Goodison is Voted First Centre-Back of the Decade

After a week of voting, the results are in for the best Tranmere centre-back of the Decade and in something of a landslide result, it was long-serving defender Ian Goodison who won the poll, taking his place in our rapidly forming Dream Team of the Decade....

After a week of your votes, it has been decided that Ian Goodison is the best centre-back of the decade in our Team of the Decade (2000’s) series, becoming the first and possibly only current serving player to make the team.

As you can see from the poll results below, Goodison was the runaway winner of the poll winning 66% of the vote ...

After previously playing under Brian Little at Hull City, Ian Goodison contacted his former gaffer after he took over at Prenton Park and asked if he could come back to the UK from Jamaica, reportedly at his own expense to train with Rovers and was ultimately rewarded with a playing contract in February 2004.

The following season, with Goodison at the heart of the defence, Rovers reached the League One play-offs but of course were eventually eliminated on penalties at Prenton Park by Hartlepool United and the season after Rovers only just survived relegation at the penultimate game of the season away at MK Dons.

That result which secured Rovers' survival, proved to be Little's last game in charge but Goodison has of course remained with Rovers ever since under the leadership of three further Managers in the shape of Ronnie Moore, John Barnes and of course Les Parry.

A veteran of over 300 Rovers appearances and a sprinkling of crucial goals along the way, including a stunning winner away at Blackpool and the opening in last year's great escape at Stockport Couny where Rovers went on to win 3-0.

As well as his Tranmere career, Goodison also made 113 appearances for Jamaica scoring nine times, with arguably his best moment coming when he captained his country during the 1998 World Cup in France.

After coming through the youth system at Prenton Park, Taylor made his first team debut in October 2002 and scored the winner against Hartlepool in the League Cup in the 83^rd minute after the visitors had equalised Simon Haworth’s first half goal just four minutes earlier.

Taylor went on to make 32 appearances that first season, scoring three times including another goal at home to Hartlepool in the League as Rovers won 5-0 and a goal in the 4-0 away win at Northampton Town whilst he was also sent off in the 2-2 home draw against Notts County as Rovers ended the game with nine men with Graham Allen also sent off.

Voted the fans and players' Player of the Year more times than we can remember, Goodison will always be remembered not only for his performances on the pitch but also for his long service for the Club in an era when loyalty is a rare thing in football.

So far then the Team of the Decade for the 2000’s looks like this......

 Who will join Achterberg, Roberts, Taylor and Goodison next on the Team of the Decade (2000’s)?  In the next week we will be voting for the remainder of the centre-back contenders from last weeks polls and at the end of the week the winner will be revealed and placed alongside Goodison in the Dream Team.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the launch of our second centre-back poll (Part 1).