SCANDINAVIAN expert Professor Steve Harding has offered a quirky solution to boost Tranmere Rovers’ profile. . . bring in the Vikings.

Steve – an expert on Wirral’s Viking heritage – is asking the Tranmere management board to test spectator reaction to changing the club’s name to Viking Tranmere FC or Viking Tranmere Rovers.

The move, he suggested, could attract investment from wealthy Scandinavians.

He explained: “There is a huge number of football fans on the Wirral peninsula, but unfortunately for Rovers this support often goes to the two teams across the river – Liverpool and Everton.

“If Tranmere is to progress and emerge from its Cinderella status it has to make inroads on this market, and what better way is there than to make use of something we have and they don’t – our unique connection with the Vikings, Tranmere being the only club in the English league with a Norwegian Viking name.

“The proposal I put to the club was for the name to be changed to Viking Tranmere FC - or Viking Tranmere Rovers - for the 2014-2015 season.

“Fans would be asked to vote at a home game this season by showing cards at half time - V for Viking, R for Rovers - in the same sort of way that Leicester City did some years ago when they were considering a proposal backed by Gary Lineker to change their name to Leicester Fosse.

“The name would be like Viking Stavanger, one of the most successful clubs in Scandinavia, and a name very popular with its own fans”.

Steve’s proposal follows last week’s decision by Hull City – newly promoted to the Premier League – to change their name to Hull City Tigers FC.

And Cardiff City have been seriously a considering a change of name to Cardiff Dragons, a name favoured by their new owner.

Steve, the man behind the new Thingwall signposts commemorating the area’s historic links with the Vikings, said: “I think it’s a win-win situation for Tranmere and Wirral even if the name is not taken up.

“The publicity surrounding a discussion of the name change would alone increase the clubs profile.

“And if it does go ahead there is a huge marketing potential and would also increase the possibility of attracting a wealthy Scandinavian investment.”

“I think it’s fair to say that most people on Wirral are now well aware of our strong Viking links, and this is an idea of how Tranmere could now take advantage of this. But it’s only an idea for the club and the fans to consider and debate.”

A spokesman for Tranmere Rovers said they had no comment to make.

Wirral’s mayor Cllr Dave Mitchell said the name of Tranmere Rovers had been long-established and it was up to the board of management to either accept or reject a name-change.

He said: “I can see what is behind the professor’s views because of the strength of the historical links with the Vikings.

“We are always looking for people to invest in our community and if a name change led to the involvement of wealthy Scandinavians that would be pleasing.”

Councillor Mitchell added: “Tranmere have a vibrant set of supporters and it might be a good idea to test their reaction to the idea of a name change.”

Tranmere comes from Tran-melr (Old Norse for “Crane-sandbank” – bird crane, not shipyard crane). It would have been given that name when the Vikings started to settle in large numbers in Wirral around the year 902AD. Not far away was their Assembly at Thingwall.