THIS weekend sees the game Tranmere Rovers fans have been looking forward to for 33 years the Mersey derby cup clash against Everton.

One fan who will be missing the match, though, is Tranmere Rovers owner and former Everton supremo Peter Johnson.

In his first interview for two years he told the Tranmere Rovers website: "I won't be at Goodison Park on Saturday. I felt my presence might detract from the build-up to the game or the atmosphere on the day.

"This would be a shame because supporters have waited for more than 30 years for this Merseyside cup tie.

"It should be a friendly local derby and the focus should be on the football rather than who is in the director's box."

Another former Evertonian in the Rovers camp is the club's assistant manager Kevin Sheedy who spoke exclusively to the Globe about the tie.

He told the Globe: "There has been a great buzz about the place since the draw was made. We really wanted a Premiership club and to draw Everton was fantastic.

"For ourselves, the fans and from a financial point of view it was a great draw.

"It will be a full house so it will really help our finances and it is always good for the players to pit themselves against Premiership opposition. We have shown in the past that we can raise our game for these occasions. If you are at anything less than your best against a Premiership side then you will get beaten.

"There will be an awful lot of pressure on Everton because they certainly will not want to be beaten by us so it should make for a great atmosphere and a terrific cup tie."

Sheedy watched the Blues on Saturday as they tore apart a poor Coventry side and admits he was impressed.

He says: "I saw them on Saturday and they were under-strength but still looked good. There were also a couple of lads who weren't in the starting team who came on and impressed.

"It really is a massive game for us as they were excellent on Saturday and that performance proved that they are a good team with good players."

Rovers management were warning players that last night's match at Prenton Park was more important than the cup tie. John Aldridge has warned the players that the Huddersfield game is a vital one and a chance to impress for selection not a distraction from the main event.

To the fans though, matches do not come much more important than Saturday (until they draw Liverpool in the next round).