Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club based in
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
,
Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...
, England. The team competes in
League One, the third tier of
English football
Association football is the most popular sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game. With over 40,000 association f ...
. The club plays its home games at the
New Meadow, having moved from the
Gay Meadow in 2007. They have won the
Shropshire Senior Cup a record 67 times and are the only club from the county to ever play in the Football League.
Founded in 1886, the club were inaugural members of the Shropshire & District League in 1890 and then joined the
Birmingham & District League five years later. Crowned champions in 1922–23, they switched to the
Midland League in 1937 and won the Midland League title in 1937–38, 1945–46 and 1947–48. Shrewsbury were admitted into the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
in 1950 and won promotion out of the
Fourth Division at the end of the 1958–59 season. They were promoted again in 1974–75 after being relegated the previous year, and went on to win the
Third Division title in 1978–79. They returned to the fourth tier following relegations in 1989 and 1992, where they won another league title in 1993–94. The club lost in the
1996 Football League Trophy final
The 1996 Football League Trophy Final (known as the Auto Windscreens Shields Trophy for sponsorship reasons) was the 13th final of the domestic football cup competition for teams from the Second and Third Division of the Football League. The ma ...
and dropped into non-League football after suffering relegations in 1997 and 2003.
Shrewsbury immediately regained their Football League status after winning the
2004 Conference play-off final. They subsequently lost
League Two play-off finals in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
and
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
before they won automatic promotion in
2011–12 and again in
2014–15 after relegation in the previous season. They finished as runners-up in the
2018 EFL Trophy final and
2018 League One play-off final.
History
Early history
The first club in the town was the
Shrewsbury Football Club, founded in 1868, which in the 1877-78 football season won both the
Birmingham Senior Cup and
Shropshire Senior Cup, and was captained by
John Hawley Edwards
John Hawley Edwards (21 March 1850 – 14 January 1893) was an English footballer who made one appearance for England in 1874, before going on to play for Wales in 1876. He was a member of the Wanderers team that won the 1876 FA Cup Final.
Car ...
. It disbanded in around 1880.
The present Shrewsbury Town were formed in 1886, following the demise of first
Shropshire Wanderers and later indirectly
Castle Blues. The Blues were a rough team, leading to their demise after several games were marred by violence. The new team hoped to be as successful but without the notoriety. Press reports differ as to the date the new club was formed, The ''Eddowes Shropshire Journal'' of 26 May 1886 reported the birth of the club at The Lion Hotel, Wyle Cop,
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
. The ''
Shrewsbury Chronicle
The ''Shrewsbury Chronicle'' is a local news newspaper in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It is one of the oldest weekly newspapers in the United Kingdom, publishing its first edition in 1772.
It is printed on Wednesday evening and is on sal ...
'' reported the club being formed at the Turf Hotel, Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury. It may be both accounts are true, with a get-together at The Lion being finalised at the Turf.
After friendlies and regional cup competitions for the first few seasons, Shrewsbury were founder members of the Shropshire & District League in
1890–91, later admitted to the
Birmingham & District League in
1895–96. Many of the teams Town faced in the early days have vanished, however Shrewsbury met many of today's Football League and Conference teams, including
Crewe Alexandra,
Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is nicknamed t ...
,
Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
,
Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. The team compete in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. Formed in ...
and
Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts. Stafford Rangers' rivals include T ...
.
In 1910, Shrewsbury looked to move to a new ground, having spent early years at locations across the town, notably at
Copthorne Barracks west of the town. The club moved to
Gay Meadow on the edge of the town centre, within sight of
Shrewsbury Abbey
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Shrewsbury (commonly known as Shrewsbury Abbey) is an ancient foundation in Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, England.
The Abbey was founded in 1083 as a Benedictine monastery by the Norm ...
, and stayed 97 years.
Shrewsbury's Birmingham League days were mostly mid-table, with a few seasons challenging near the top, the club being league champions in
1922–23.
A move to the Midland Champions League in
1937–38 saw the club enjoy one of its most successful seasons, winning a league and cup treble. Shrewsbury were league champions, scoring 111 goals . In addition, the
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mo ...
was won following a replay, the team enjoyed a run in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
, and won the
Shropshire Senior Cup.
After a run of good seasons in post-war years, Shrewsbury were admitted, alongside
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The te ...
to the old Division 3 (North) of the Football League in 1950, after being Midland League champions in
1949–50, following the decision to expand from 88 to 92 clubs.
Football League history
Elevation to the football league in 1950 saw the club play one season in the Northern section of the third division, followed by a further seven in the Southern section, this before they became founder members of the newly formed fourth division in 1958/59, gaining immediate promotion as runners-up to
Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they play in a blue and ye ...
at the first attempt. Shrewsbury gained their first promotion, to the
Third Division, in
1958–59. They remained in the third tier 15 years, slipping back to Division Four at the end of
1973–74.
1960–61 season saw Shrewsbury Town reach the Semi Final of the
League Cup. After beating
Everton in the quarter-finals, they narrowly lost over two legs 4–3 on aggregate to
Rotherham United. This era was also remembered for
Arthur Rowley. He arrived from
Leicester City in 1958, the club's first player/manager. During his playing and managerial career, he broke
Dixie Dean
William Ralph "Dixie" Dean (22 January 1907 – 1 March 1980) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. He is regarded as one of the greatest centre-forwards of all time and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in ...
's goal-scoring record, scoring his 380th league goal against
Bradford City
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes.
Th ...
at
Valley Parade on 29 April 1961. Retiring from playing in 1965 he remained manager until July 1968.
