2014 Prediction League; Game 3 v Shrewsbury Town (away)

Div3North · 17-08-2014, 19:11

Shrewsbury Town

V

Accrington Stanley

2014/5 Prediction League; Game 3 – v Shrewsbury Town (away)

Shrewsbury Town Football Club was formed, allegedly, in 1886, either in the Turf Hotel or the Lion Hotel, depending which version you prefer

; the compromise suggestion is that they formed in the Turf Hotel following a meeting at the Lion Hotel ......it’s very easy to make the question fit the answer, n’est-ce pas? In 1950, when the Football League was expanded from 88 teams to 92, they were one of the four elected new teams (along with Scunthorpe and Lindsay Utd (I remember them!

), Colchester and Gillingham), and spent their first season in the old Division 3 North, finishing 20th with a record of 15 wins, 7 draws and 24 defeats, having a negative goal difference (-31) and 37 points; New Brighton were not re-elected

, and Workington replaced them. 20th place got them transferred to the old Div 3 South for 1951/2 season, which they finished in 21st place (Walsall were last, but re-elected); the Shrews home form was ok (W11 D3 L9), but their away form was crap

– W2 D7 L14, including a 6-0 beating at Northampton, 6-1 at Plymouth and 6-2 at Reading; 5-1 at home to Aldershot was as good as it got .............

They managed to retain their League status until 2003, when the held up the other 23 clubs, including both Kidderminster Harriers and Boston United (in their first – dubiously earned

- league season). By now we were past Div 3 and Div 4 days, but hadn’t reached Championship, League 1 and League 2, so they were relegated from League 3, this time with a record of 9 wins and 23 losses, 62 goals for and 92 against, and 41 points. They bounced straight back in 2004 though, beating Aldershot on penalties in the Playoff Final after a 1-1 draw. They made the League Two playoffs in 2007, 2009, 2011, and went up as runners-up in 2012, coming back down in the summer just gone (well it feels like it’s gone!

).

They played, as we all well remember, at Gay Meadow until 2007, when they went to The New Meadow – known as Greenhous Meadow for sponsorship reasons (Greenhous, I know, is a local motor dealership which also sponsers the team shirts; I have no idea who Gay was

.....or should that be “I have no idea who was Gay”?

). In trivia corner I can tell you that their record victory was against Mold Alyn Stars, who they beat 21-0 in the Welsh FA Cup in 1894; their ground holds 9,875 – the record attendance was for the home game with Wolves last season, when 9,510 were there; and they’ve been managed, amongst others, by Chic Bates (3 times), Graham Turner twice, Asa Hartford, John Bond, ‘Busby Babe’ Harry Gregg (now 81

) who also managed Swansea, Crewe and Carlisle, but not all at the same time

, and Fred Davies and Michael Jackson ........no, not that Fred Davies .........and certainly not that Michael Jackson (if he’d managed anyone, it would have been Fulham – for whom Betts has been on the bench in both their League games so far).

Starter for 10; what connection have David Moyes, Gordon Lee and David Pleat each got with Shrewsbury Town FC?

Answer – they all played for the club at one time or other ....so, among others, did Gary Megson and Joe Hart.

Mickey Mellon – once of Fleetwood – was appointed manager on 12th May 2014 after their relegation; he is currently – after 3 months! - 78th in the list of longest serving current managers, immediately above one Louis van Gaal (never heard of him) ........ James Beattie

(In Whom We Trust

) is 46th out of 92

, based on his 15 months in charge of the Reds (Paul Cook’s 29th......

).

Mr Mellon set out his stall to change things; out – not offered new contracts – went both his GKs – Chris Weale (32), who boasts of playing for Yeovil, Bristol City and Leicester, went back to Yeovil, while Joe Anyon (27), once of Port Vale and Lincoln, is currently – I think – without a club; MF Asa Hall (27, Luton, Oxford) joined Cheltenham; defender Alex McQuade (21), whose career at Shrewsbury consisted of 1 game

(a 0-0 draw with the MK Dons), has joined Guiseley – currently topping the Conference North after 3 wins out of 3; former Welsh international winger Paul Parry (33), with a career total of almost 500 games for Hereford, Cardiff, PNE and the Shrews, left, and is also club-less (I think), so p’raps he and Joe Anyon play “3 and In” together on a Saturday

; 26 year-old MF Luke Summerfield (Plymouth and Cheltenham) signed for York; and our one-time favourite LB Joe Jacobson

(27) – who played for Cardiff, Brizzle Rovers (who have 1 point from 9, and lost to Altrincham on Saturday

), and Oldham, as well as for us – signed for Wycombe.

In – believe this or not – came 16 new players

.......Among the ones whose names you may know are; one Andy Mangan (27), whose career may fairly be described as “colourful”

during his time at Accie, Bury, Fleetwood, Forest Green Rovers and Luton (on loan); Liam Lawrence – ex RofI international, once of Sunderland, Stoke PAOK Salonika and Barnsley (very similar, I understand, Barnsley and Salonika

); former Shrews favourite, striker James Collins (23, Swindon, Villa, Darlington and Burton) re-joined from Hibernian; Middlesbrough’s Swiss u20 international GK Jayson Leutwiler (25, ex of Neuchatel Xamax and FC Basel; ex Oldham, Blackpool, Colchester, Southend and Aberdeen striker Scott Vernon (30); striker Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro left the giddy heights of Tranmere

; winger Ashley Vincent (28) – Wolves, Tranmere, Cheltenham, Port Vale and Colchester; ex Blackpool winger James Caton (20)

, who had a short loan with us; and Australian-born MF James Wesolowski (26), with Leicester, Posh and Oldham behind him ..............

Unbeaten, so far

......That’s them, not us

.............. 2-2 at the Wombles (nice to see You Fat Bastard picking on someone his own size for a change

), tipping Blackpool out of the CarlingAs ANewt

Cup 1-0, and then coming back from one down to beat Tranmere 2-1 with two goals in FergieTime

, one scored by Mr Mangan, and one made by Mr Mangan ...........The Boss’s take on it was this;

· “We need to be a bit more slicker , and maybe we haven't been as good as we have been , but I am really pleased for everyone here and for the exciting finish. "

And I’m very pleased that your pleased, Mr M .........and I’d be a bit more pleaseder

if I knew how you could be as good as you’ve been again

, isn’t it. Look you. Eisteddfod...........or not!

Our record against them, on mature consideration, is pants ...........P12 W2 D3 L7 F11 A19 .........Our two wins were at home in 2008/9 (2-1) and away in 2009/10 (1-0); the last season we met was 2011/12, when we lost by the odd goal in one away, and drew 1-1 at home ..........For the record, their leading goalscorer (with 2) is James Collins; Mangan, Vernon and LB Mickey Demetriou each has one. Also on two for the season are Billy Kee

and Peter Murphy ; league-leading scorer is Morecambe’s Kevin Ellison on three ........... Our leading league goalscorer is the penalty-taking Kal Naismith, with one

.......which wasn’t a penalty

.

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Tuesday 19th August. Three points would be nice

...........even one would be nice

.............a couple of goals? A penalty that doesn’t hit the roof of the stand?

Anything, really, to kick-start our season...........Pretty please?

Good luck to everyone .............remember, Keep the Faith! ............And thanks for playing!