Big Match Review - Shrewsbury 2 Stockport 0

Shrewsbury Town 2-0 Stockport County

Saturday April 16, New Meadow, (Att: 5,711)

Two first half goals ensured a comfortable victory for promotion-chasing Shrewsbury and pushed struggling Stockport closer to relegation to the Conference.

Town took the lead after 17 minutes when a long ball out of defence by Ian Sharps caught out the Stockport back line. That allowed Tom Bradshaw the time and space to run through, round Matt Glennon, and knock the ball home.

Three minutes later, and Sharps was the provider again when another raking pass out of defence unleashed Bradshaw, who was brought down by Glennon for a penalty.

Nicky Wroe stepped up to send the Hatters custodian the wrong way and double Salop's advantage.

County struggled in vain to get back into proceedings and another loss leaves them eight points off safety with just four games remaining. Graham Turner's side are now just a point off the automatic promotion positions though.

Big Match Preview - Shrewsbury vs. Stockport

Shrewsbury Town vs. Stockport County

Saturday April 16, 15:00, New Meadow

There's a contest between two teams who may well be both playing their football in different divisions next term on Saturday as Shrewsbury Town play host to Stockport County.

While the Shropshire side are one of a number of sides competing for automatic promotion, their visitors sit rock bottom of the Football League and are running out of games to save themselves.

After coming so close to going of business altogether last year, the Hatters were always expected to be in for a tough campaign, and so it has proved.

Boss Paul Simpson was removed with County just above the relegation zone. However, just 12 points have been collected from the 18 games since his departure.

It's left Stockport propping up the rest and sitting five points from safety with just five games of the season remaining. There's little margin for error left at Edgeley Park.

The Greater Manchester outfit are now under the guidance of former Tranmere manager Ray Mathias, who took over from previous caretaker Peter Ward. He's earned seven points from his three home matches.

More tellingly though, away games under him at Aldershot and Wycombe have proved fruitless and no side has lost more on the road this season than the Hatters with 14 defeats from their 20 away matches.

Key performers for Stockport this season have been midfielders Greg Tansey and Paul Turnbull, with fourteen goals between them. Anthony Elding, in his second stint with the club, is also a threat going forwards.

Graham Turner's Shrewsbury are in the thick of the promotion contest

Their hosts at the weekend came into the game in much better shape, with Town currently lying outside the automatic places in 4th, just three points off third place.

It's been a successful return for boss Graham Turner to Salop, whom he took to promotion to the second tier of English football over 30 years ago. A third promotion at the club is now a distinct possibility.

The experienced boss had been targeting the league title a couple of months ago, speaking bullishly about his team's chances as well as casting doubt over leaders Chesterfield's bottle.

He's been proved badly misguided on both of those fronts, and a poor run of one in six threatened to scupper Shrewsbury's top three chances altogether.

However, they have since recovered and prior to last weekend's 3-0 loss at Aldershot, Turner's side had won three on the spin to improve their automatic promotion hopes.

With just three home defeats and only 18 goals conceded at the New Meadow, they will be tough opponents for Stockport. Midfielder Mark Wright, with 12 goals, is also typical of the many goal threats Salop have going forwards.

This is a match pitting a side flying high and gunning for promotion against a team fighting for their lives as they seek to avoid dropping into the Conference.

It'd be too predictable of me to go for the obvious result of a Shrewsbury win then, surely? However, while strange results can occur at this stage of the campaign, I can't see one here.

Nobes' Prediction: Shrewsbury Town 2 Stockport County 0

From The Ground Up

With Chesterfield set to crown their debut season in the b2net Stadium as League Two champions, Nobes looks at how other clubs did after they move grounds.

John Sheridan' Chesterfield are on course to win the League Two title this season

So serene has Chesterfield's unflagging quest for the League Two title been that it's easy to forget the Derbyshire side and focus instead on the more competitive areas of the basement division.

It's a sign of just how imperious John Sheridan's men have been in a campaign that will surely see them crowned as worthy League Two winners and end their four year spell in the basement division.

Even more impressively, it has been done despite leaving their home of years in Saltergate and having to adjust to the new surroundings of the b2net Stadium.

However, as I reported earlier in the campaign, the move seems to have been the catalyst behind Chesterfield's renaissance for a dream debut season.

Not every club has welcomed a new ground in such a positive manner though. Here's my look on how it worked out for some of the others.


Oxford United 2001/2

The Oxen were relegated to League Two in their last season at the Manor Ground and hopes were high that they'd bounce back at the first attempt.

However, life in their new three-sided Kassam Stadium was difficult - losing their first two games in a campaign where they struggled towards the bottom and changed managers.

United ended the season in 21st - winning as many matches at home as they lost.


Leicester City - 2002/3

Having waved goodbye to Filbert Street by crashing out of the top flight, the financially troubled Foxes moved into the Walkers Stadium hoping for a change in fortunes.

And they got it. With a little help from a very generous CVA arrangement, City bounced back to the Premier League at the first time of asking as runners-up to Portsmouth.

