Q&A With Two Shrewsbury Town Supporters
Soccer Football - League One - Shrewsbury Town Safe Standing Press Launch - Montgomery Waters Meadow, Shrewsbury, Britain - May 22, 2018 General view of the safe standing area during the Press Launch Action Images/Jason Cairnduff
The last time The Imps played tomorrow’s opponents Shrewsbury Town in a League match at New Meadow was on Tuesday 27th April 2021. City won 1-0 that night thanks to a goal scored by Jorge Grant in the 11th minute.
Ahead of tomorrow’s match, we have done a Q&A with two Shrewsbury Town supporters, so thank you to Martin (@salopiankillie) and Dave for answering our questions! The answers have been published on two pages. To get to the second set of answers, press “Next” at the bottom right of the page or click HERE!
If you would like to get involved with the conversation on 100% Imps, you can join our Shrewsbury Town v Lincoln City Match Thread. Every page view helps raise money for Lincoln City Football Club!
First up, the answers provided by Martin:
How long have you supported Shrewsbury Town?
25 year
Where did you finish last season?
17th…now becoming a running joke amongst fans online.
What do you think of your manager?
He’s like marmite. You either like him or you don’t. Brutal in post-match interviews and comes across as a harsh character. He doesn’t like a massive squad, but he knows what type of player he wants and the ones he has tied to the club have been great.
What were/are your hopes and expectations for the 2021/22 season?
Hopes were to finish 12th and above but now safety is all but concluded carry on our strong end to the season and try and go undefeated.
One(s) to watch?/strong>
Leahy and Udoh are the main goal threats going forward but one to watch is Fornah on loan from Forest in the middle. Dictates the game and plays like a young Vieira. Nurse on the left and Bennett on right are also a threat with their constant running up and down each flank providing crosses for the front men.
Which teams do you think will finish in the top six in League One?/strong>
Wigan, Rotherham, MK Dons, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth, and Oxford.
Which teams do you think will finish in the bottom four in League One?
AFC Wimbledon, Morecambe, Doncaster, and Crewe.
What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?
Similar to Shrewsbury. A team that has the potential for much more with a very supportive fan base and a good community base.
What do you think the score will be?
Got to go for a home win. 2-1 to Salop.
Random fact about your Club?
Bobby Charlton played his last ever match in a charity game at the old Gay Meadow.
If you could steal one Lincoln City player for your own team, who would it be and why?
Anthony Scully. Likes to play off the strikers in that hole as a number 10 something we lack.
What are your proudest and most embarrassing moments as a Shrewsbury Town supporter?
The Proudest moment as a town fan would be bouncing straight back up from the conference at the first attempt. Also beating Everton in the cup.
Most embarrassing would be after this season’s cup tie away at Liverpool where certain individuals tarnished the club with their behaviour towards the families of the Hillsborough tragedy.
Who would you say is your most underrated player?
Shaun Whalley. 250 Appearances for the club and has scored so many crucial goals over the years. Criticised from a certain section in the past but always gives his all.
Do you have a Supporters Trust and what role do they play at the Club?
We have a Supporters parliament where meetings take place regularly between fans and club. This gives fans attending and not attending a voice where they can be heard and where potential things can be discussed or ironed out to make improvements engaging the club and fans together within the local community as well.
Which was your favourite match involving Shrewsbury Town?
Nothing gets better than that night at Milton Keynes hockey stadium in the 2007 play-off semi-final. What a day and night!
Which was your least favourite match involving Shrewsbury Town?
Without a shadow of a doubt the Rotherham 2018 play-off final defeat. That hurt more than most after the season we had and was minutes away from the shootout and possible Championship football.
Do you have a Former Players Association at Shrewsbury Town?
We do have regular events where former players are involved with the club and attend matches and are always welcomed. There was a special one back in 2007 when the last ever league game was played at the Gay Meadow where a huge number of former players were invited to celebrate the last ever league game.
Recently ex-players and friends Sam Aiston, Dave Edwards and Gavin Cowan have joined forces and created a podcast inthestiffs so give it a listen.
Who do you consider to be your local rivals? Historically/geographically I’ve always ‘grouped’ you with Chester, Wrexham & Hereford. All of which have seen better days!
Local rivals most recently are probably Walsall but my favourites were always the Wrexham away due to the Welsh/English border banter. Hereford was also good for years.
What proportion of the ground is now ‘safe-standing’ and as a fan would you prefer open terraces?
Behind the goal top section block 9. South Stand make a great atmosphere on matchday and the flags are great as well. Even one of Marvin Morgan who sadly passed away recently.
You have had two terrific results against Morecambe and Rotherham in the last couple of matches. They stand out as probably your best of the season. Has there been a reason for that, i.e., a change of formation, tactic, etc… or is it just a case of a couple of games where it has just fallen right?
The formation has been the same I just think things have really started to click in attack. We have created the chances and looked like giving a team a hiding but due to confidence, good goalkeeping, and poor finishing, we have fired to many banks. 3rd best defence in the league shows where we haven’t struggled this season but just the 32 goals before those 2 games mentioned are the reason we have spent the season in the bottom half. Next year could be different.
Have a go at our Lincoln City versus Shrewsbury Town Quizzes, published last season (they were all correct at the time they were published):
Which Shrewsbury player disastrously decided not to sign for Lincoln at the start of the momentous 2016-17 season and joined relegation-bound Southport instead?
Shrewsbury Town (a - 26/03/22): Will The Imps Win, Lose or Draw?
