Shrewsbury Town F.C. facts for kids

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Shrewsbury Town

Full name	Shrewsbury Town Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Shrews, Salop
Founded	20 May 1886; 139 years ago (1886-05-20)
Ground	New Meadow
Ground Capacity	9,875
Chairman	Roland Wycherley
Head Coach	Michael Appleton
League	League One
2018–19	League One, 18th of 24
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional soccer team from Shrewsbury, England. They are often called "The Shrews" or "Salop." The team currently plays in League One, which is the fourth level of English soccer.

The club started in 1886. They were one of the first teams in the Shropshire & District League in 1890. Later, they joined the Birmingham & District League in 1895. They won this league in 1922–23. Then, they moved to the Midland League in 1937. They won the Midland League title three times: in 1937–38, 1945–46, and 1947–48.

Shrewsbury Town joined the Football League in 1950. They earned promotion from the Fourth Division in 1958–59. They were promoted again in 1974–75 and won the Third Division title in 1978–79. After being relegated in 1989 and 1992, they won another league title in 1993–94. The club reached the 1996 Football League Trophy final but were relegated from the Football League in 1997 and 2003.

Shrewsbury quickly returned to the Football League. They won the 2004 Conference play-off final. They lost in the League Two play-off finals in 2007 and 2009. However, they won automatic promotion in 2011–12 and again in 2014–15. They were runners-up in the 2018 EFL Trophy final and 2018 League One play-off final in 2018.

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 ever play in the Football League.

Club History

How the Club Started

Some people say the club started at The Lion Hotel.

The first soccer club in Shrewsbury was formed in 1868. It was called Shrewsbury Football Club. This club won two local cups in 1877–78 before it stopped playing around 1880.

The current Shrewsbury Town club was formed in 1886. This happened after two other local teams, Shropshire Wanderers and Castle Blues, stopped playing. Newspapers had different ideas about where the club officially started. Some said it was at The Lion Hotel, while others mentioned the Turf Hotel. It's possible both places were involved in the club's early days.

For the first few seasons, Shrewsbury Town played friendly matches and local cup games. In 1890–91, they became a founding member of the Shropshire & District League. They later joined the Birmingham & District League in 1895–96. In these early years, they played against many teams that are still around today, like Crewe Alexandra and Coventry City.

In 1910, Shrewsbury Town moved to a new home called Gay Meadow. This stadium was near the town center and Shrewsbury Abbey. The club played there for 97 years. During their time in the Birmingham League, Shrewsbury Town usually finished in the middle of the table. However, they did win the league championship in 1922–23.

In 1937–38, the club moved to the Midland League. This was one of their most successful seasons. They won the league title, scoring 111 goals. They also won the Welsh Cup and had a good run in the FA Cup. After several strong seasons after World War II, Shrewsbury Town joined the Football League in 1950. They were admitted to Division 3 (North) after winning the Midland League in 1949–50.

Life in the Football League

Chart showing Shrewsbury Town's yearly league positions.

Joining the Football League in 1950 was a big step. Shrewsbury Town played one season in the Northern section of the third division. Then they spent seven years in the Southern section. In 1958–59, they became a founding member of the new Fourth Division. They quickly earned promotion to the Third Division that same season, finishing as runners-up. They stayed in the third tier for 15 years before being relegated back to Division Four in 1973–74.

In the 1960–61 season, Shrewsbury Town reached the Semi-Final of the League Cup. They beat Everton in the quarter-finals. However, they lost a close game to Rotherham United over two matches. This period is also remembered for Arthur Rowley. He joined the club in 1958 as a player and manager. He broke Dixie Dean's goal-scoring record, scoring his 380th league goal in 1961. He stopped playing in 1965 but remained manager until 1968.

Shrewsbury was promoted to the Third Division again in 1974–75. Another successful season came in 1978–79. They won the league championship under managers Ritchie Barker and Graham Turner. Over 14,000 fans watched Shrewsbury secure promotion with a 4–1 win over Exeter City. The club also beat Manchester City 2–0 in the FA Cup. They reached the quarter-finals for the first time before losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Graham Turner is the team's most successful manager. He led them to the Second Division for the first time. They stayed in this division for ten years. Shrewsbury reached the FA Cup quarter-finals again in 1981–82. They beat UEFA Cup holders Ipswich Town before losing to Leicester City.