Leicester won 16 games and lost just twice on their own patch as it served as the foundation for an impressive promotion under Micky Adams.

Leicester won promotion in their first season at the Walkers Stadium

Hull City - 2003

Hull made the unusual step of switching from their Boothferry Park home to the KC Stadium midway through an underwhelming 2002/3 season.

However, having got to grips with their new surroundings in the second half of their mid-table campaign, the Tigers made amends in 2003/4.

They finished as runners-up to Doncaster to gain promotion to League One with a record of 16 wins and three defeats at their new home.


Coventry City - 2005/6

The Sky Blues signed off from their Highfield Road ground with a 6-2 win and began life in the Ricoh Arena with a 3-0 victory.

However, while their final year at their old ground saw them flirt with the drop, their inaugural campaign at the Ricoh saw them post their best finish to date during ten years in the Championship.

Micky Adams's side won 12 and lost just four of their home matches that season and ended up in 8th.


Swansea City - 2005/6

Ending their final campaign at the Vetch Field by winning promotion to League One, the Swans set about welcoming in their new Liberty Stadium in the same fashion.

Kenny Jackett's men were amongst the front runners all season, albeit a late dip in form saw them having to settle for a place in the play offs.

No third tier side scored more goals at home that year than the Welsh club, who won 11 and lost just three on their own patch. They went on to be defeated on penalties by Barnsley in the play off final.

It was nearly a second successive promotion for the Swans at their new home

Doncaster Rovers - 2007

Like Hull, Rovers decided to opt for the mid-season switch as they changed grounds from the antiquated Belle Vue to the more modern and plush Keepmoat Stadium.

They ended the 2006/7 season in mid table before winning promotion to the second tier for the first time in half a century 12 months later.

Donny won 14 and lost five in their first full campaign at the Keepmoat, eventually succeeding through the play offs with a Wembley win against Leeds.


Milton Keynes Dons - 2007/8

The forerunners of Chesterfield. The Dons finally vacated the National Hockey Stadium and moved into their own home in 2007.

The new stadium:mk was given a rude awakening when Bury rolled into town and beat the Dons in its first match. Indeed, four other sides won there that year.

However, Paul Ince's men did win 11 on their own patch, and their formidable away record helped propel them to a double of the League Two title and Football League Trophy.


Shrewsbury Town 2007/8

Salop had gone out with a bang at their Gay Meadow home, reaching the play off final at Wembley - where they had lost to Bristol Rovers.

They were confident of building upon that when making the move to the New Meadow, and even opened up their new ground with four successive victories.

However, that bright start soon evaporated and they finished the campaign in a hugely disappointing 18th with nine wins and eight defeats in their new home.

Shrewsbury didn't do as well as expected when moving to the New Meadow

Colchester United - 2008/9

Having punched above their weight in the Championship for two seasons at Layer Road, the Essex outfit began life in their new stadium in League One.

However, a poor start to the season saw it take them seven matches to record a victory at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

That sluggish opening saw them end the campaign in mid table, with just seven wins and 12 defeats in their new surroundings.


Cardiff City - 2009/10

A disastrous end to the previous season had seen the Bluebirds depart from Ninian Park with a 3-0 loss and agonisingly missing out on the end of season play offs.

They bounced back in fine style though, winning their first two games at their new stadium 4-0 and 3-0.

It was to remain a fortress for them, with 12 wins and five losses in a season which took them to Wembley and a Championship play off final defeat against Blackpool.


Morecambe - 2010/11

Like Chesterfield, the Shrimps also began this season in new surroundings. However, they have found life a lot harder than their League Two rivals.

Finishing 4th in their last season at Christie Park and qualifying for the play offs, they had hoped to continue from where they left off at their new Globe Arena.

To date though they've won six and lost eight at the new stadium and are languishing in 15th. A far cry from last season's home form of 14 wins and three defeats.

Stuck In A League You Can't Get Out Of

After Grimsby part company with manager Neil Woods, Nobes considers why relegated Football League clubs find it so hard to bounce back quickly and gain promotion from the Conference.

Neil Woods was unable to keep Grimsby up or get them challenging for promotion

Out with the Woods, but not yet out of them. Grimsby's decision to part ways with boss Neil Woods came as little surprise.

However, nor should their struggle to mount any kind of promotion challenge in this year's Conference come as a major shock. The top tier of Non League football is notoriously difficult to escape at the first time of asking.

Indeed, since the introduction of automatic promotion and relegation between the Football and Non Leagues 24 years ago, just four teams have managed to achieve that particular feat.

When you consider that two of those instant returns, by Lincoln and Darlington, came in the first three years, and recent statistics are made all the more damning.

It has been the same story after the introduction of a two-up two-down in 2003/4. The first two years saw Shrewsbury and Carlisle win promotion at the first time of asking. Since then though, no club has managed it.

To put that into context, in the last five seasons five sides in the Championship, three in League One, and four in League Two have all done what no relegated team into the Conference has accomplished.

True, the obvious point to make would be all three higher divisions offer at least one more promotion place, and a couple in the case of League Two.