Q&A With Two Shrewsbury Town Supporters:
The first set of answers:https://t.co/lL845mP3ci#Salop #ImpsAsOne
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) March 25, 2022
If you would like to get involved with the conversation on 100% Imps, you can join our Shrewsbury Town v Lincoln City Match Thread. Every page view helps raise money for Lincoln City Football Club!
And now for the answers provided by Dave:
How long have you supported Shrewsbury Town?
Since 1986.
Where did you finish last season?
17th. Which was pretty much nailed on to be honest as we seemed to spend the vast majority of the season there.
What do you think of your manager?
It’s getting there. I’m quite optimistic about next season. There are signs that slowly but surely, we’re improving, that we might not be spending a season looking over our shoulder but perhaps troubling midtable and perhaps more. Not all is rosy however, as Cotterill is suggesting that as he sees it, the budget available isn’t enough to improve things as much as he would like to but let’s wait and see.
What were/are your hopes and expectations for the 2021/22 season?
Same old, same old for this level now. Hoping that we might push on a little but knowing that for the most part it’s just about keeping ourselves just above the relegation spots. Job done on that front by the looks as we now look pretty safe.
One(s) to watch?
Luke Leahy has had an impressive season and remains in decent form. Shout out to the two front lads, Udoh and Bowman, who have both managed to get into double figures this season (trust me, for Town that’s something). And shout out to the defense and the goalkeeper too as whilst we might be sat in 16th, we’ve only conceded the 37 goals (only bettered by the top two).
Which teams do you think will finish in the top six in League One?
I think Rotherham and Wigan look well set for automatic promotion. As for the play-offs, who knows. But it will be a decent watch with even Pompey in 10th looking to get involved.
Which teams do you think will finish in the bottom four in League One?
I think the teams that are already down there now. Not much indication from any of them that they are capable of turning things around.
What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?
Surprised you are where you are. Tend to think of Lincoln as a side that should be in the top ten in this division now. Maybe the momentum as the last few seasons is starting to wane?
What do you think the score will be?
I’ll go 2-1 to Town. We’re looking decent at the minute.
Random fact about your Club?
Arthur Rowley, Town’s record goalscorer also holds the record for the most goals in the history of English league football (scoring 434 from 619 league games). Rowley played for and then went on to manage Town.
If you could steal one Lincoln City player for your own team, who would it be and why?
Sorry, I don’t know any.
What are your proudest and most embarrassing moments as a Shrewsbury Town supporter?
Everton in the FA Cup was a special moment with the last minute Jemson winner. Leading on from that, however, we were eventually relegated to the Conference that season.
Who would you say is your most underrated player?
No one comes to mind at the moment.
Do you have a Supporters Trust and what role do they play at the Club?
Shrewsbury are the first club in England and Wales to install “safe standing” and our Supporter Parliament played a significant part in getting that in place. They have done more besides too including (I think) the introduction of the FanZone on a match day. Can’t speak highly enough of them.
Which was your favourite match involving Shrewsbury Town?
Everton in the FA Cup, we beat them 2-1 in 2003.
Which was your least favourite match involving Shrewsbury Town?
Histon in the FA Cup in 2004 was pretty bad. Losing to Rushden and Diamonds 5-1 and Boston 6-0 in the season we were relegated to the Conference were real low points. Losing 5-0 in the Conference season was a bad one too. Thankfully we have turned things around somewhat since then.
Do you have a Former Players Association at Shrewsbury Town?
I don’t think we do at the moment but there are plans afoot to do so.
Who do you consider to be your local rivals? Historically/geographically I’ve always ‘grouped’ you with Chester, Wrexham & Hereford. All of which have seen better days!
Yep, those three and in addition, you can add Walsall. Not being from the town itself I’m not really on board with the feelings that many have towards Chester, Wrexham, and Hereford but for sure I would say that is who most Town fans see as our rivals. With perhaps more eyes now on FC Tinseltown just across the border with the arrival of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
What proportion of the ground is now ‘safe-standing’ and as a fan would you prefer open terraces?
From what I can see the stadium itself has a capacity of 9,875, the South stand of 1,955 of which 550 is standing. I think it’s great that supporters now have a choice (to stand or sit) however, I think it’s a shame that we are charging fans the same amount to sit or stand. I would prefer the club to use that section as a means to lower the ticket price and hopefully get more people in the stadium. If I had my choice, I would make the whole of that stand standing and make it cheaper to watch the game from there. I much prefer standing and terraces (which thankfully I am able to enjoy every other week at the Stuttgarter Kickers here in Stuttgart).
You have had two terrific results against Morecambe and Rotherham in the last couple of matches. They stand out as probably your best of the season. Has there been a reason for that, i.e., a change of formation, tactic, etc… or is it just a case of a couple of games where it has just fallen right?
First things first, Morecambe look like a side who have pretty much given up already. They were, as the result suggests, pretty poor on the day. But with that said, it was still an impressive performance from Town. As for Rotherham, perhaps we shouldn’t have been so surprised at the result up there because in the home game we played against them only a short time ago (1st March) we were the better side and Rotherham did well to come away with a point. As to any reason, I think it’s always been there but things just seemed to have clicked on these two occasions. Taking the chances that come your way always helps of course (which is something we haven’t always been capable of doing this season).
Have a go at our Lincoln City versus Shrewsbury Town Quizzes, published last season (they were all correct at the time they were published):
Which Shrewsbury player disastrously decided not to sign for Lincoln at the start of the momentous 2016-17 season and joined relegation-bound Southport instead?
Shrewsbury Town (a - 26/03/22): Will The Imps Win, Lose or Draw?
The second set of answers:https://t.co/f5mqHEmvXa#Salop #ImpsAsOne
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) March 25, 2022