The 1980s saw Shrewsbury defeat many big teams. These included Fulham, Newcastle United, and Chelsea. Shrewsbury beat Middlesbrough 2–1 in 1986. This result meant Middlesbrough was relegated and almost went out of business. Shrewsbury was relegated from the Second Division in 1988–89 after ten years. In 1990, Gary Shaw scored the fastest hat trick for the club. He scored three goals in just 4 minutes and 32 seconds against Bradford City. In 1991–92, the club was relegated to the Fourth Division. However, two seasons later, Shrewsbury won the Division Three championship in 1993–94. They stayed in Division Two (the third tier) for three seasons.

In the 1990s, Shrewsbury played at Wembley for the first time. They were in the 1995–96 Football League Trophy final. They lost 2–1 to Rotherham United. Shrewsbury then became a mid-table team. They were relegated to the bottom division again in 1996–97.

Leaving and Returning to the Football League

Loggerheads emblem used by the club between 1993 and 2007.

The 1999–2000 season was tough for Shrewsbury. Manager Jake King was sacked in November 1999. Kevin Ratcliffe took over and saved the club from relegation on the last day of the season. This season was known as the 'Great Escape'. The team then made good progress. They almost reached the play-offs in 2001–02.

In 2002–03, Shrewsbury had a great FA Cup run. They beat non-league teams before making headlines. Nigel Jemson scored twice to beat Everton 2–1 at Gay Meadow. In the next round, they lost 4–0 to Chelsea in a televised match. After this, their league form dropped. They were relegated from the Football League after 53 years. Kevin Ratcliffe resigned, and Mark Atkins took temporary charge for the final game.

Jimmy Quinn became manager in May 2003. He built a new team. Shrewsbury finished third in the league. They beat Barnet on penalties in the play-off semi-finals. This set up a final against Aldershot Town at Stoke City's Britannia Stadium. After a 1–1 draw, Shrewsbury won in a penalty shoot-out. Goalkeeper Scott Howie saved three penalties, and Trevor Challis scored the winning kick. This win brought Shrewsbury back to the Football League.

Recent Club History

New Meadow, Shrewsbury Town's current home.

Jimmy Quinn left in 2004. Gary Peters took over and kept Shrewsbury in League Two. During this time, two talented local players, Joe Hart and David Edwards, emerged. Both went on to play for their national teams.

Even after Joe Hart left for Manchester City, Shrewsbury had a 14-match unbeaten run in 2006–07. They finished seventh and qualified for the play-offs. They beat Milton Keynes Dons in the semi-finals. However, they lost to Bristol Rovers in the final at the new Wembley Stadium. This game had a record crowd of 61,589 for a fourth-tier match.

The club chairman, Roland Wycherley, started building the new New Meadow ground in 2006. The team moved there for the 2007–08 season. Gary Peters left in 2008, and Paul Simpson became manager. The stadium was later named The Croud Meadow in June 2023 for sponsorship reasons.

In 2008–09, Shrewsbury reached the play-offs again. They beat Bury on penalties in the semi-finals. But they lost 1–0 to Gillingham in the final. Paul Simpson was dismissed in 2010 after a disappointing season.

Graham Turner returned as manager in June 2010. The club finished fourth in 2010–11, just missing automatic promotion. They lost in the play-off semi-final to Torquay United. In 2011–12, they finished second and earned promotion to League One after a 15-year absence. They also had a great run in the League Cup, beating Premier League team Swansea City before losing to Arsenal.

Shrewsbury did well in 2012–13, finishing 16th in League One. However, the next season was tough. Graham Turner quit in January, and the team was relegated.

In May 2014, Micky Mellon became manager. Town was promoted back to League One in April 2015. Mellon left in October 2016, and Paul Hurst took over. In 2017–18, Hurst led Shrewsbury to the EFL Trophy Final, which they lost. He also led them to the League One play-offs, but they lost after extra time. Hurst left in May 2018. John Askey replaced him but was sacked in November 2018. Sam Ricketts was appointed manager in December.