However, when you consider that very few relegated sides even challenge for a place in the Conference play offs, the issue of how many teams get to go up doesn't really figure in the debate.

The stats show that the Conference is the most difficult division to instantly gain promotion from - as Woods and Grimsby have found to their respective cost.

It's been a bumpy ride for the Mariners, who saw the curtain come down on their century in the Football League in May after an horrific season which saw them, at one point, go 25 games without winning.

However, if they thought that life would get easier as a big fish in a small pond, the Lincolnshire outfit have been given a rude awakening. In fact, their results paint a typical picture of a Football League club trying to adjust to life in the Non Leagues.

It's not as though results have been disastrous, they have taken four points off big-spending Crawley and kept two clean sheets in the process. High flying Luton, Wrexham and Newport have also all been seen off at Blundell Park this term.

Contrast that though, with embarrassing defeats to the likes of Tamworth and Hayes & Yeading. Struggling sides Southport, Eastbourne, and Barrow have all returned from a trip to the North Sea coast with a point to show for their efforts.

For fans whose club were, ten years ago, rubbing shoulders with some of England's finest in the Championship, this season they've seen Town fail to record victories at places like Gateshead and Forest Green Rovers.

The feats of Shrewsbury and Carlisle have proved hard for others to match since

Perhaps this is a major part of the problem which holds back relegated sides though. Nowhere else can clubs enter a lower division with such a superiority complex and expectation of success.

Most Football League fans probably couldn't even tell you where Forest Green are from, let alone expect their side to return from a visit to their trip to the Gloucestershire Cotswolds without maximum spoils.

It's part of the culture shock of adapting to life in the Non Leagues. Travelling to small, ramshackle grounds with antiquated facilities and some teams whose home support is the kind taken away from home in the League.

Fans have high hopes and expectations that such sides will be easily swotted aside - and players must undoubtedly learn to cope with the pressure that they are under.

They're also aware that the longer they remain in the Conference, the harder it becomes to escape - making the stakes in that first season all the more higher - and all the more difficult to meet.

Fans must also come to terms with games against their side being treated almost as cup finals. Non League stalwarts enjoy nothing more than taking a big Football League scalp - and cutting some egos down to size in the process.

It's also not uncommon for smaller sides to travel away and park the bus, supporters' coach, as well as their entire team and fan base in front of their goal in an attempt to claim a point.

Trying to break down such defensive tactics is hard enough - and the longer it goes on the more frustrated fans with high expectations come, and soon playing at home becomes more of a hindrance than an advantage.

Grimsby have only lost twice on home soil this term, but the seven draws at Blundell Park have undoubtedly been key in why they find themselves nine points off the play offs in 9th, albeit with a couple of games in hand.

Throw in an early exit in the FA Cup and a going out of the FA Trophy after a humiliating loss at Chasetown last month, and Woods's job always appeared to be hanging by a thread.

Now under-fire chairman, John Fenty, has the opportunity to make the right appointment to guide Town back into the Football League at the earliest opportunity.

He will be well advised to take his time when deciding his next manager though, as a quick look around the Conference Premier shows a whole host of ex-Football League clubs struggling to find their way back.

Mansfield are now in their third season in the Conference, posting finishes of 12th, 9th, and they currently lie in 13th. A fourth try to escape awaits the Stags next season.

Cambridge have spent the majority of this term looking over their shoulders towards the bottom, and will reflect on successive play off final defeats in 2008 and 2009 as hugely missed opportunities.

Last year's play off winners Oxford spent four seasons in the Conference

Same with York. Last season's play off final losers to Oxford are now in their seventh season in the Conference and as well as another play off appearance in 2007, they have also ended up in the bottom half on three occasions.

Wrexham are only now making an impact in the top five in their third season in the fifth tier, and Darlington - relegated alongside the Mariners last term - are only in mid table and finding life much tougher than they did in the '80s.

I must admit, I was someone who expected the Quakers to have performed better than they have with experienced and proven Conference manager Mark Cooper at the helm.

However, it has taken him time to turn around the sinking ship in the North East which fell to relegation with barely a whimper 12 months ago.

It's true to say as well as that, like the Quakers, often relegated Football League clubs enter the Conference in a shambolic state on the pitch and in financial disarray off it.

The loss of revenue relegation can cause inevitably means a turnover in playing squad, which can often mean a slow start as players gel and adapt to a new set-up.

No matter their size and history, they are simply not in a condition to quickly adapt to the rough and tumble and rigours of the great unknown that is the Non League game - and it shows.

And even when they do, the pressure to succeed can get the better of even the most illustrious and big clubs - Oxford took four years to escape the Conference.

Even the Luton side which, barring a 30 point deduction, would have finished in mid table in League Two in 2009 could only hold down a play off place last season - where they failed to progress through the end of season lottery.

Part of their problem had been holding onto a manager, in Mick Harford, who was so woefully incapable of orchestrating a promotion push. The same could probably be said of Woods - who was fortunate to keep his job after presiding over Grimsby's easily avoidable relegation.

