Shrewsbury Town F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Shrewsbury Town Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Shrews, Salop, The Town | |||
| Founded | 20 May 1886 | |||
| Ground | New Meadow | |||
| Capacity | 9,875 | |||
| Chairman | Roland Wycherley MBE | |||
| Head Coach | Gareth Ainsworth | |||
| League | League One | |||
| 2018–19 | League One, 18th of 24 | |||
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Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional football team from Shrewsbury, England. They play in League One, which is the third level of English football.
The club started in 1886. They joined the Football League in 1950. Over the years, they have won several league titles and promotions. They won the Third Division title in 1979 and the Fourth Division title in 1994.
Shrewsbury Town has also had exciting cup runs. They reached the League Cup semi-finals in 1961 and the FA Cup quarter-finals twice. They also played in the Football League Trophy final in 1996 and the EFL Trophy final in 2018.
In 2003, the club left the Football League but quickly returned in 2004. They earned promotion to League One again in 2012 and 2015.
The team plays its home games at New Meadow. They moved there in 2007 from their old stadium, Gay Meadow. Shrewsbury Town has won the Shropshire Senior Cup a record 67 times. They are the only club from their county to play in the Football League.
Contents
Club History: How Shrewsbury Town Started
The Early Days of Shrewsbury Football
The very first football club in Shrewsbury was formed in 1868. It was called Shrewsbury Football Club. This club won two important cups in 1877–78. It stopped playing around 1880.
The current Shrewsbury Town club began in 1886. It was formed after two other local clubs, Shropshire Wanderers and Castle Blues, stopped playing. Newspapers had different ideas about where the club was founded. Some said it was at The Lion Hotel, others at the Turf Hotel. It's possible both places were involved!
For the first few years, Shrewsbury Town played friendly matches and local cup games. In 1890, they became founding members of the Shropshire & District League. Then, in 1895, they joined the Birmingham & District League. They played against many teams that are still around today.
In 1910, the club moved to a new home called Gay Meadow. This stadium was near the town centre and Shrewsbury Abbey. They stayed there for 97 years! Shrewsbury Town won the Birmingham League championship in 1922–23.
Moving Up: The Midland League Years
In 1937, Shrewsbury Town moved to the Midland League. This was a very successful time for the club. In the 1937–38 season, they won a "treble" – three trophies! They were league champions, scoring 111 goals. They also won the Welsh Cup and the Shropshire Senior Cup.
After World War II, Shrewsbury Town continued to do well. They won the Midland League championship again in 1945–46 and 1947–48. Because of their success, they were invited to join the Football League in 1950. This was a big step for the club!
Life in the Football League
Joining the Football League in 1950 was a huge moment. Shrewsbury Town played in Division 3 (North) for one season. Then they moved to Division 3 (South). In 1958, the league changed, and they became a founding member of the new Fourth Division.
They quickly earned promotion to the Third Division in 1958–59. They stayed in the third tier for 15 years. In 1973–74, they went back down to Division Four.
In the 1960–61 season, Shrewsbury Town had a great run in the League Cup. They reached the semi-finals, beating Everton along the way. They narrowly lost to Rotherham United. This era also saw the arrival of Arthur Rowley, a player-manager who broke goal-scoring records. He scored his 380th league goal in 1961.
Shrewsbury was promoted back to the Third Division in 1974–75. Then, in 1978–79, they won the Third Division title under manager Graham Turner. Over 14,000 fans watched them win promotion at Gay Meadow. That same season, they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup and reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
The club stayed in the Second Division (the second tier) for ten years. They beat many big teams during the 1980s. In 1989, they were relegated back to the Third Division.
In 1990, Gary Shaw scored the fastest hat-trick for the club, in just 4 minutes and 32 seconds! In 1992, they were relegated again to the Fourth Division. But two seasons later, in 1993–94, they won the Division Three championship.
In 1996, Shrewsbury Town played at Wembley for the first time in the Football League Trophy final. They lost 2–1 to Rotherham United. After another relegation in 1997, they were back in the bottom division.
Leaving and Returning to the Football League
The 1999–2000 season was tough. Manager Kevin Ratcliffe helped the club avoid relegation on the very last day. This was known as the 'Great Escape'.
In 2002–03, Shrewsbury had an exciting FA Cup run. They beat Everton 2–1 at Gay Meadow! Then they played Chelsea in the fourth round, losing 4–0 in a televised match. After this, their league form dropped, and they were relegated from the Football League after 53 years.
Jimmy Quinn became the new manager in 2003. He built a new team. Shrewsbury finished third in their league and won the play-offs. They beat Aldershot Town in a penalty shootout at Stoke City's stadium. This meant they were back in the Football League!
Back in the League and Recent Times
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In 2004, Gary Peters took over as manager. He helped the club stay in League Two. During this time, two talented local players, Joe Hart and David Edwards, became international stars.
In 2006–07, Shrewsbury had a great season. They finished seventh and reached the play-offs. They won their semi-final but lost to Bristol Rovers in the final at the new Wembley Stadium.