Shrewsbury were promoted to the Third Division in
1974–75 as runners-up, before another successful season in
1978–79, when they were league champions under
Ritchie Barker and later
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner (born 5 October 1947) is an English former footballer who became a manager. His son Mark was also a professional footballer. He is third behind only Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger in terms of most games managed.
After a ...
. Over 14,000 fans packed
Gay Meadow on 17 May 1979 to see Shrewsbury seal promotion with a 4–1 win over
Exeter City. In addition, the club had their first run to the FA Cup quarter-finals, before a replay defeat to
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club' ...
. Turner is the team's most successful manager, winning the Third Division Championship in 1978–79 – his first season in charge – to take the club into the
Second Division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
for the first time.
They remained for ten years, although Turner departed for
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park, ...
in 1984.
Shrewsbury repeated their 1979 feat of reaching the quarter-final in
1981–82, defeating
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
holders
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn professio ...
in the fifth round before defeat away to
Leicester City.
The 1980s saw many big teams defeated by Shrewsbury, whose period in the old Second Division coincided with some of the current
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
clubs. During the 1980s,
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandswor ...
,
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East En ...
,
Blackburn Rovers,
West Ham United and
Chelsea lost to Shrewsbury Town.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the ...
were defeated at Gay Meadow at the end of
1985–86, Shrewsbury winning 2–1, relegating Middlesbrough, who went out of business and almost out of existence. The match was marred by violence from Middlesbrough fans, with many of them later having to return to Shrewsbury for court appearances.
In the early to mid-1980s the club enjoyed its most successful Football League run. Shrewsbury survived through the sale of players, with some to have played for Shrewsbury including
Steve Ogrizovic
Steven Ogrizovic (born 12 September 1957) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and cricketer.
As a player, he was a goalkeeper from 1977 until 2000, the last 16 years of which were at Coventry City. Nicknamed "Oggy", he ...
,
David Moyes
David William Moyes ( ; born 25 April 1963) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of Premier League club West Ham United. He was previously the manager of Preston North End, Everton, Manch ...
,
John McGinlay
John McGinlay (born 8 April 1964) is a Scottish football manager, former professional footballer and scout who is the club ambassador of Bolton Wanderers.
As a player, he was a striker over a 26-year career that saw him notably play in the Pre ...
and
Bernard McNally
Bernard Anthony McNally (born 17 February 1963) is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played in midfield.
During his club career he played for Shrewsbury Town (1980–1989), West Bromwich Albion (1989–1995), Hednesfo ...
. They were relegated at the end of 1988–89 after ten years. In the Third Division, on 22 December 1990,
Gary Shaw scored the quickest Town hat trick – 4 minutes and 32 seconds – against
Bradford City
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes.
Th ...
at
Valley Parade. At the end of
1991–92, three years after relegation to the Third Division, the club was relegated to the Fourth – the first time since 1975.
However, two seasons later Shrewsbury won the new ''(fourth tier)'' Division Three championship under Fred Davies in
1993–94, and remained in Division Two ''(third tier)'' three seasons. Shrewsbury were not to rise any further, remaining mid-table before slipping down again at the end of
1996–97.
The 1990s saw Shrewsbury make their first appearance at
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
as finalists in the 1995/96
Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL ...
final. Shrewsbury lost 2–1 to
Rotherham United; future Shrewsbury striker
Nigel Jemson
Nigel Bradley Jemson (born 10 August 1969) is an English footballer, who represented his country at under-21 level and was the player-manager of Ilkeston Town until May 2008. He finished his career at Rainworth Miners Welfare in the Norther ...
scoring both Rotherham goals. Despite promotion, a trip to Wembley and overall good results up until the disappointing 1996/97 season when relegation back to the basement division was tasted. Davies was sacked at the end of the season making way for former club captain
Jake King
Jake King (born 26 March 1984) is a former Australian rules footballer for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Career
King previously played for North Heidelberg in the Diamond Valley Football League before mo ...
to returned to the club from were he began his career, following a successful reign at local rivals
Telford United in May 1997.
Kevin Ratcliffe era and Conference
In the 1999–2000, Shrewsbury endured a poor season, with King failing to impress and in mid November 1999 was sacked as the club near relegation. Former
Everton captain and Welsh international
Kevin Ratcliffe fresh from four and a half seasons in charge of Chester City was appointed manager and saved them from relegation to the
Conference
A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic.
Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...
on the final day of the season with a 2–1 victory away to
Exeter City, the season known as the 'Great Escape'.
Town make steady progression and in the 2001/02 season they missed the playoffs thanks to a final day defeat at the hands of Luton Town. The next season saw Town hit the highs and lows, FA Cup victory over Everton and a LDV Northern final against Carlisle, but this was all over shadowed by a poor league form and relegation to the Conference.
Ratcliffe worked on improving the side. Former youth team and reserve player
Luke Rodgers
Luke John Rodgers (born 1 January 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.
He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town in 1999. Rodgers spent six years with the Shropshire side and mad ...
emerged as a regular goal-scorer, and with big names arriving at Shrewsbury, the team looked on the up, narrowly missing the
2001–02 league playoffs despite 70 points. The 2002–03 saw Shrewsbury enjoy an FA Cup run. After dispatching non-league sides
Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts. Stafford Rangers' rivals include T ...
and
Barrow, they hit the headlines after Nigel Jemson struck twice to beat an
Everton team featuring a young
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional football manager and former player, who is the manager of Major League Soccer club D.C. United in the United States. He spent much of his playing career as a forward while ...
2-1 at the Gay Meadow in round three of the FA Cup in front of 7,800.