Were the ageing Jim Smith and Brian Little really the men to lead Oxford and Wrexham's respective first promotion pushes, too? It was no surprise that the Oxen, when appointing the canny Chris Wilder, finally did escape the Non Leagues.

Even Shrewsbury had the foresight to hire an experienced Non League name in Jimmy Quinn to guide them back to the Football League at the first time of asking in 2004 - before rightly jettisoning him after struggling to make the step up.

Grimsby must now be similarly pragmatic - looking to select someone well versed in coping with the unique demands of the Conference, and winning promotion from it.

Stalybridge's Jim Harvey has an impressive CV at that level, and current Luton assistant Gary Brabin led Cambridge into the top five. Martin Foyle, in charge at York last season, has also been linked with the job and would seem a decent pick.

The wrong choice, and the Mariners risk settling in too comfortably to life in the Conference. Then the only Cod Army on the march to the Football League will be that of ambitious Fleetwood.

Fan Files: Shrewsbury Town

We like to think we know a bit about what's going on in the Football and Non Leagues here on your favourite professionally unprofessional blog.

However, there's no substitute from hearing from fans themselves. That's where our Fan Files come in.

For the first one of the 2010/11 season, we headed into League Two and one of the early pace setters - Shrewsbury Town.

Matt Crump has been supporting Town for nearly 40 years.

To begin with Matt, what have been some of the highlights of the last four decades?

There have been a great many best moments over the years. Feats of giant killing over top division clubs which always stick in the mind and remain amongst the very best of memories.

A couple of high scoring victories are also great memories. A 7-4 win over Doncaster at Gay Meadow in one of my early seasons. A game that was just 2-0 at half time went crazy in the second half.

That was the first time I can remember us ever getting mentioned by the national media after a game when we featured on Sports Report on BBC Radio 2 while we were driving from the game. Unheard of in those days, and very impressive to a young Town fan.

Also, an incredible 11-2 FA Cup first round win against Marine at Gay Meadow in 1995 - ironically a game played on November 11!

The best moment though has to be the night we won the old Third Division Championship and with it the promotion which led to ten fabulous seasons in the old Division Two.

There had been many postponements that season due to a bad winter and rearranged games after we had reached the sixth round of the FA Cup.

So, it was a balmy Thursday night in mid-May by the time we played our last game at home to Exeter City, with some other clubs - notably Gillingham - with more games still to complete.

Then and now: the promotion team of 1979 went down in Town history

A win would have give us the Third Division Championship, a draw would see us promoted, but a defeat would leave the door open for Gillingham to pip us to the last promotion place.

We scored very early, typically from the famous Shrewsbury near-post corner, but Exeter equalised shortly afterwards to put the home fans back on edge. The Shrewsbury corner did the trick again, and Jake King put us back in front with his second of the night.

We had breathing space after an Ian Atkins penalty sent us in at the interval leading 3-1. David Tong added a fourth in the second half and then we could really enjoy our night properly.

A pitch invasion followed on the final whistle and I can still vividly remember the slightly surreal feeling of me and my mate pre-empting this, along with many other youngsters, by spending the final few minutes of the game sitting on the grass against the Riverside wall so as to avoid the inevitable crush.

What about the worst moments following Shrewsbury?

Relegation from the old Division Two in 1989 hit very hard at the time, but it was losing our Football League status in 2003 which was undoubtedly the worst. Prior to 1997, we had only ever spent four seasons in the fourth tier - three of which were promotion seasons.

So the period which followed saw our worst years since joining the Football League and the relegation in 2003 was very much the low point of those years.

The warning signs had been there for all to see in 2000 when we escaped on the final day of the season by the skin of our teeth with what was, in truth, a much worse side than we had in 2003.

It was a relegation which really never should have happened. The squad had an abundance of attacking talent and did very well in cup matches, notably the famous Nigel Jemson-inspired win against Everton in the third round of the FA Cup. Defensively we were awful though.

Even as late as March 1 after a home win over Rochdale - which proved to be our last win of that season - we were still fairly well placed.

Town celebrate beating Everton - but they ended the season being relegated

There then followed a sequence of games where we often dominated but lost due to very poor defending, often to very late goals.

The footballing gods had looked like they had decided our fate and so it proved when relegation was sealed with a home defeat to Carlisle which, like other several games, we lost from a winning position.

The greatest irony was that our manager Kevin Ratcliffe, a world class centre back in his playing days for Everton and Wales, couldn't address our defensive frailties.

We had far less problems at the other end with Jemson, Luke Rodgers, and Ryan Lowe scoring 50 goals between them!

There was no shock factor for me that evening against Carlisle though. I was resigned to our fate some weeks earlier, which sort of lessened the blow a little bit.

We then went into the unknown in the Nationwide Conference and fortunately - and it was very fortunately - got out at the first attempt.

Maybe some of the misfortune we experienced the previous season had been balanced out and the footballing gods were smiling on us that season?

So then, onto present matters, and six games gone, just the one defeat, and joint-top of the league - it's been an excellent start to the season. Are you surprised by how well it's gone?

