It's time to party - blue and amber style

9.30pm on Saturday 28th April 2012; wearing the famous blue and amber in the Dove pub Ipswich.

Relief, joy and proud, why? Well we've only gone and got promoted & we've not stop celebrating since!

So here's our brief take on the day the Town went up. Saturday 28th April 2012; shared with Lewis, Mike, Andy and honoury Shrew Duncan!

Blue and amber all the way...
Everywhere we go people want to know who the 'ell we are.

Well everyone on the along the A14,  M6 & M54 got the message.

Everyone packed in, North stand never looked so good.

'Unbeaten at home, we are Shrewsbury, unbeaten at home'

"Que Sera, Sera, Whatever Will Be, Will Be we're Going to Coventry"


And we've already began planning the journey on our way home.

(look very closely behind the tax disc!).

One BIG thank you.
Thank you Roland for starting the party, for keeping Shrewsbury Town alive, giving us club with a strong future and for bringing back Mr Graham Turner.

One Roland Wycherley, there's only one Roland Wycherley....

Enjoy the summer everyone.
The dreaming is over, league 1 football is now a reality. Colchester away anyone? Yes please.

36 hours to Macc & back

In the middle of June 2011, the fixture computer kicks into action before sending Shrewsbury to Macclesfield for an evening kick off on Good Friday.

Forward 8-9 months later and the minds of the Ipswich Shrews - Mike, Andy and Lewis are at full pace as we finalise our own plan of action of taking in Macclesfield differently; and to achieve more than in previous visits and get the all important three points.

Though there was one thing that would be an guarantee - it would rain and we would get wet. 

So what did we do differently? 

Answer: leave Ipswich on Thursday at 3pm. Just short of 29 hours before kick off. We arrived at our first destination at 7pm....Higham north of Alferton on the East side of the Peak District and booked into the Crown pub and B&B..

We rested, dinned on fish and chips and a couple of the local Buxton Ales.

Friday morning, 9am. 10 hours, 45 minutes to kick off.

Breakfast taken in and we are ready for the peak district tour.

Mike confirmed his lucky blue and amber pants had been packed; apparently that's since wearing them in 2012 Shrewsbury have not lost. 

But forget to wear them when we played Torquay, Swindon and Plymouth. Chris Neal is demanding answers.

So where did we go?

Checked into Alfteron Town FC.

They were just about to leave for their league game at Wrexham (which they won one nil, nice!). 

Found out that ex shrews defender Darren Kempson is now on their books.

Came across Matlock Town FC set in the hills of the snowy peaks & managed by ex Shrews Mark Atkins

Who's Twigg?

Before arriving at the 2nd highest pub in the UK for a afternoon refresher at the Cat and Fiddle while checking on the league two scores. Pleased to hear Crawley had only drawn.

Macclesfield 7.45pm. Arrived knowing a win would send us to third.

As predicted the rain did arrive - even effected the fingers of our cameraman (Thanks Tim!).

Good professional performance, saw off Macc's early pressure and started to control the game after 25 minutes.

Excellent individual goal from James Collins on 33 minutes gave the Town a hard earned half time lead.

Further goals from Mark Wright and Collin either side a good strike from Mendes of Macc, concluded a memorable trip at Moss Road.

Cracking atmosphere with plenty of singing with the added Altringham fans which was different.

Saturday morning 2.30am - arrived back home in Ipswich, for sleep and to begin drying ahead of our next trip....48 hours later for Bradford at home on Easter Monday.

This trip will be more routine....though the drama of the chase for promotion will keep us on our toes.

Come on Town let's complete an Easter six point double.

Oh Mike - please make sure the pants have been washed ahead of Monday.

Following Shrewsbury Town in 2011. The good, the bad and the some what bizarre moments from the last 12 months.

So as we reach the end of 2011, let’s look back at what we have witnessed, experienced or suffered from while following Shrewsbury Town!


Remember, remember the 5th of November! Sadly for most town fans we have to for it was the only time James Wallace played any significant football in a blue and amber shirt!

But for us it marks as the strangest memory of the whole year that has paved the way for more ‘magical’ trips from IP3, IP4 & IP2.
The meeting of the latest recruit, Andy on the 10.30am train from Ipswich to London bound for Dagenham!
Cue stunned looks from Andy as he spotted not just one but two blue and amber shirts worn proudly but two men causally discussing the hopes for the day! We won 2-0.

So, let’s select rewind and look back at more 2011 memories.
The good…

• 5-1 by half time away in Lincoln on a cold Tuesday evening in February built on pace, passing and movement of players that ripped the Imps apart. Lionel Ainsworth superb quick fire hat-trick. Conversations pre-match were around Lionel’s place in the side and the need to show what he can do. Thank you Lionel for putting us in our place. Excellent night and top draw performance by the lads.
• The rise of one Jon Taylor. ‘He’s not very tall that Jon Taylor he’s not very tall’. In the space of 6 weeks from his full debut at the end of January scoring twice against Burton Taylor contributed to a feast of goals during February; 2-0 at Southend, 5-1 at Lincoln cumulating in with a stunning late winner at Northampton (3-2) in early March. A STFC star had been born!
• The Arsenal experience. 5000 blue and amber fans, James Collin’s header to put Shrewsbury in to the lead, grown men hugging each other and knocking a cup of coffee over Mike’s programme in the process (no names please) and the chants of ‘are you Wrexham in disguise’ will live long in every Salopian’s memory. Great night.
• In the same league cup run; 1st round at Derby in mid August. Storming to a 3-0 lead in the first half with exciting fast and rip-roaring play from Mark Wright, Lionel Ainsworth and ‘big’ Marvin Morgan.
• Magnificent Matty Harrold goal at Southend in February to silence his former fans barracking.