In 2007, the club moved to their new stadium, New Meadow. Manager Paul Simpson led them to the play-offs again in 2008–09. They won the semi-final on penalties but lost 1–0 to Gillingham in the final.
Graham Turner returned as manager in 2010. In the 2011–12 season, they finished second in League Two. They won their second-to-last game to earn automatic promotion to League One after 15 years! They also had a good League Cup run, beating Swansea City before losing to Arsenal.
Shrewsbury stayed in League One for one season, finishing 16th. They were relegated in 2014. Micky Mellon became manager and led them back to League One in 2015.
In 2017–18, under manager Paul Hurst, Shrewsbury reached two cup finals. They lost the EFL Trophy Final to Lincoln City. They also lost the League One play-off final to Rotherham United.
In 2020, Shrewsbury played against European champions Liverpool in the FA Cup. They drew 2–2 at home before narrowly losing 1–0 at Anfield. The season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Steve Cotterill led the team to their highest league finish in five years (12th). In 2024, Paul Hurst returned as head coach.
Shrewsbury Town's Stadiums
Shrewsbury Town has played at several different grounds over the years.
Racecourse Ground
From 1886 to 1889, the club played at the Racecourse Ground in Monkmoor. They played 51 matches here, mostly friendlies. Their first game was a 5–2 win in October 1886.
Ambler's Field
Between 1889 and 1893, Town played at Ambler's Field in Copthorne. Here, they helped start the Shropshire and District League in 1890. They had a huge 18–0 victory against Wellington Town in 1890!
Sutton Lane
From 1893 to 1895, the team played 47 matches at Sutton Lane in Sutton Farm. After this, they moved up to the Birmingham League. This area is now used for allotments.
Barracks Ground
Town played at Barracks Ground, Copthorne, for 15 years (1895–1910). They played over 300 matches here. In 1909–10, they reached the first round of the FA Cup.
Gay Meadow
Shrewsbury Town played at Gay Meadow from 1910 to 2007. This stadium was famous for Fred Davies, a local coracle maker. He would sit in his coracle on the River Severn during matches. If a ball went into the river, he would paddle out to get it! His legend is still remembered by the club.
New Meadow
A new stadium opened in July 2007 on Oteley Road. It is called New Meadow and has 9,875 seats. It has four separate stands for fans.
| Name | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Roland Wycherley Stand | 2,741 |
| Rybrook Shrewsbury West Stand | 3,317 |
| Salop Leisure South Stand | 1,955 |
| DMOS People North Stand | 1,796 |
The stadium can hold up to 17,000 people for concerts.
New Meadow has places for meetings, snack bars, and a club shop. It also has training facilities and a 5-a-side football complex. The first match there was a 4–0 win in July 2007. The first league match was a 1–0 win against Bradford City.
Shrewsbury's biggest win at New Meadow was 7–0 against Gillingham in 2008. The record attendance at New Meadow is 10,210. This was for a match against Chelsea in the League Cup in 2014.
The stadium has also hosted matches for England's youth teams (Under-18s, 19s, 20s, 21s). The England Women's team has played there three times. Since June 2023, the stadium has been known as The Croud Meadow for sponsorship reasons.
Club Colours and Crest
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| Home colours, 1890s. |
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| Home colours, 1978–1982. |
Shrewsbury Town's kits have always featured the colour blue. In the early days, they wore blue and white stripes or all-blue shirts.
In 1978, they introduced their most famous kit: blue and amber stripes. They wore this design when they earned promotions. The character Derek Smalls in the movie This Is Spinal Tap even wore this shirt!
The club changed its kit design several times after that. They used blue shirts, blue with amber sleeves, or amber with blue sleeves. In 1987, they wore white shirts for four seasons. Since 1999, their kits have mostly been blue with some amber stripes.
The shirt sponsors have usually been local companies. Since 2017–18, The Energy Check, a company from South Shields, has been the main shirt sponsor.
Club Crest
The first badge on Shrewsbury Town's shirt was the town's coat of arms, called The Loggerheads. This crest was used on and off until 1960. It continued to appear on other club items, like match programmes.
The Loggerheads crest returned in 1970 and was used in different styles until 1986. Then, a "Shrew" cartoon was introduced as the club's badge. This was an attempt to give the club a new image.
Fans wanted the Loggerheads crest back, and it returned in 1992. The crest changed again in 2007 when the club moved to New Meadow. The new badge had a single lion's head in a circle. The club said this new badge could be copyrighted, unlike the old Loggerheads design.
Supporters and Rivalries
Shrewsbury Town has many fan groups. These groups are located in Shropshire, Wales, Scotland, London, and even in other countries like Italy and the United States (Portland, Oregon).
In 2019, a group called South Stand Flags started. They wanted to make the atmosphere at home games better. They organize flag displays and cheers in the South Stand. Players and managers have praised their efforts.