I am a little surprised. Mainly because Graham Turner has introduced a new style of play, but also because of the number of new players he has brought in.

For most games this season there have been seven, eight, or nine new players in the starting line-up.

Salop legend Graham Turner is back in charge of the club again after 25 years

As he, and some of the players, have said though, good players adapt to this sort of thing more quickly and we certainly now have several good players at the club.

Our performances have been a little indifferent in some games, but it is also very evident there is a good spirit and work ethic at the club. The players are also clearly enjoying their football and we should, hopefully, improve as the season progresses.

Graham Turner returned to the club during the summer. Was there any part of you against such a club legend giving the job another go?

I had no doubts about Turner as a manager, having been fortunate to see what he was capable of first time around. His record at his other clubs since leaving us also speaks for itself.

I did have some concerns as to whether he would tarnish his legend status at the club should things go pear shaped, and of course that is still a bit of a concern.

Overall though, I thought it was a great appointment and one made at the right time to give the club a boost.

What about your early impressions of this season's League Two overall? What have you made of the opposition you've seen, and how the division might pan out?

I've only seen our three home games in League Two - against Bradford, Aldershot, and Rotherham.

Of those teams, Aldershot and Rotherham looked like very good sides and caused us a lot of problems. They both look like they could do well again this season.

I think the division looks more open this season, with few really big clubs and none with deduction of points. League Two is difficult to predict this time around, and I'm sure there will be the usual surprises at both ends of the table come next May.

There's been plenty to celebrate early on in the campaign at Shrewsbury

As you've already hinted at, you remember well the days when Town were competing in the second tier against the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle. Do you think they could ever get back to, and stay at, that level in the future?

Getting there and staying there are two completely different things for me. Can we get there again? We definitely can.

Plenty of other clubs have shown that it can be done in recent times - but most of those clubs have also not stayed there for too long either.

Whilst there are now a handful of big-money clubs in League One, such clubs make up and the majority in the Championship and it is much more difficult to compete on our sort of attendances.

Scunthorpe have already been mentioned by people within the club on a few occasions in recent times, and they are the example we need to aspire to if we want Championship football.

Realistically, we would be punching above our weight in the Championship - just as we are now punching below our weight in League Two.

I would be happy to get back into League One, which I feel is our natural level, and consolidate there again. It has been much too long since we were last at that level.

Shrewsbury are one of a number of clubs in the lower leagues who have moved ground recently. Where do you sit on the issue of clubs, including your own, re-locating from traditional homes? Must the head rule the heart on such an issue?

Sadly it is a sign of the times, and a necessity for many lower league clubs to have income streams on as many days of the week as possible - not just match days.

Often the only realistic way to do that is to realise the value of your main asset - namely your stadium site - and sell up to get the money to build something more modern elsewhere which provides the means to generate that extra income.

The scenic Gay Meadow had been Shrewsbury's home for almost a century

In our case, there really was very little choice. At Gay Meadow the club was losing a lot of money year on year. There was little scope to re-develop with three sides of the ground enclosed by a school, a railway line, and the River Severn.

There was also a restrictive covenant in place that limited the site to sport and recreation use, as well as the continual problems with flooding. Even if we could have re-developed on that site, funding it would have been a major issue.

The move has given the club a wholly owned, modern, new stadium with facilities that generate income throughout the week and has also left the club debt free.

The club, unbeknown to them at the club, certainly timed the move very well. The Gay Meadow site was sold to developers for housing but the site still lies empty due to the current economic climate.

Had the club been trying to make the same move now it may have proved far more difficult and the price obtained from the sale of the Gay Meadow site many not have been as favourable.

Town have been in the news recently with former player Joe Hart making his competitive England debut.

As someone who has seen a lot of lower division football, do you think he is an exception, or one of a number of players who could progress from the lower leagues and eventually play at the highest level?

Joe Hart was certainly an exceptional talent. I've seen many promising youngsters over the years at the club who have been talked up as potential stars of the future.

To me, Joe had something very special about him which was very apparent after relatively few games. What he had achieved since leaving the club is no surprise to me at all.

I do think there is plenty of talent in the lower leagues and it is sad that Premier League managers mainly look abroad for their players these days.

Now England's Number One, Joe Hart began his career with Shrewsbury

In years gone by, that wouldn't have been the case and lower league players would have been signed by top division clubs much more often.

Importantly, this also resulted in money working its way back down to the lower leagues and encouraged lower league clubs to produce more home grown talent.

It is good to see some clubs still looking down the leagues - like West Brom with Rochdale's Craig Dawson. Sadly clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal - who often used to sign players in the past - very rarely do so these days.

Finally then, what's the best thing about being a supporter of Shrewsbury Town?

For an exiled fan like me, the link it provides with my home town and with family and friends is very important to me.

Otherwise, it is probably the same sort of things that many fans of other lower league clubs would list. Like the pride which comes from supporting your home town club through thick and thin and the real feeling of being part of something.

Not just supporting some top Premier League club adopted for the kudos of being seen in the right shirt.