A highlight of the 2019–20 season was an FA Cup match against European champions Liverpool. Shrewsbury drew 2–2 at home. They narrowly lost the replay 1–0 at Anfield. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league season ended early. Shrewsbury finished 15th. In November 2020, Sam Ricketts was sacked, and Steve Cotterill took over. He helped Shrewsbury finish 12th in 2023. He stepped down in June 2023, and Matt Taylor became manager. He lasted less than seven months. On January 24, 2024, the club announced the return of Paul Hurst as head coach.

Stadiums

Early Homes

The club used the Racecourse Ground in Monkmoor from 1886 to 1889. They played 51 matches there. Most were friendlies because they weren't in a league yet. Their first game was a 5–2 win against Wellington Town in October 1886.

From 1889 to 1893, Town played at Ambler's Field in Copthorne. Here, they helped start the Shropshire and District League in 1890. They had a record 18–0 victory against Wellington Town in February 1890.

Town then played at Sutton Lane in Sutton Farm for two seasons (1893–1895). After this, they moved up to the Birmingham League. This ground is now used for allotments.

The Barracks Ground in Copthorne was their home for 15 years (1895–1910). They played over 300 matches there against stronger teams. In 1909–10, they reached the first round of the FA Cup.

Gay Meadow

Gay Meadow, shown here in 2006.

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 home matches. His job was to retrieve any soccer balls that went into the river. Even though he passed away long ago, his story is still part of the club's history.

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.

The stadium can hold 17,000 people for concerts.

The ground has places for meetings, snack bars, and a club shop. It also has training facilities for the team. A 5-a-side soccer complex is run by The Shrewsbury Town Foundation.

The first match at the new stadium was a 4–0 win against A-line Allstars in July 2007. The first league match was a 1–0 win against Bradford City. Dave Hibbert scored the winning goal. Shrewsbury's biggest win at this ground was 7–0 against Gillingham in September 2008. The record attendance at New Meadow is 10,210. This was for a match against Chelsea in the 2014–15 Football League Cup in October 2014.

The England national youth teams (under-18s, under-19s, under-20s, under-21s) have all played at the stadium. The England Women's team has also played three matches there. Since June 2023, the stadium has been called The Croud Meadow for sponsorship reasons.

Team Colors

Home colors, 1890s.

Home colors, 1978–1982.

Shrewsbury Town's team colors have always included blue. However, blue hasn't always been the main color. Early kits had blue and white stripes, or all-blue shirts with white or amber trim.

In 1978, the club introduced its most famous kit: blue and amber stripes. They wore this design when they earned promotions. This striped design was even featured in the movie This Is Spinal Tap.

The club didn't stick with stripes for long. In 1982, they went back to a blue shirt. Later, they used blue with amber sleeves, or amber with blue sleeves. In 1987, the shirts changed to white for four seasons. They returned to stripes in 1991–92. After a unique pattern in 1992–93, Shrewsbury's kits have mostly been blue. They have had some kind of amber stripe since 1999.

Since 1982, the shirt sponsors have usually been local companies. As of the 2017–18 season, the main shirt sponsor was The Energy Check.

Club Badge

The Loggerheads badge used from 1993 to 2007.

The first badge on Shrewsbury Town's shirt was the town's coat of arms, called The Loggerheads, in 1907. This badge was used on and off until 1960. Then, a general soccer design was used for a while. The Loggerheads returned in 1970 and was used in different ways until 1986.

In 1986, a cartoon "Shrew" was introduced as the club's badge. This was an effort to rebrand the club. During this time, the team's kit also changed to mostly white. Fans campaigned to bring back The Loggerheads badge, and it returned in 1992. The badge changed again in 2007 when the club moved to New Meadow. The new badge featured a single lion's head in a circle. The club said this new badge was needed because the Loggerheads design couldn't be copyrighted.

