Shrewsbury v Grimsby Preview

Who are they?

Formed in 1886 from the ashes of banned team Castle Blues, a side banished from football for their often violent games, Shrewsbury are affectionately known as ‘the Shrews.’ they've reached the FA Cup Quarter Final stage twice, in 1979 and 1982 and the final of the Football League Trophy in 1962. Recent years have seen the club become one of the few teams to successfully return to the Football League at the first attempt, having been relegated in 2003. New manager Jimmy Quinn was the man charged with getting the club promoted in the 2003/4 season soon after he took control. Shrewsbury were very much the ‘big fish’ within the Conference in that season, an inconsistent campaign ensued but the club were able to finish the season in third place but 17 points behind Chester and Hereford. The Shrews managed to beat Barnet on penalties in a thrilling semi-final before heading for Stoke’s Britannia Stadium for the final against Aldershot. The final also went to penalties after a dreary match finished 1-1, defender Trevor Challis stroked home the winning penalty to send the 12,000 or so Shrewsbury fans into ecstasy and back into League Two.

Manager Quinn was sacked just 14 games into the new season as the Shrews struggled, and Gary Peters took over at the helm. He was only just able to keep the club in the division, but the following season saw the side finish the season in a remarkable 10th position, 17 points and six places behind the Mariners. Peters managed to build on the excellent campaign in the 2006/7 season when Shrewsbury finished the season in 7th place, drawing 2-2 on the final day against Town in the final League game at Gay Meadow. They beat MK Dons 2-1 on aggregate to set up a final at the new Wembley Stadium against Bristol Rovers, but Shrews fans were left heartbroken by a 3-1 defeat. Even so, it was a fantastic achievement to reach the final by a side who were as low at 16th going into the New Year.

The 2007/8 campaign saw Shrewsbury move into their new stadium, The New Meadow, it was a disappointing start to a campaign that saw Peters replaced by Paul Simpson in March. Simpson somehow managed to steer the club into the play-offs though, and they met Bury in the semi-finals. The first leg ended 1-1 at The New Meadow with Shrews’ Kevin McIntyre scoring a screamer at the death to clinch the draw. A tense second leg ended goalless and again penalties would decide the outcome, fortunately for Shrewsbury fans their time won 4-3 thanks to two excellent saves from on-loan keeper Luke Daniels. The final against Gillingham, a side who had spent much of the season in and around the top three, but stumbled into the play-offs after a shocking run of form towards the end of the season. A nervy game ensued, but it was settled by a last minute header from Gillingham’s Simeon Jackson, more play-off heartbreak for the Blues.

This season has been one of inconsistency; impressive wins against Rotherham and Crewe have coincided with defeats against Port Vale, Darlington and even Staines Town in the FA Cup. Despite this, the Shrews currently sit in 9th place in League Two, just two points off the play-offs with a superior goal difference. The home form has been good, with five wins and only two defeats in the 10 games so far.

Current on-loan Birmingham goalkeeper Joe Hart began his career with Shrewsbury before making his big money move to Manchester City, a fee which has already topped £1 million due to his England appearance against Trinidad and Tobago. Other famous players include David Pleat, Gary Megson, Jimmy Quinn and Ian Woan. Perhaps the most famous of all is Neville Southall, the goalkeeper who was once thought to be one of the best in the world. Although Southall was only on the books at Shrewsbury at the end of his career, and he never made an appearance, he is still thought to be a favourite ex-player at the club.

23 year old frontman Dave Hibbert joined the club in 2007 after spells with Port Vale, Preston, Rotherham and Bradford City. Up until this season, his promise has failed to bring the goals he desperately needed. But since the summer, the Stafford-bon striker has hit the net nine times in all competitions. The youngster was the clubs top scorer in the 2007/8 season despite scoring only 12 goals and last season scored only three goals all campaign. Despite this, he has hit form this year with a number of important strikes against the likes of Barnet, Accrington and Cheltenham, and at one point had scored seven goals in nine games. The frontman will need to be watched closely by the town defence.

Shrewsbury 2-2 Grimsby (League Two – Saturday 5th May 2007)

The final game of the 2006/7 season saw the Mariners travel to Shrewsbury for what would be the final ever League game at Gay Meadow. Town were backed by around 1,200 noisy fans who hoped for a win in the blazing sunshine. It was also a special day for Mariners legend John McDermott as he made his final appearance for the club. Young striker Andy Taylor put Town 1-0 up after 29 minutes when he raced onto a long ball before Shrewsbury equalised through a Ben Davies penalty on 63. The home side went ahead just ten minutes later when Kelvin Langmead headed in from a free kick. McDermott was then substituted for Justin Whittle with 15 minutes to go, and received a rousing reception from the travelling army of Mariners fans. With just seconds remaining, a thumping header from Town defender Nick Fenton meant the game ended 2-2 and the Mariners went into the close season on a high.

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Head to Head

Town have a decent record against Shrewsbury in recent seasons, losing just one of the last eight and none of the last three. Some town fans may remember the 5-1 drubbing of the Shrews in the 1981/82 season and even I can remember the 4-0 thrashing in the FA Cup in 1997/98, as the following cup game saw us visit the ’mighty’ Leeds United! Town have won 23 of the 52 games overall, and Shrewsbury have won 16; there have been 13 draws of which only two have been goalless.

P52 W23 D13 L16 F 77 A 69

Head-to-Head (19th The Opposition Ladder)

Last Meeting

Grimsby 1 Shrewsbury 1 (Sat 04th Apr 2009)

The almost inevitable draw towards the end of last season.

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