Chelsea were the fourth round visitors, in a televised match on BBC's ''
Match of the Day''. Town lost 0–4, with
Gianfranco Zola the man of the match. A near capacity crowd of 7,950 turned up for Chelsea, but from then on, the side's form disappeared, picking up just two wins in the league thereafter. Seven points adrift at the bottom and having conceded 92 goals, the club contemplated the end of their 53 years in the league. Following angry demonstrations from fans, Ratcliffe resigned, and
Mark Atkins took temporary charge for the club final League game, a 2–1 defeat to
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The te ...
, who were coincidentally the first League opponents for Shrewsbury Town back in 1950.
Northwich Victoria
{{Infobox UK place
, static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg
, static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church
, official_name = Northwich
, country ...
manager
Jimmy Quinn was appointed Shrewsbury manager in May 2003, with the aim of getting them promoted back to the Football League at the first attempt. With most of the previous year's players released, Quinn assembled a whole new squad, with experienced non-league players such as
Darren Tinson
Darren Tinson (born 15 November 1969) is a former professional footballer. The defender has played for Colwyn Bay, Northwich Victoria, Macclesfield Town, Shrewsbury Town, Burton Albion, Altrincham and Leek Town over his career.
Tinson left No ...
and
Jake Sedgemore being joined by
Colin Cramb,
Scott Howie and former League Cup finalist
Martin O'Connor. The league title went to
Chester City, but with 74 points, Shrewsbury finished third in the league and defeated
Barnet in the playoff semi-finals to set up a playoff final against
Aldershot Town, at the neutral venue of the
Britannia Stadium, home of
Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
. The two teams
played out a 1–1 draw which went to a
penalty shootout
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
. Shrewsbury goalkeeper
Scott Howie saved three consecutive Aldershot penalties and defender
Trevor Challis scored the winning penalty. Difficult times were just around the corner again which eventually culminated in relegation from the Football League in 2003, a painful 3-2 Gay Meadow defeat against
Carlisle United
Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Park s ...
sending the club down to the Football League.
Return to Football League
Quinn departed 14 league games into the season, being replaced by former Preston manager
Gary Peters, who preserved Shrewsbury's Football League status in the
2004–05 League Two campaign. The club's time in the Conference proved, thankfully, shortlived as Shrewsbury bounced straight back up thanks to a penalty shootout victory over
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alder ...
in the play-off final at Stoke City's
Britannia Stadium with goalkeeper
Scott Howie the hero. Back in the Football League, the club took a little time to find their feet once again, although they did unearth two talented local lads in
Joe Hart and
Dave Edwards who would both go on to become experienced internationals. Shrewsbury's plans to move ground came to fruition, as chairman Roland Wycherley ceremoniously cut the first sod of soil at the
New Meadow in the summer of 2006, moving it to the Greenhous Meadow on the southern edge of Shropshire's county town in 2007.
Despite the departure of a then talented young goalkeeper and future England number 1
Joe Hart to
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, Shrewsbury went on a 14-match unbeaten run in the 2006–07 season; following a 2–2 draw against
Grimsby Town in the final League match to be held at Gay Meadow, they finished in seventh place and thus qualified for the play-offs, where they defeated
Milton Keynes Dons in the semi-finals. The team lost to
Bristol Rovers in the League Two play-off final on 26 May 2007 at the new
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
in front of a record crowd for any 4th tier game of 61,589.
The club moved to the
New Meadow stadium for the 2007–08 season. Peters left the club on 3 March 2008 by mutual consent, replaced by
Paul Simpson, who led the club to an eventual 18th-place finish in the league. After the season, the kit manufacturer Prostar earned the naming rights of the stadium.
The 2008–09 season saw Shrewsbury reach the play-offs again with victory over
Dagenham and Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as D ...
on the final day of the season. They faced
Bury in the playoff semi-finals, winning on penalties with goalkeeper
Luke Daniels
Luke Matthew Daniels (born 5 January 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays for club Middlesbrough as a goalkeeper.
Daniels is product of the Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion academies and played much of the early yea ...
making two saves to send Shrewsbury through 4–3 on aggregate. Shrewsbury lost 0–1 to
Gillingham in the play-off final at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
on 23 May in front of 53,706, with a goal in the 90th minute by Gillingham's
Simeon Jackson. On 30 April 2010, after a disappointing 2009–10 season, Simpson was dismissed as manager with two games remaining.
Graham Turner returned to Shrewsbury Town as manager in June 2010.
The club finished the 2010–11 season in 4th place, finishing with 79 points and qualifying for the playoffs, missing automatic promotion by only 1 point. They lost 2–0 on aggregate in the playoff semi-final to
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nickna ...
. The following 2011–12 season they finished 2nd on 88 points. They won 1–0 over Dagenham & Redbridge from a
James Collins header on the penultimate game of the season to achieve promotion to League One after a 15-year absence. Shrewsbury also enjoyed a notable run in the League Cup during the 2011-12 season, beating
Derby County at
Pride Park and top flight
Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
before James Collins headed them in front at the
Emirates
Emirates may refer to:
* United Arab Emirates, a Middle Eastern country
* Emirate, any territory ruled by an emir
** Gulf emirates, emirates located on the Persian Gulf
** Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, the individual emirates
* The Emirat ...
, only for
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
to eventually run out 3-1 winners. Shrewsbury exceeded expectations the following 2012–13 season and ultimately managed to seal League One safety with two games to spare of their first season back finishing 16th, a 1–0 win at home to
Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The history of Oldham Athletic be ...
