Aldridge' link gives 'career scoring record', and does not verify 'scoring 170 times to put him behind only Ian Muir in the all-time scoring charts' claim. goal totals given for 'first six seasons' add up to 169?}}<ref name="official site history" /><ref name="John Aldridge" /> Aldridge also received 30 caps for the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]], and was the first Tranmere player to score at a [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]].<ref name="John Aldridge" /> In 1993, Scotland international [[Pat Nevin]] joined the team, forming a four-man attack alongside Aldridge, [[Chris Malkin|Malkin]] and Morrissey.{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=year not in source. but 1992 is mentioned. this is earlier than 1993.}}{{close paraphrasing inline|date=February 2024|reason=compare: 'formed part of a four man attack alongside John Morrissey, John Aldridge and Chris Malkin'.}}<ref name="Pat Nevin" /> In three successive seasons, Tranmere reached the play-off semi-finals, missing out on promotion to the newly formed [[Premier League]] through defeat to [[Swindon Town]] in 1993,<ref name="1992-93" /> [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]] in 1994,<ref name="1993-94" /> and [[Reading F.C.|Reading]] in 1995.<ref name="1994-95" /> 1994 also saw Tranmere progress to the League Cup semi-final, where they faced Aston Villa over two legs. The home leg was won 3–1 by Tranmere, with Villa scoring their only goal in the 94th minute. The score in the away leg was 2–1 in favour of Villa until the 88th minute when Villa scored again to win the game 3–1, so the match went to extra-time and penalties. With Tranmere one kick away from the final, Mark Bosnich saved Liam O'Brien's sudden death penalty, and Tranmere eventually lost 5–4.

A reconstructed Prenton Park was opened in March 1995, with the all-seater stadium then holding just under 17,000 supporters. In April 1996, with Rovers struggling for form in the league, chairman Frank Corfe appointed [[John Aldridge]] as [[Player-coach|player-manager]], and King was "moved upstairs" to become [[Director of football]]. They finished the [[1995–96 Football League|1995–96]] campaign in 13th position.