Shrewsbury Town F.C - A History

It is no secret that Shrewsbury Town F.C is not performing to well this season. They are hovering precariously over the relegation zone, only clear by 3 points, meaning they are among the favourites for relegation in the online sports betting sites. Despite this, it is important to remember what the team has accomplished in the past and just how much of an impact they have made on football.

Shrewsbury Town F.C is a football club that has a rich history. Like many clubs, they have had highs and lows since 1886 - the year they were officially founded. However, the actual origins of Shrewsbury Town can be traced back to 1879. In 1879 the club couldn’t gather enough players for a game against Newport and unfortunately left the football scene. But not for long. 

Cool fact - There are two accounts of where the club was officially formed. The Shrewsbury Chronicle reported it to be at the Turf Hotel, Claremont Hill, and The Eddowes Shropshire Journal noted it as the Lion Hotel, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury. 

Just before Shrewsbury Town F.C was officially formed, there were almost 40 teams in the local area. Like the Castle Blues, some of which had a complicated history - known for their feisty nature - while some team members were arrested, others went on to form the official Shrewsbury Town F.C. 

The official date of formation: 20th May 1886 

Shrewsbury Town F.C has several different nicknames. Blues, Town, Salop, and The Shrews. 

You might be wondering where the Salop nickname comes from. Shrewsbury was written as Scrobbenis, Scropesbyri, Scriropesberie and Scrobbesbyrig. And Shropshire was Scrobbesbyrigscir. 

All of these are admittedly not easy to say. Over time these pronunciations became gentler. Scrobbesbyrig became Salopesberia, and Scrobbesbyrigscir became Salopescira. 

These were both shortened again, to Salop. 

The Glory Days

Every club has a golden era. The goals come quick and plentiful; the club rise to the top like the head on a pint of Guinness.  And, Shrewsbury Town F.C did just that. Shrewsbury Town F.C had a spate of Welsh Cup winning, however the Birmingham & District League was in their sights. 

Although they were the runner up in 1913/14, 1923/24 and 1936/37, the big year, the year of plenty was 1922-23. In 1922-23 Shrewsbury Town F.C were crowned the Champions of the Birmingham & District League. 

Key dates in club history:

Division Three champions: 1978-79

Division Three champions: 1993-94

Midland League champions: 1937-38, 1945-46, 1947-48

Birmingham & District League champions: 1922-23

Welsh Cup winners: 1890-91, 1937-38, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1983-84, 1984-85

Record Cup Win: 11-2 v Marine, FA Cup 1st round, 11th November 1995

Players of Note

Shrewsbury Town F.C has 14 players in the Hall of Fame. Ten were entered in 2011, and a further four added in 2013:

Graham Turner - Securing 4 league wins as the club manager.

• Ken Mulhearn - Joining in 1971 from Manchester City, Ken made over 400 league appearances for Shrewsbury Town.
• Alf Wood - Signed by the Legend Arthur Rowley, Alf became a top goal scorer in 1971-72, with the most goals scored in one match against Blackburn Rovers. 
• Peter Dolby - With a huge 324 club appearances, 8 of his Cup strikes went down in history for their brilliance. 
• Chris Smith - A Hall of Legends member, who never played a single match. Instead, he showed outstanding commitment to the club, volunteering at aged 13 and travelling with them. 
• Michael Brown - A legend known for the Great Escape at Exeter, Mickey secured a 2-1 victory to avoid relegation and has the most League appearance. 
• Colin Griffin - The only player starting in more than 400 League games for Shrewsbury town F.C
• Tommy Lynch - The crowd-pleaser, who made 234 appearances and is much loved by Shrewsbury Town F.C fans
• Frank Clake broke all of the youth team records and was one of the clubs’ most notable goal scorers.
• Malcolm Starkey - The multi-tasking legend from player to coach, from manager to President. Dedication. 
• Steve Cross - Scoring 33 goals in 262 games and being an ambassador for Shrewsbury Town in the Community.
• Jake King - Securing the third division Championship in 1978-79, scoring an essential goal in the 4-1 win. 
• Chic Bates - In his first season, he scored 17 goals. Later coached the team to finish 8th in the Second Division in 1984-85, and later became Assistant Manager and caretaker twice. 

Arthur Rowley - a legend for Shrewsbury Town F.C.

Arthur’s career started after the Second World War, and it began with West Bromwich Albion. 

This football legend would go on to make a huge impact. Arthur joined Shrewsbury Town on the 5th of June 1958 and changed everything for the club. Scoring a massive 38 goals in one season, it is unmatched. With 619 matches, Arthur scored a massive434 goals across his career and spent 19 years in the League. 

Shrewsbury Town in the Community

Not only do Shrewsbury Town FC have a rich history, but they are giving residents of Shrewsbury a bright future too. Since 2008 they have raised and invested £2.87 million into various programs and projects to benefit the local residents. 

Any given week, you can find over 35 fabulous projects taking place. Inclusion and diversity are one of their aims, as they have sessions for any age and any ability. They have an incredible 14,435 local participants in their programs. Using the Town’s sporting heart to encourage people to meet their goals and excel in all areas of life. 

Showing that Shrewsbury Town F.C, is not just a football club, but a club for the people and that their future is as bright as their past.