. The beat relegated
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most d ...
3–2 on the final day to finish 16th on 55 points. Completing the double over Coventry City and Preston North End among the highlights. The following season, a disappointing first half of the season saw Turner quit in January
and relegation was confirmed after a 2–4 home defeat against
Peterborough United.
In May 2014 ex-
Fleetwood Town
Fleetwood Town Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Fleetwood, Lancashire. Established in 1997, the current Fleetwood Town F.C. is the fourth incarnation of the club; it was originally formed i ...
boss
Micky Mellon was appointed manager. Town were promoted back to League One on 25 April 2015 with a 0–1 victory away to
Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league syst ...
via
Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro's goal. Mellon left for
Tranmere Rovers in October 2016, and he was replaced by
Grimsby Town manager
Paul Hurst
Paul Michael Hurst (born 25 September 1974) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of club Grimsby Town.
As a player, he was a defender from 1993 to 2008, notably playing his entire career at Rotherham United, b ...
, with Shrewsbury bottom. In 2017–18, Hurst led Shrewsbury to the
EFL Trophy Final, ultimately losing to Lincoln. He also led the team to the
League One play-offs, but lost to Rotherham after extra time. Hurst left to join
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn professio ...
on 30 May 2018. He was replaced by former Macclesfield boss
John Askey
John Colin Askey (born 4 November 1964) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club York City. He is the son of former Port Vale player Colin Askey.
Able to play as a winger or as ...
, but he was sacked later that year in November having won just 5 of their opening 21 games. His successor,
Sam Ricketts
Samuel Derek Ricketts (born 11 October 1981) is a professional football coach and former player.
As a player, his favoured position was at full back, where he was able to play either side as well as being able to operate at the centre of def ...
was appointed manager in December.
A highlight of the
2019–20 season under Ricketts was a fourth round
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
tie against the holding
European champions
Liverpool
Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
which Shrewsbury drew 2–2. Town narrowly lost the replay 1–0 at
Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 ...
in front of an attendance of 52,399. However, following disruption to the season in March 2020 due to
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
, final
League One standings were decided on a
points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...
basis with Shrewsbury finishing in 15th place. In November 2020, Ricketts was sacked with Shrewsbury in 23rd place and was replaced by
Steve Cotterill.
Stadiums
;Racecourse Ground,
Monkmoor 1886–1889
Town's first ground hosted 51 matches over 3 years. The majority of these were friendlies as Town were not members of any league. Their first game was a 5–2 victory over Wellington Town on 16 October 1886 at the Racecourse Ground.
;Ambler's Field,
Copthorne 1889–1893
Town spent 4 seasons here and they were founder members of the Shropshire and District League started in 1890. 22 February 1890 saw town's record victory which was 18–0 against Wellington Town (Bowdler 8, Phasey 3, Rowlands 2 Gosson 3 Aston and Murphy). Town played 44 times at this ground.
;Sutton Lane,
Sutton Farm
Sutton Farm is a suburb on the south-east side of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.
History and topography
Prior to becoming a possession of Shrewsbury Abbey, the manor of Sutton was recorded in the Domesday Book as belonging to Wenlock Priory.
...
1893–1895
Town played 47 times in 2 seasons at this ground and when they moved from here, they also moved up to the Birmingham League. This ground is now allotments.
;Barrack's Ground, Copthorne 1895–1910
Town played here for 15 years over 300 matches against more classier opposition of reserve teams like Aston Villa and Wolves. In 1909–10 they reached the first round of the FA Cup.
;
Gay Meadow,
Abbey Foregate 1910–2007
For many years, Shrewsbury
coracle
A coracle is a small, rounded, lightweight boat of the sort traditionally used in Wales, and also in parts of the West Country and in Ireland, particularly the River Boyne, and in Scotland, particularly the River Spey. The word is also used of ...
maker Fred Davies achieved some notability amongst football fans, by a unique service he and his coracle provided. He would sit in his coracle during Shrewsbury Town home matches, and retrieve any stray footballs that went into the River Severn. Although Davies died long ago, his legend is still associated with the club.
;
New Meadow, Oteley Road,
Meole Brace 2007–present
A new stadium opened 17 July 2007, it features a 9,875 all-seater capacity in four separate stands for football.
Capacity for concerts at the stadium is 17,000.
The ground has conference facilities, a function area, snack bars, licensed bars, a club shop and a restaurant. Within the stadium confines are training facilities for the club and a 5-a-side football complex which is run by
Powerleague
Powerleague is a leading operator of small sided football artificial pitches with 42 football centres in the UK, Ireland and Netherlands, based in Fitzrovia, London in England. It has an exclusive playing surface called “Power Pitch” which it ...
.
The first match at the stadium was 4–0 win against A-line Allstars featuring
Gianfranco Zola. The first league match was against
Bradford City
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes.
Th ...
.
Shrewsbury's record victory at this ground is 7–0 against Gillingham on 13 September 2008 in
League Two play.
The
record attendance at the New Meadow is 10,210 v
Chelsea in the
2014–15 Football League Cup.
England under-17s, -19s -20s, -21s and the full England Women's team have all played at the stadium.
Club colours
The club's colours have always featured blue. However, blue has not always been the most dominant colour. Early kits included blue and white stripes, quartered shirts and all-blue shirts, which were worn with either white or amber trim until 1978. In 1978 Shrewsbury's most famous kit was introduced – the blue and amber stripes, which they wore as they were promoted in successive seasons, up to the old second division (now the Football League Championship). This was the design worn by character Derek Smalls in the movie ''
This Is Spinal Tap
''This Is Spinal Tap'' (also known as ''This Is Spınal Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi'') is a 1984 American mockumentary film co-written and directed by Rob Reiner (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Christopher Guest, M ...