An unofficial fan magazine and online forum called Blue & Amber started in 2005.
Recently, the club has gained fans from the Caribbean island nation of Grenada. This happened because two Grenada international players, Aaron Pierre and Omar Beckles, played for Shrewsbury. The president of the Grenada Football Association even became a fan! He called Shrewsbury "a Cinderella story." In 2019, he offered a partnership to the club.
Club Rivals
Shrewsbury Town has several rivalries with other football clubs. One of the biggest was with Hereford United. This rivalry was known as the 'A49 derby' because of the road connecting the two towns. However, Hereford United stopped playing, and a new club, Hereford FC, was formed. They play in a lower league now.
Another rivalry was with Chester City, which also stopped playing. A new club, Chester FC, was formed.
Shrewsbury also has a rivalry with Welsh club Wrexham. They played each other again in 2024 for the first time in a while.
Other main rivals for Shrewsbury Town include Walsall, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Port Vale, and local Shropshire rivals AFC Telford United.
Club Staff and Players
Shrewsbury Town has a team of people who help run the club and coach the players.
Club Officials
As of 5 September 2024
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Roland Wycherley |
| Vice-Chairman | Duncan Montgomery |
| Chief Executive Officer & Director | Liam Dooley |
| Director of Finance | Andrew Crane |
| President | Malcolm Starkey |
| Honorary Patron | Sir David Lees |
First-Team Coaching Staff
As of 21 November 2024
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach |  Gareth Ainsworth |
| Assistant Head Coach | Richard Dobson |
| First-Team Coach |  Sean Parrish |
| Goalkeeping Coach |  Brian Jensen |
Current Squad
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Notable Former Players
Many famous players have played for Shrewsbury Town. Some went on to become top managers, like David Moyes, Nigel Pearson, and Gary Megson.
International stars like John McGinlay, Jimmy Quinn, and Neville Southall also spent time at the club. Doug Rougvie won the European Cup Winners' Cup with Aberdeen before playing for Shrewsbury.
More recently, players like Mark Atkins and Nigel Jemson played for Shrewsbury. Goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic also played for the club.
Two local players, Joe Hart and David Edwards, became well-known. Joe Hart became a regular goalkeeper for the England senior team. David Edwards played in the Premier League and for the Wales national team. He later returned to Shrewsbury.
Shrewsbury Town FC Foundation
The Shrewsbury Town FC Foundation is the club's official charity. It does important community work in the local area. The foundation helps people by offering many different programs.
These programs include:
- Health and wellbeing activities.
- Education support.
- Help with finding jobs.
- Football and participation opportunities, like walking football and disability football.
- Soccer schools for young players.
The foundation also runs Shrewsbury Town development centres. These centres provide advanced coaching to help players join the academy. They also support women's football and a Girls Emerging Talent Centre.
Club Records
- Best FA Cup performance: Quarter-finals in 1978–79 and 1981–82.
- Best League Cup performance: Semi-finals in 1960–61.
- Record attendance at Gay Meadow: 18,917 vs. Walsall on 26 April 1961.
- Record attendance at New Meadow: 10,210 vs. Chelsea on 28 October 2014.
- Record attendance for any Shrewsbury Town match: 61,589 vs. Bristol Rovers at Wembley Stadium on 26 May 2007.
- Record victory: 21–0 vs. Mold Alyn Stars in the Welsh Cup on 27 October 1894.
- Record League victory: 12–1 vs. Hereford City on 20 October 1894.
- Record defeat: 0–13 vs. Small Heath on 25 December 1895.
- Most league goals in a season: 38 by Arthur Rowley (1958–59).
- Most league goals in total: 152 by Arthur Rowley (1958–65).
- Most league appearances: 418 by Mickey Brown (1986–91, 1992–94, 1996–2001).
- Most total appearances: 497 by Colin Griffin (footballer) (1976–1988).
Club Honours (Trophies Won)
League Titles
- Third Division (level 3)
- Champions: 1978–79
- Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (level 4)
- Champions: 1993–94
- Runners-up: 1974–75, 2011–12, 2014–15
- Conference (level 5)
- Play-off winners: 2004
- Birmingham & District League
- Champions: 1922–23
- Midland League
- Champions: 1937–38, 1945–46, 1947–48
Cup Competitions
- Football League Trophy / EFL Trophy
- Runners-up: 1995–96, 2017–18
- Welsh Cup
- Winners: 1890–91, 1937–38, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1983–84, 1984–85
- Runners-up: 1930–31, 1947–48, 1979–80
Other Cups
- Central League
- Winners: 2009, 2013
- Central League Cup
- Winners: 2006
- Shropshire Senior Cup
- Winners (67 times) - A Record!
- Herefordshire Senior Cup
- Winners: 1951, 1986, 1998
- Walsall Senior Cup
- Winners: 1924, 1925, 1926
Images for kids
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Loggerheads emblem used by the club between 1993 and 2007
See also
In Spanish: Shrewsbury Town Football Club para niños