Those sorts of fans would never understand or experience the true joy when your club achieves something, or the gut-wrenching feeling at the lowest moment. Or the real camaraderie with of your own club, and the banter enjoyed with opposition fans.

Matt, thanks for talking to us. Good luck for the season.

Saints and Sinners

After Southampton's decision to fire boss Alan Pardew, Nobes looks at some of the other unwarranted managerial sackings that defied belief.

Pardew was given just three games at the start of the season at Saints

It's the kind of shocking sacking that, quite frankly, we shouldn't find so surprising.

Given the strength of their squad, Southampton's decision to sack Alan Pardew may not cost them promotion. It has certainly lost them much respect and raised questions about those running the club though.

The dismissal of the former West Ham boss just three games into the new season, and particularly after Saturday's 4-0 win at Bristol Rovers, seems incredibly harsh.

Whatever the reasons - results motivated or otherwise - it's hard to justify sacking a proven manager at that level.

Then again, it's not the first sacking, and certainly won't be the last, to bemuse onlookers. Here's my rundown of some of the worst Football League sackings of recent times.


10. Colin Lee - Walsall

You couldn't help but feel for Colin Lee when he was given the boot from the Saddlers in 2004.

After Plymouth expressed an interest in taking Lee to Home Park, Walsall gave him permission to talk to the Pilgrims.

However, after deciding to remain in the West Midlands, he was sacked by chairman Jeff Bonser for a lack of loyalty and creating 'uncertainty' around the club.

It was to prove costly for Walsall though. Up until then they had been winning their battle against relegation from the Championship.

After Lee's departure they lost three of their remaining four games and dropped into League One. They've never been back to the second tier since.


9. Eric Black - Coventry City

So angry were Coventry fans at the sacking of Eric Black in 2004 that they staged a 'Black Day' protest for replacement Peter Reid's first home game in charge.

The Scot had only been in charge of the Sky Blues for four months and had led them into the top half playing an attractive brand of football.

Despite picking up 29 points in his 18 games though, chairman Mike McGinnity said the team had been too 'inconsistent' and fired Black.

Replacement Reid failed to do anywhere near as well, and was sacked less than a year later after poor results and even worse football.


8. Peter Jackson - Huddersfield Town

Jackson had two spells in charge of the Terriers - whom he had played for during his career, too. It was his first departure which caused most angst, though.

He had taken over in 1997 with the Yorkshire outfit fighting relegation from the Championship.

After keeping them up he then took them to 10th the following campaign.

However, the popular manager was then sacked and replaced by 'big-name' Steve Bruce - who was sacked after a poor start to the 2000/1 season.

It ended with Town being relegated to the third, and later fourth, tier. Only on Jackson's return in 2003 did he immediately take Town back into League One and they only missed out on a return to the Championship in the play offs in 2006.


7. Gary Peters - Shrewsbury Town

The former Preston boss had turned around Salop's fortunes since joining them in 2004.

He kept Shrewsbury in the Football League and then set about building a team capable of challenging at the right end.

That culminated in the 2007 play off final where, despite taking the lead, they lost out to Bristol Rovers at Wembley.

Despite so much progress, a sticky spell in the following campaign - his first at the club - saw him promptly dismissed.

Successor Paul Simpson was granted huge funds to gain promotion but could only match Peters with a play off final defeat to Gillingham in 2009. Had Peters had similar money to spend, Town probably would have been promoted by now.


6. Gareth Southgate - Middlesbrough

Southgate had been at the helm as Boro crashed out of the Premier League after 11 seasons in the big time.

However, he had been given the opportunity to get them back at the first attempt - and seemed to be making a good fist of it.

A 2-0 win against Derby saw Boro lying 4th after 13 games - just a single point off top spot.

However, Southgate was then sacked and in came former Southampton manager Gordon Strachan.

The Teessiders' form dropped off remarkably and they ended the season in 11th - a full 40 points behind Champions Newcastle United.


5. Danny Wilson - Hartlepool United

After relegation to the basement division in 2006, Pools turned to the experienced Danny Wilson to help get them back up into League One.

He did so - and at the first time of asking.

United finished 2nd - missing out on the title by a single point - and then he helped re-establish them back in the third tier with a respectable finish of 15th.

A solid start to the next season saw Pools in the top half but, after successive draws saw them drop to 13th in December, he was sacked.

They finished that season in 19th - a single point above the drop zone, and last term only survived on goal difference. Slipping out of the top half suddenly doesn't seem so bad now.


4. Ian Atkins - Oxford United

When Oxford beat Cheltenham 1-0, they sat 4th in the League Two standings - a point off the automatic promotion places.

They had only been beaten once at home all season and, with nine games of the season remaining, looked a sure bet for at least a place in the play offs.

Despite that good form, manager Ian Atkins had not been offered a new deal.

With his current one due to expire in the summer, he signed a pre-contract agreement to take over at Bristol Rovers for the next season.

Chairman Firoz Kassam decided to fire Atkins and appointed Graham Rix in his stead.

However, Rix's attempt to get a direct team to play passing football failed spectacularly as one win in their last nine saw Oxford miss out on the top seven altogether.