Kit Suppliers

Shrewsbury Town has had many different kit suppliers over the years. The most recent is Umbro, starting in the 2021/22 season. Umbro also made the club's kits during their most successful period from 1973 to 1982. Starting from the 2024/25 season, Oxen will be the club's new kit supplier.

Period	Supplier
2024/25 - Present	Oxen
2021/22 - 2023/24	Umbro
2019/20 - 2020/21	Admiral
2015/16 - 2018/19	Errea
2013/14 - 2014/15	Surridge Sport
2010/11 - 2012/13	Joma
2008/09 - 2009/10	Prostar

Supporters and Rivalries

Shrewsbury Town has many fan groups. These groups are located in Shropshire, Wales, Scotland, London, and even internationally in Italy and Portland, Oregon. In 2019, a group called South Stand Flags was created. They aim to make home games more exciting. They organize flag displays and have received praise from players and managers.

An unofficial fanzine (a fan-made magazine) and forum called Blue & Amber started in 2005.

In late 2019, the club started getting 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, Cheney Joseph, adopted "The Shrews" as his team. He even sent a partnership offer to the club. In November 2019, Oliver Norburn became the third Town player called up by Grenada. In January 2020, Cheney Joseph visited the club. He watched Shrewsbury come back from 2–0 down to draw 2–2 with Liverpool.

Rival Teams

Shrewsbury Town has several rivalries. Their rivalry with nearby team Hereford United was once ranked among the fiercest in English soccer. This rivalry is known as the 'A49 derby' because of the road connecting Shrewsbury and Hereford. This match hasn't been played since Hereford United stopped playing and reformed as Hereford FC. Hereford FC now plays three divisions below Shrewsbury.

Similarly, the rivalry with the old Chester City club has changed. A new club, Chester FC, was formed in 2010. Like Hereford, they play in a lower league and haven't met Shrewsbury in a match yet. Another rivalry for Shrewsbury is with the Welsh club Wrexham. After Wrexham was relegated from the Football League in 2008, they didn't play each other until an FA Cup match in 2024. The two teams also met in League One during the 2024–25 season.

Other main rivals for Shrewsbury include Walsall, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Port Vale, and local Shropshire rivals AFC Telford United.

Club Staff

Lenny the Lion, the club mascot.

Club Officials

As of September 5, 2024

First-Team Coaching & Support Staff

As of March 26, 2025

Position	Name
Head Coach	Michael Appleton
Assistant Head Coach	Richard O’Donnell
First-Team Coach	Sean Parrish
Goalkeeping Coach	Brian Jensen
Head of Physical Performance	Daryl Taylor
Physical Performance Coach	David Wates
Head of Medical Performance	Chris Skitt
Sports Therapist	Aaron Lambley
Head of Recruitment	Tom Ware
Head of Performance Analysis	Stephen Corns
Analyst	Ben Parker
Kitman	Jon Pearce

Academy Coaching & Support Staff

As of January 29, 2025

Position	Name
Academy Manager	Charlie Musselwhite
Head of Academy Coaching	Dan Reece
Head of Academy Goalkeeping	Graeme Hewitt
Head of Academy Strength & Conditioning	Billy Clark
Head of Academy Medical	Alieldeen Tohamy
Head of Academy Performance Analysis	Ryan Mouer
Head of Player Care	Natalie Wood
Lead Professional Development Phase Coach	Sean McAllister
Lead Youth Development Phase Coach	Dave Riley
Lead Foundation Phase Coach	Jack Pate

Women's First-Team Coaching & Support Staff

As of March 24, 2025

Position	Name
Operations & People Director	Leanne Rimmer
Commercial & Finance Director	Brogan Cook
Director of Football	Chloe Hudson-Jones
Head Coach	Darel Tidman-Poole
Assistant Head Coach	Harry Brown
Goalkeeping Coach	Ryan Watson
Physiotherapist	Shannon Davis
Sports Psychologist	Dr Andrew Wood
First-Team Analyst	Tim Armitage
First-Team Analyst	Jay Miller

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player GK Toby Savin DF Luca Hoole DF Mal Benning DF Tom Anderson DF Will Boyle MF Sam Clucas MF Harrison Biggins Template:Country data FW George Lloyd DF Tom Sang

No. Position Player MF Taylor Perry MF Alex Gilliead FW Ricardo Dinanga FW Max Mata DF Aristote Nsiala DF George Nurse FW Callum Stewart FW John Marquis

Players on Loan

Famous Former Players

Record Holders

Mickey Brown holds the club record for most league appearances with 418 games. Colin Griffin (footballer) holds the record for the most total appearances with 497 games. Alf Wood scored 5 goals in a 7–1 win against Blackburn Rovers in 1971. He was the first player since Dixie Dean to score four headed goals in one match.