The bad…

• Wish you were here? No thanks this is once seaside resort team that we hope to avoid. Stumped on three occasions by Torquay starting with our own visit in March to see the 5-0 defeat. Followed by TV nightmares losing out to the Gulls in the play off semi finals. Played three conceded 7 scored none. 
• Shot in the foot twice - there’s no escaping the entire 90 minutes v Aldershot in April and in December without a ‘shot’ in anger…apart from the 11 red shirts from Hampshire.
• Keep us away from the TV…the lacklustre 1-0 defeat to Bury live on Sky Sports in late January.

And finally and probably what we often remember more than anything the bizarre… (Well it can only happen when following Shrewsbury Town!)

• Finding out there are four of us in Ipswich
• The 12 Grandisons of Christmas sung at Aldershot and in part at Cheltenham in December 2011
• The rather annoying rumours websites throughout the summer that linked player after player with either a move to or from the Greenhous Meadow
• For a good cause but not for TV, the Movember top lips on show to all ESPN viewers live from Newport, South Wales in mid November.
• It still wangles (!) The goal that never was v Wycombe at home in March, costing us promotion. C’mon let’s get over it. But sadly we will probably never will.

Our number 1 moment of 2011
Meeting the messiah himself, Mr Graham Turner himself pre match at the team hotel on the edge of Lincoln in early February.

While walking in to the hotel reception we were greeted by the man himself sitting with John Trewick and Michael Jackson. In the few moments we chatted, he enquired about our availability to be paired upfront (with two missing from the current line up) as the ‘tall and little un’ combination; sadly we had left our boots at home; then added ‘we’ll be all right lads’. We were 5-1 up at half time!


Prediction for 2012? We will be Champions in 2012 but knowing our luck all football will be suspended for the 2012/13 season owing to world financial meltdown.
Happy New Year!

LinksRead previous Ipswich Shrews blogs

A tale of two Shrews, several Canaries, 400 miles, Mecca & Macc’

Andy is the fourth and latest Ipswich based Shrew.  He is eagerly anticipating his maiden Greenhous Meadow experience having ventured up from Ipswich to Market Drayton on Friday to spend the weekend with his mum.

Saturday, that great day arrives. Mike, (unusually) travelling alone on this occasion departs 7.30 prompt from Ipswich to embark on the 200 mile trek to Mecca. Zero temperatures but a warming day in prospect.

As the miles roll by Mikes thoughts inevitably turn to great deeds done by STFC. A time to reflect…could it be another 7 goal win today.  What if someone emulates Grant Holt or my hero the (great) Alf Wood and nets five. Could it be that Jamie or Marv cuts loose? What if Terry gets the bagful his tireless work deserves? Could Bradders blast sensationally onto Jeff Stelling's radar?  Surely Goals! Goals! Goals! after last Saturdays no show.

Back to reality and Motorway Closure at Junction 2-3a M6 at Coventry. No matter… still making great time for the noon meet with Andy at Brooklands Hotel.

Excellent pre match. Convivial atmosphere aided by the industrious Ade Plimmer informing us of the great community based work of the STFC Trust. Then on to the jam packed Power League Bar where it’s cheery hello to Town legend Chris Smith, a quick pint and season’s greetings to friends. By now Andy’s well in to the gig.

We take our position. Back of Block 18 West Stand. Magnificent view. Andy is wide eyed. He’s reached his Mecca.

A great first 45. Purist’s football, the best I’ve seen from Town at home for a while. Richards orchestrating the symphony. Town fluent and Macc dogged. No goals but no matter. Andy’s confident. Patience the key today we muse. Then..tidings of great Joy from C-S, a great header and we’ve got a deserved lead.

Now for the other six… Oh James!  The deserved second eludes us and a bit of late anxiety creeps in.  Surely.. Not Plymouth again!  Bite yer nails time but we see it through reasonably comfortably for a well deserved three points. Joy at final whistle. Big smile on Andy’s face and a hearty handshake.

Back to the Brooklands for Andy’s pick up and I’m on the road again at 5.30.

Well it wasn’t a seven goal mauling but its amazing how even a narrow victory makes the tedium of a 400 mile round trip melt away. 

Quick stop at Selly Oak to collect daughter from Birmingham Uni. She’s hungry so we stop at Corley Services near Coventry.

In stroll several yellow shirted men. Blue and amber clad middle aged man meets yellow shirted Norwich fans travelling back from Everton. Once they identify the shirt discussion inevitably turns to Norwich cult hero Grant Holt who’d apparently scored a wonder goal at Goodison.

I regale them with tales of the mighty deeds of Grant for STFC, the 28 goal machine and how we basically re- launched career. I also make sure they understand our pride in Harty and Davie E for that matter.

Our conversation ends with a spontaneous ‘Holty is Superman’, ‘Holty is Superman’  rendition much to the bewilderment of the KFC clientele. We bid each other successful seasons and I depart happy that once again STFC links have brought the football fraternity together. 

Home by 10pm, just in time for ‘Match Of The Day’ and ‘The Football League Show’ where it can all be re-lived.

What a great day.  This is why we travel.

Floreat Salopia!

A happy Christmas to one and all at STFC

Mike and Andy.