3. Russell Slade - Yeovil Town

Most pundits predicted a struggle for Yeovil when Russell Slade was appointed in 2006.

However, the season ended with the Glovers at Wembley - where they only lost out to Blackpool in the play off final.

Slade had taken a club punching above their weight to stay in League One to within 90 minutes of the Championship.

On meagre resources, it was a fantastic achievement.

It saw him linked to other jobs, but Town rebuffed any approaches. Yeovil ended up 18th the next year and the following campaign was another battle against the drop - but four straight wins in the New Year saw them comfortably in mid table.

However, he was then jettisoned from Huish Park due to a 'breakdown' in his relationship with the board. Town won just three of their remaining 17 games and stayed up by just a couple of points.



2. Ronnie Moore - Tranmere Rovers

Moore had been a great striker for Rovers, and returned to the club as manager in 2006.

In his first two seasons in charge he guided the Wirral outfit to 9th and 11th in League One.

The next term saw Rovers once again mount a push for the top six and they finished 7th, only narrowly missing on the play offs out by a couple of points.

However, the board decided to axe Moore - blaming him for falling attendances - and appointed former Liverpool and England winger John Barnes as his replacement.

It was a disastrous decision. Barnes endured a torrid beginning to the 2009/10 campaign and Tranmere only escaped the drop on the final day of the season under his successor, Les Parry.


1. Alan Irvine - Preston North End

Alan Irvine had joined Preston with the club struggling at the foot of the Championship in 2007.

An improved second half of the season saw him guide North End to 15th and safety, though.

The next season they were fighting it out for a place in the play offs and four wins at the end of the season helped them edge out Cardiff for a place in the top six.

There they lost to Sheffield United, but a fine start to the 2009/10 once again had them in contention. Then a poor run - his first at the club - earned him a shock dismissal at the end of 2009.

Replacement Darren Ferguson oversaw a terrible run of results that saw them slide down the table - only narrowly securing another season of Championship football. They have continued to struggle at the start of the new season.

Shrewsbury's Re-Turner

With Graham Turner's re-appointment as Shrewsbury Town boss, Nobes looks at whether he can bring about the same success in his second spell.

Graham Turner previously managed Shrewsbury from 1978 to 1984

He's been around long enough to have heard the phrase. "Never go back in football," they say. Now back as boss at Shrewsbury though, Graham Turner obviously doesn't agree.

After a quarter of a century away, the 62-year-old has returned to where he began his managerial career in the '70s. Spells at Wolves and Aston Villa followed before a 14-year tenure at Hereford United - a club where he was both manager and owner.

Now things have come full circle. It's an appointment that conjures up a distinct feeling of old meets new in this corner of rural Shropshire. New ground, but the same club and the same ambition. This forward thinking club are hoping to go back in time.

Turner took Salop into the second tier of English football in 1979 as the old Third Division Champions. Despite his departure to Villa in 1984, Town remained punching above their weight with the big boys for a decade.

However, they were eventually relegated in 1989 - and haven't been back since. Indeed, three years later, they had been demoted down to the basement division.

Since then, only three years have been spent higher than League Two level, and the club even endured one year in the Conference following relegation from the Football League in 2003.

For fans brought up in the '80s on league victories over the likes of Chelsea, Blackburn, and Middlesbrough - as well as reaching the last eight of the FA Cup in 1982 - the recent years have been dark days indeed.

Painful ones too. Twice in the past four seasons, Shrewsbury have ended up losing in the play-off final. First, under Gary Peters, they were defeated by Bristol Rovers in 2007.

Then, two years later, Paul Simpson's Town team suffered last minute heartbreak against Gillingham at Wembley. A disappointing campaign last term, coupled with public outbursts against players and supporters, saw Simpson dismissed.

Now they have put their faith in the man who, despite his long connection with local rivals Hereford, is still considered a legend by Salop supporters.

After the turmoil of the latter stages of Simpson's reign, it is an appointment guaranteed to please even the most disillusioned supporters. More importantly, it is a move Shrewsbury hope will help recapture former glories.

This is a club who believe that promotion to the third tier can be the springboard to launching them back towards the heady heights of the '80s.

Shrewsbury's New Meadow is worthy of a higher stage than League Two

Can Turner repeat the same trick second time around though?

Certainly off the pitch, Town are arguably better prepared than they were 30 years ago. Their 10,000 New Meadow ground gives them the kind of facility which can generate revenue outside of match days.

Turner has also already pointed to the example of clubs like Scunthorpe - who secured a second consecutive season in the Championship next term after winning their relegation battle.

The question is - if Scunthorpe can do it, why can't they? It's difficult to argue that if the Lincolnshire club can compete with the likes of Leeds, Nottingham Forest, and Sheffield United next season, then Shrewsbury can't do, too, sometime in the future.

There should be no fears either that Turner, at 62, is past his best, or his methods outdated. A strict believer in playing the game the right way, Turner's principles have proved successful in the lower leagues.

After consistently finishing in the top echelons of the Conference, he eventually took Hereford back into the Football League in 2006. Just two years later, they were back in League One.