Well-Known Names

Manager David Moyes played for Shrewsbury from 1987 to 1990.

Many Shrewsbury players have gone on to have successful careers. Some became top managers, like David Moyes, Nigel Pearson, and Gary Megson. International stars like John McGinlay, Jimmy Quinn, and Neville Southall also played for Shrewsbury. Doug Rougvie won the European Cup Winners' Cup with Aberdeen in 1983 before playing for Shrewsbury.

More recently, Premier League winner Mark Atkins played for Shrewsbury. Steve Ogrizovic, a long-time player for Coventry City, also played here. Two notable local players who left the club are England goalkeeper Joe Hart and Wales midfielder David Edwards. Both played for their national teams. Edwards played in the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers and returned to Shrewsbury in 2019. Hart was a regular for the England senior team.

Local Players

Shrewsbury has given chances to many young local players who became successful professionals. Norman Hobson was a local defender in the 1950s, playing 224 games. Bernard McNally was a local star in the 1980s. Other local favorites in the 1990s included Kevin Seabury and Peter Wilding. Andy Cooke was born in Shrewsbury and supported the club as a boy. Tom Bradshaw is a recent local talent from the Youth Team. Mason Springthorpe signed for Everton before playing for Shrewsbury.

Fan Favorites

In 2004, the BBC's Football Focus asked fans to pick their club's "cult heroes." Dean Spink was chosen as Shrewsbury's cult hero.

Club Foundation

The Shrewsbury Town FC Foundation is the club's official charity. It works in the local community. The foundation helps people by offering different programs. These include health and wellbeing, education, and job skills. The foundation also provides soccer opportunities like walking football, disability football, and soccer schools. It runs development centers to help players improve and join academy football. A Girls Emerging Talent Centre is also supported by the foundation.

Managerial History

Source:

Club Records

• Best FA Cup result: Quarter-finals, 1978–79, 1981–82
• Best League Cup result: Semi-finals, 1960–61
• Record attendance at Gay Meadow: 18,917 vs. Walsall, April 26, 1961
• Record attendance at New Meadow: 10,210 vs. Chelsea, October 28, 2014
• Record attendance for a Shrewsbury Town match: 61,589 vs. Bristol Rovers (at Wembley Stadium), May 26, 2007
• Record victory: 21–0 vs. Mold Alyn Stars, Welsh FA Cup 1st round, October 27, 1894
• Record League victory: 12–1 vs. Hereford City, Shropshire & District League, October 20, 1894
• Record defeat: 0–13 vs. Small Heath, Birmingham League, December 25, 1895
• Most league goals in a season: 38 by Arthur Rowley (1958–59)
• Most league goals overall: 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 (1976–1988)

Honors and Trophies

Source:

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
  • Promoted: 1958–59
• 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

Other Awards

• Shropshire and District League
  • Runners-up: 1890–91
• Mid Wales League
  • Winners: 1934–35, 1935–36
• Central League
  • Winners: 2009, 2013
• Central League Cup
  • Winners: 2006
• Shropshire Senior Cup
  • Winners (67) - A Record
• Herefordshire Senior Cup
  • Winners: 1951, 1986, 1998
• Walsall Senior Cup
  • Winners: 1924, 1925, 1926
• Shropshire Mayors Charity Cup
  • Winners: 1890, 1893, 1902, 1903, 1908, 1909, 1925
• Keys Cup
  • Winners: 1924, 1937

See also

In Spanish: Shrewsbury Town Football Club para niños