''.
The club was not loyal to the stripes for long, and in 1982 reverted to a blue shirt, then used a blue body with amber sleeves, later reverting to an amber body with blue sleeves. In 1987 the shirts radically changed to white shirts for four seasons before reverting to stripes in 1991–92. After a flamboyant abstract pattern on the shirts in 1992–93, Shrewsbury's kits have stayed mostly blue, with amber stripe(s) of some description evident since 1999.
The shirt sponsors have, since their introduction in 1982 until 2017, all been local companies. As of the
2017–18 season, the current shirt sponsor is The Energy Check, a
South Shields
South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the 20 ...
-based Energy management company.
Club crest
The first crest to appear on the shirt of Shrewsbury Town was the town's coat of arms,
The Loggerheads in 1907. The crest was used intermittently on shirts until 1960 through to 1970, when a generic football design was used. During this time, The Loggerheads continued to be used on other merchandise, such as match-day programmes. The Loggerheads returned in 1970, and in various guises continued to be used until 1986, when a "Shrew" cartoon was introduced as the club's crest in an attempt to rebrand "Salop" as "The Shrews".
During this time, the club's kit was also changed to predominantly white. A campaign by fanzine a "A Large Scotch" eventually led to the return of The Loggerheads crest in 1992.
The crest changed once in again in 2007 to coincide with Salop's move to
New Meadow, the new badge featured a single lion's head in a circle. The club stated that the new badge was necessary as any design incorporating The Loggerheads could not be copyrighted.
Supporters and rivalries
The club has many supporters groups from different areas of the country, including places in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
and more recently
Telford. In 2019, a group named ''South Stand Flags'' was set up after the opening of
New Meadow's safe standing section in order to "improve atmosphere at home games". The group, usually based in block 9 of the South Stand, organise choreography and flag displays. Their first fundraiser raised over £1000 which funded the purchase of 50 new flags. The group has gained a lot of praise from players and managers, including ex Shrewsbury boss
Sam Ricketts
Samuel Derek Ricketts (born 11 October 1981) is a professional football coach and former player.
As a player, his favoured position was at full back, where he was able to play either side as well as being able to operate at the centre of def ...
.
An unofficial fanzine and forum named ''Blue & Amber'' was introduced in 2005.
In late 2019 the club started attracting fans from the small Caribbean island nation of
Grenada
Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pet ...
. The support stemmed from the club having two Grenada internationals,
Aaron Pierre
Aaron Jordan Pierre (born 17 February 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for League Two club Sutton United and the Grenada national team.
He began his career in the academy at Premier League club Fulham, before ...
and
Omar Beckles, who helped the nation to a six-match unbeaten run in qualifying for the
CONCACAF Gold Cup. The president of the
Grenada Football Association,
Cheney Joseph, adopted ''The Shrews'' as his team, stating "I have fallen in love with Shrewsbury. I’m serious. I believe they can become a dream story, a Cinderella story". In November 2019, Joseph sent a partnership offer to the club, as well as a formal invitation for Town chairman Roland Wycherley to visit the country. On 9 November,
Oliver Norburn became the third Town player to be called up by
Grenada
Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pet ...
, whom he qualified for through his paternal grandfather. On 26 January 2020, Joseph made his first visit to his adopted club, where he witnessed ''The Shrews'' come back from 0–2 down to draw 2–2 with
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
leaders and European and World champions
Liverpool
Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
, setting up a replay at
Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 ...
.
Rivals
The club maintains various fierce rivalries. The rivalry with near-neighbours
Hereford United
Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'Th ...
was ranked nineteenth in ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
s ''Twenty fiercest rivalries in English football'' in 2015. Known as the '
A49 derby' due to
the road that connects
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
with
Hereford
Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester, England, Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. ...
, it has not been played since Hereford United went out of business and reformed as
Hereford FC, who now play in the
National League North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
, 3 divisions below ''The Shrews''. This is similar to the rivalry with the now defunct
Chester City. In 2010, a new club was formed named
Chester FC
Chester Football Club is an association football club based in Chester. They are currently members of and play at the Deva Stadium.
The club was founded in 2010 following the liquidation of Chester City. In its inaugural season it competed ...
who, like Hereford, also compete in the National League North and are yet to meet Shrewsbury in any competition.
The club also maintains a fierce cross-border rivalry with
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
, however, this fixture is now also very rarely competed due to Wrexham's relegation from the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
in 2008.
The club's other main rivals include
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
,
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
,
Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
and
Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...
rivals
AFC Telford United
AFC Telford United is a football club based in Telford, Shropshire, England. The club was formed in 2004 after the original Telford United, founded in 1872, folded due to financial problems. Currently members of the National League North, they ...
.
Attendance records
The record for a Shrewsbury Town home fixture came on 26 April 1961 swelled by a large travelling contingent from Walsall, when 18,917 turned up in a football league third division fixture.
The record attendance for a fixture at
New Meadow currently known as Montgomery Waters Meadow, came on 28 October 2014 when 10,210 attended a
Football League Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
4th round tie vs
Chelsea. The capacity was expanded from 9,875 to 10,360 with the introduction of temporary stands in two corners of the ground.
A list of the top ten attended fixtures in matches involving Shrewsbury Town.
#61,589 is the largest attendance at any match involving Shrewsbury Town. It came on 26 May 2007 in the Football League Two play-off final against
Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been c ...
.
#53,706 attended the 2009 League Two play off final between Gillingham and Shrewsbury Town.