Although their spell in the third tier lasted just one season, it was a promotion against all the odds for a club who punched above their weight. It was also achieved with the use of young loan players from clubs higher up the pyramid.

Turner was well aware the Bulls couldn't compete financially with other clubs in the division, so used the loan market to his advantage. It was a ploy that paid off - much to the annoyance of other managers, particularly then Shrewsbury boss Gary Peters.

It also showed a man who has not lost his an eye for young talent. During his first spell at Shrewsbury, Turner brought in the likes of midfielder Bernard McNally - who played for Northern Ireland at the 1986 World Cup and later transferred to West Brom.

He also spotted the talent of goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic, who was later sold to Coventry City and went on to become a key member of the Sky Blues team in the top flight of English football.

He will not be forced to work within the tight financial constrictions he was used to at Hereford in his new job though. Shrewsbury have a more than competitive budget for the basement division.

Now they hope they've the manager to use it wisely and end their exile in League Two. After all, they also say history repeats itself.

Big Match Review

League Two

Shrewsbury Town 3-1 Burton Albion (Att: 6348)
Saturday August 8, 15:00, The New Meadow

Burton's debut in the Football League turned into a bit of damp squib, as the Brewers fell to defeat to Shrewsbury. 2-0 down after 50 minutes, a Greg Pearson strike gave the newboys hope before a mistake by keeper Shane Redmond sealed the points for the home side.

Redmond could have done better for the first goal too. Just 10 minutes were on the clock when Town debutant Jake Robinson latched onto a pass from Dean Holden and somehow finished from a narrow angle past the Albion custodian.

He soon redeemed himself though, with a fine save from Dave Hibbert's header to stop the Shrews doubling their advantage. However, he was powerless when the same player powered home Kevin McIntyre's left wing cross at the beginning of the second half to make it 2-0.

Burton rallied, and midway through the second half, substitute Pearson's deflected shot looped over Town keeper Chris Neal and into the net for the visitor's first goal in the Football League.

However, the comeback was to prove shortlived. Joss Ladabie's free-kick caught out Redmond, who could only push the ball off the post and into his own net to seal the points for Paul Simpson's men.

A disappointing result then for the Brewers and the 1000 or so fans who travelled from Staffordshire. However, they'll now be well aware of the unforgiving nature of the Football League, and Burton must cut out the mistakes if they're to successfully make the step-up this season.

Nobes.

Big Match Preview

League Two

Shrewsbury Town vs. Burton Albion
Saturday August 8, 15:00, The New Meadow

With just 59 years of history behind them, Burton Albion are used to feeling like the new boys. However, when they step out to face Shrewsbury on Saturday, the Staffordshire club really will be, as they make their debut appearance in the Football League.

For chairman Ben Robinson and the Brewers fans, it's the culmination of a long-held dream to bring professional football to this part of the West Midlands. Of course, the architect on the pitch, Nigel Clough, left to join Derby before Albion cemented promotion as Conference Champions in April.

And indeed, it was Clough's departure which signalled a downturn in fortunes that saw a once mammoth 18-point lead at the top of the table reduced to just three on the final day. Had Cambridge United managed to beat Altrincham, and scored a few on route, Burton probably wouldn't be here.

As it is, the U's didn't, and it is the team from the Pirelli Stadium who begin their first campaign as a full-time club as part of English football's elite 92. However, after such a collapse in the second half of last season, they won't be approaching the new season with any kind of the momentum usually associated with promoted teams.

It makes the step into the unknown all the more difficult for new boss Paul Peschisolido. The former Derby, Birmingham, and Sheffield United striker (amongst others) is taking his first steps into management with Burton, and is the first Canadian to manage in the Football League.

He's looked to experience to strengthen his side over the summer - the likes of Marc Edworthy, Paul Boertien, and Richard Walker have all joined the Albion ranks. A tough first season is predicted, and it all starts this weekend.

Burton begin their Football League journey in Shropshire

Their opponents are Shrewsbury Town. Salop, under the guidance of former Preston boss Paul Simpson, lost in the play-off final to Gillingham last season. Over the summer they've also lost key striker Grant Holt to Norwich, and the likes of full back Darren Moss and midfielder Ben Davies have also left for pastures new.

However, Simpson has money to strengthen, and has already brought in Brentford forward Nathan Elder this past week. More signings are likely to be brought into the Shropshire outfit before the transfer windows shuts at the end of the month.

Even with the weakening of the Town squad though, Burton have a tough assignment on their hands. Shrewsbury enjoyed the best home record in League Two last season, and the New Meadow is a difficult place for sides to go and pick up a result.

However, perhaps Burton's best chance is to catch the home side cold on the opening day. There will be a large following for the visitors, and you imagine the players will be energised on the club's big day to ensure they at least get a point.

Conference winners tend to at least get something from their Football League debut, and I forsee Burton will pick up a useful point at Shrewsbury as they begin the next chapter in their history.

Nobes' Prediction: Shrewsbury Town 1 Burton Albion 1