#52,399,
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has p ...
1-0 Shrewsbury Town FA Cup 4th round replay 4 February 2020.
#52,226 saw Shrewsbury lose 4-1 at Liverpool on 9th January 2022 for just under 2 years after their first visit to
Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 ...
.
#On 5 March 1966 Shrewsbury played at Chelsea in the fifth round of the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
, attendance 51,144.
#20 February 1965, 47,740 watched Leeds United and Shrewsbury Town at Elland Road in the FA Cup 5th Round.
#46,539 watched
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
vs Shrewsbury at The Emirates Stadium in a 3-1 defeat.
#41,963 were in attendance at
Highbury Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, London, which was the home of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006. It was popularly known as "Highbury" due to its location and was given the affectionate nickname ...
to see an FA cup 3rd round replay.
#41,261 saw Shrewsbury lose 1–0 to
Lincoln City in the 2018
Checkatrade Trophy Final at Wembley.
#40,946 watched as Shrewsbury drew 1–1 at
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club' ...
in the FA Cup quarter final in 1979.
#39,867 watched at the
London Stadium
London Stadium (formerly and also known as Olympic Stadium and the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park) is a multi-purpose outdoor stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in the Stratford, London, Stratford district of London. It is located ...
, as West Ham United beat Shrewsbury 1–0 after extra time in an FA Cup third round replay. The Match took place on 16 January 2018.
Staff
Club officials
''Updated 15 February 2016''
Coaching staff
''As of 4 December 2020
''
Players
Current squad
:''As of 1 September 2022
''
Out on loan
Notable former players
:''See also
:Shrewsbury Town F.C. players''
Record holders
Mickey Brown holds the club record for most appearances, accumulated during three spells. Centre half turned centre forward
Alf Wood scored 5 goals in the 7–1 victory against Blackburn Rovers in 1971 and became the first player since Dixie Dean to score four headed goals in one match.
Famous names
Several Shrewsbury players have gone onto, or came from prominent top-flight careers. These include current and former top-flight managers
David Moyes
David William Moyes ( ; born 25 April 1963) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of Premier League club West Ham United. He was previously the manager of Preston North End, Everton, Manch ...
,
Nigel Pearson
Nigel Graham Pearson (born 21 August 1963) is an English football manager and former professional player, currently the manager of Championship club Bristol City. During his playing career, he was a defender and played for Shrewsbury Town, Shef ...
,
Gordon Lee Gordon Lee may refer to:
*Gordon Lee (comic store owner) (1958–2013), American comic book store owner charged with distributing obscene materials
*Gordon Lee (congressman) (1859–1927), U.S. congressman from Georgia
*Gordon Lee (footballer) (193 ...
,
David Pleat
David John Pleat (born 15 January 1945) is an English football player turned manager, and sports commentator. Pleat made 185 Football League appearances for five clubs, scoring 26 goals. He had two spells as manager of Luton Town, and four as ma ...
and
Gary Megson
Gary John Megson (born 2 May 1959) is an English former football player and manager.
He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers ...
. International stars
John McGinlay
John McGinlay (born 8 April 1964) is a Scottish football manager, former professional footballer and scout who is the club ambassador of Bolton Wanderers.
As a player, he was a striker over a 26-year career that saw him notably play in the Pre ...
,
Jim Holton
James Allan Holton (11 April 1951 – 4 October 1993) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre-back. Holton played for Shrewsbury Town, Manchester United, Miami Toros, Sunderland, Coventry City and Detroit Express.
He played in 15 in ...
,
Jimmy Quinn, Michael Gulla (American footballer), Jimmy McLoughlin,
Mickey Thomas,
Carl Robinson
Carl Robinson (born 13 October 1976) is a retired Welsh international footballer who played as a central midfielder. He is currently the assistant coach for Major League Soccer club D.C. United.
Club career Wolverhampton Wanderers
Robinson s ...
and
Neville Southall
Neville Southall (born 16 September 1958) is a Welsh former international footballer. He has been described as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and won the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 1985.
He joined Bury from Winsford U ...
all spent time at Shrewsbury.
Doug Rougvie
Douglas Rougvie (born 24 May 1956) is a Scottish former footballer, who played mainly for Aberdeen and Chelsea. Rougvie played in one international match for Scotland, in 1983.
Playing career
Aberdeen
A hard-tackling and committed defender, ...
won the
European Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
with
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
in 1983 and played for Shrewsbury later in the decade after a spell at
Chelsea.
More recently, Premier League winner
Mark Atkins spent later seasons of his career at Shrewsbury, as did
Sheffield Wednesday's Nigel Jemson
Nigel Bradley Jemson (born 10 August 1969) is an English footballer, who represented his country at under-21 level and was the player-manager of Ilkeston Town until May 2008. He finished his career at Rainworth Miners Welfare in the Norther ...
and former Nottingham Forest player
Ian Woan
Ian Simon Woan (born 14 December 1967) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who is assistant manager of Premier League side Everton.
As a player, he was a left winger who notably played in the Premier League for Nott ...
. Coventry City stalwart
Steve Ogrizovic
Steven Ogrizovic (born 12 September 1957) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and cricketer.
As a player, he was a goalkeeper from 1977 until 2000, the last 16 years of which were at Coventry City. Nicknamed "Oggy", he ...
was previously a Shrewsbury player. Two notable recent departees are local-born youth products, England goalkeeper
Joe Hart and Wales midfielder
David Edwards, both of whom have been capped at U21 and senior international levels. Edwards went on to play in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
with
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club' ...
and the
Wales national team and returned to Shrewsbury in January 2019. Hart was a regular in the
England senior team.
Local players
In addition to Hart and Edwards, Shrewsbury have given opportunities to many young local players, who have forged successful professional careers.
Norman Hobson was a local Shrewsbury born defender in the mid to late 1950s and made 224 appearances.
Bernard McNally
Bernard Anthony McNally (born 17 February 1963) is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played in midfield.
During his club career he played for Shrewsbury Town (1980–1989), West Bromwich Albion (1989–1995), Hednesfo ...
was a local star in the 1980s, with two other local players,
Kevin Seabury and
Peter Wilding being fan favourites at the club in the 1990s. Veteran striker
Andy Cooke was born and raised in Shrewsbury, and supported the club as a boy, but forged his career elsewhere after being rejected as a trainee.
Tom Bradshaw is a recent Shrewsbury-born talent to have emerged from the Youth Team, and
Mason Springthorpe signed for Everton prior to making an appearance for the Shrews, for £125,000.
Cult heroes
In 2004, the BBC's ''
Football Focus
''Football Focus'' is a BBC television magazine programme launched in 1974 covering football, normally broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday lunchtimes during the football season. From the 2009–10 season to the 2020–21 season Football Focus ...
'' ran polls to determine club's
cult hero
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This s ...
es, and
Dean Spink
Dean Peter Spink (born 22 January 1967) is an English former professional footballer who played either as a striker or a defender. After retiring as a player, he became a physiotherapist for Shrewsbury Town but is now one at Solihull Moors. H ...
was named as Shrewsbury's cult hero, ahead of
Steve Anthrobus and
Austin Berkley
Austin James Berkley (born 28 January 1973) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. His most successful spell was at Shrewsbury Town, where he made 174 appearances in five years, scoring 12 goals.
Career
Berkley be ...
.
Managerial history
* Sir Trevor Brian Evans 1886–1905.
** Former olympian and local man, who took over the side from the "Castle Blues" and was the first manager of the club when they became Shrewsbury Town
*
W. Adams (1905–1912)
*
S. Wilcox (1912–1934)
*
Jack Roscamp (1934–1935)
*
Stan Ramsay
Stanley Hunter Ramsay (10 August 1904 – 19 July 1989) was a footballer and a member of the Norwich City Hall of Fame.
Ryton-born Ramsay made 82 appearances for Norwich as a left-half and left-back between 1932 and 1934, scoring once Norwich E ...
(1935–1936)
*
Ted Bousted (1936–1940)
*
Leslie Knighton
Albert Leslie Knighton (15 March 1887 – 10 May 1959) was an English football manager. He managed Arsenal, Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Birmingham, Chelsea and Shrewsbury Town.
Management career
Knighton was born in Church Gresley, Sw ...
(1945–1949)
*
Harry Chapman (1949–1950)
*
Sammy Crooks (1950–1954)
*
Walter Rowley
Walter James Rowley (14 April 1891 – 22 March 1976) was an English Association football, footballer around World War I and a Manager (association football), manager during and after World War II. He spent some 47 years playing and Coach (spor ...
(1955–1957)
*
Harry Potts
Harold Potts (22 October 1920 – 16 January 1996) was an English football player and manager. As a player he won promotion with both Burnley and Everton, and both from Second Division. As Burnley manager, he guided them to the First Division ...
(1957–1958)
*
Johnny Spuhler (1958)
*
Arthur Rowley (1958–1968)
*
Harry Gregg
Henry Gregg, (27 October 1932 – 16 February 2020), was a Northern Irish professional footballer and manager. A goalkeeper, he played for Manchester United during the reign of Sir Matt Busby, with a total of 247 appearances for the club. He ...
(1968–1972)
*
Maurice Evans (1972–1974)
*
Alan Durban
William Alan Durban (born 7 July 1941) is a Welsh former international footballer and manager, whose career was at its peak between the 1970s and 1990s. He played in the Football League for Cardiff City, Derby County and was player-manager of ...
(1974–1978)
*
Richie Barker (1978)
*
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner (born 5 October 1947) is an English former footballer who became a manager. His son Mark was also a professional footballer. He is third behind only Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger in terms of most games managed.
After a ...
(1978–1984)
*
Chic Bates
Philip Desmond "Chic" Bates (born 28 November 1949) is an English former footballer and manager.
Bates played non-league football with Stourbridge before becoming a professional with Shrewsbury Town in 1974. He had a fine debut season scoring 1 ...
(1984–1987)
*
Ken Brown (1987)
*
Ian McNeill
John McKeand "Ian" McNeill (24 February 1932 – 6 October 2017) was a Scottish professional footballer and manager. Playing at inside forward, McNeill started his career at Aberdeen, making his first team debut in January 1951. McNeill moved to ...
(1987–1990)
*
Asa Hartford
Richard Asa Hartford (born 24 October 1950) is a Scottish former football player and coach. He started his professional career with West Bromwich Albion. His early progress led to a proposed transfer to Leeds United in November 1971, but this c ...
(1990–1991)
*
John Bond (1991–1993)
*
Fred Davies (1993–1997)
*
Jake King
Jake King (born 26 March 1984) is a former Australian rules footballer for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Career
King previously played for North Heidelberg in the Diamond Valley Football League before ...
(1997–1999)
*
Chic Bates
Philip Desmond "Chic" Bates (born 28 November 1949) is an English former footballer and manager.
Bates played non-league football with Stourbridge before becoming a professional with Shrewsbury Town in 1974. He had a fine debut season scoring 1 ...
(1999)
*
Kevin Ratcliffe (1999–2003)
*
Mark Atkins (2003)
*
Jimmy Quinn (2003–2004)
*
Chic Bates
Philip Desmond "Chic" Bates (born 28 November 1949) is an English former footballer and manager.
Bates played non-league football with Stourbridge before becoming a professional with Shrewsbury Town in 1974. He had a fine debut season scoring 1 ...
(2004)
*
Gary Peters (2004–2008)
*
Paul Simpson (2008–2010)
*
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner (born 5 October 1947) is an English former footballer who became a manager. His son Mark was also a professional footballer. He is third behind only Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger in terms of most games managed.
After a ...
(2010–2014)
*
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
(2014)
*
Micky Mellon (2014–2016)
*
Danny Coyne
Daniel Coyne (born 27 August 1973) is a Welsh football coach and former professional footballer.
As a player, he was a goalkeeper who played between 1992 and 2018. He came through the youth ranks at Tranmere Rovers during the 1992–93 season. ...
(2016)
*
Paul Hurst
Paul Michael Hurst (born 25 September 1974) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of club Grimsby Town.
As a player, he was a defender from 1993 to 2008, notably playing his entire career at Rotherham United, b ...
(2016–2018)
*
John Askey
John Colin Askey (born 4 November 1964) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club York City. He is the son of former Port Vale player Colin Askey.
Able to play as a winger or as ...
(2018)
*
Sam Ricketts
Samuel Derek Ricketts (born 11 October 1981) is a professional football coach and former player.
As a player, his favoured position was at full back, where he was able to play either side as well as being able to operate at the centre of def ...
(2018–2020)
*
Steve Cotterill (2020–)
Club records
* Best
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
performance: Quarter-finalists,
1978–79,
1981–82
* Best
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
performance: Semi-finalists,
1960–61
* Record Attendance at
Gay Meadow: 18,917 Vs
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
,
Third Division, 26 April 1961.
* Record Attendance at
Greenhous Meadow
New Meadow, also known as Montgomery Waters Meadow for sponsorship purposes, is a stadium situated on the southern outskirts of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, between the districts of Meole Brace and Sutton Farm, and close to the A5. It serves the hom ...
: 10,210 Vs
Chelsea,
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
4th round, 28 October 2014.
* Record Attendance for a Shrewsbury Town match: 61,589 Vs
Bristol Rovers (at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
),
League Two Play-off final, 26 May 2007.
* Record Victory: 21–0 Vs Mold Alyn Stars,
Welsh FA Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
1st round, 27 October 1894.
* Record League Victory: 12–1 Hereford City, Shropshire & District League, 20 October 1894.
* Record Defeat: 0–13 Small Heath,
Birmingham League, 25 December 1895.
* Most league goals in a season
38:
Arthur Rowley (1958–59)
* Most league goals in total
152:
Arthur Rowley (1958–65)
* Most league appearances
418:
Mickey Brown (1986–91, 1992–94, 1996–2001)
* Most appearances
497:
Colin Griffin
Colin Griffin (born 3 August 1982) is an Irish race walker who has competed in the Olympics.
Career
Griffin is a race walker who competed at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in the 50k walk.
Griffin spent a good number of years training in ...
(1976–1988)
Honours
League
*
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the division become the fourth tier level. In 2004, following the f ...
/
EFL League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
(
3rd tier)
**Champions (1):
1978–79
**Play-off Finalists (1):
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
*
Third Division /
Fourth Division /
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
(
4th tier)
**Champions (1):
1993–94
**Runners-up (3):
1974–75,
2011–12,
2014–15
**Promotion (1):
1958–59
**Play-off Finalists (2):
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
,
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
*
Football Conference
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
(5th tier)
**Play-off winners (1):
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
Cups
*
Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
**Runners-up (2):
1995–96,
2017–18
*
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mo ...
**Winners (6):
1890–91,
1937–38,
1976–77,
1978–79, 1983–84, 1984–85
**Runners-up (3):
1930–31,
1947–48,
1979–80
Minor honours
*
Central League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consist ...
**Winners (2): 2009, 2013
*
Central League Cup
**Winners (1): 2006
*
Midland League
**Champions (3): 1937–38, 1945–46, 1947–48
*
Birmingham & District League
**Champions (1): 1922–23
**Runners-up (3): 1913–14, 1923–24, 1936–37
*
Shropshire and District League
**Runners-up (1): 1890–91.
*
Mid Wales League
The Central Wales Football League ''(formerly the Mid Wales Football League)'' is a football league in Wales at tier 4 of the Welsh Football pyramid, run by the Central Wales Football Association. The league consists of two regionally based divis ...
**Winners (2): 1934–35, 1935–36.
*
Shropshire Senior Cup
**Winners (67) - A Record
*
Herefordshire Senior Cup
**Winners (3): 1951, 1986, 1998
*
Walsall Senior Cup
**Winners (3): 1924. 1925, 1926
*Shropshire Mayors Charity Cup
**Winners (7): 1890, 1893, 1902, 1903, 1908, 1909, 1925
*Keys Cup (2):
**Winners 1924, 1937
References
Bibliography
External links
*
The Official Supporters ClubShrewsbury Town Supporters TrustShrewsbury Town play-off recordShrewsbury Town Res. win Mid Wales League
Shrewsbury Town Supporters Club Scandinavian Branch*
{{Authority control
Football clubs in England
Sport in Shrewsbury
Football clubs in Shropshire
Association football clubs established in 1886
English Football League clubs
National League (English football)
1886 establishments in England