v 
SHRIMPERS
As I got off the plane at Gatwick from a far away Greek island that had enjoyed a week of 28-plus sunny days, I found London bathed in 28-c's of sunny weather, in the last week of September.
Strange days, and stranger still that Southend could enter October top of League Two, you wouldn't have taken a bet on it after the 1-0 home defeat by Burton last month, Blues boss Paul Sturrock has done a marvellous job.
Still, we've been here before, crowd whipped up, a thousand on the attendance, and the side just don't perform, we have to hope Luggy has created a team that will not freeze on the night.
And who will be in the starting line-up?
Personally, I would bring Ryan Hall back with Shrewsbury having to make changes to their back four, but how do you drop Ryan Leonard after the game he had at Rotherham, can he repeat anything like that?
Kane Ferdinand continues to receive mixed reviews but Anthony Grant will have to wait a match or two I think before Luggy makes any changes, but what a subs bench if things go pear-shaped.
I do have issues with Graham Turner sides and last season's 2-0 Roots Hall defeat at the hands, literally in the case of Matt Harrold and the first, can't complain about his second though, of the Shrews, didn't do much to improve that.
They certainly put on a decent show at the Emirates before falling to Arsenal 3-1 in the Carling Cup and will be a tough nut to crack here, but I believe this Shrimpers side have the imagination to do it, though they may need some help from 'splinter city' to do it, and I'm leaving son of Luggy off it, 2-1 Blues.
Possible Southend United: Morris, Clohessy, Phillips, Barker, Gilbert, Kalala, Leonard, Ferdinand, Timlin, Dickinson, Harris.
Subs: Bentley, Prosser, Grant, Hall, Mohsni.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!
Would you pick the suspended duo? Have a vote: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk
OPPOSITION
The Shrews face a defensive reshuffle for the trip to Roots Hall.
Reuben Hazell sustained a serious knee injury during last weekend's 2-0 victory over Torquay (highlights below) and is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with a visit to a specialist set to provide a full diagnosis.
But the Town are boosted by the earlier-than-expected return of Shane Cansdell-Sherriff (hamstring), while skipper Ian Sharps (calf) was also poised to be back in training on Thursday. Both have missed the last two matches.
Meanwhile, fellow defender Jermaine Grandison suffered a swollen knee and has been feeling it in training this week but is expected to be okay.
Long-term absentee Carl Regan (calf) is likely to return to training in a week's time but the defender will need another week to 10 days of fitness training before he is considered for selection.
www.twohundredpercent.net certainly fancy them: 'Out of all the sides that missed promotion last season, Shrewsbury Town had the greatest reason to feel hard done by – missing out on promotion by finishing one goal behind Wycombe Wanderers, after Wycombe Wanderers were awarded a goal in the game between the two that didn’t come close to crossing the line. Play-off failure followed, and now Graham Turner has to try again. The signings are good. Reuben Hazell and Carl Regan, (whoops, both out!), will offer competition to an already strong defence, while Matt Richards offers midfield versatility. Even a phantom goal shouldn’t stop them.'
Last Time Out
Shrewsbury Town 2 Torquay United 0 (played on Saturday, September 24th): Report: www.shrewsburytown.com
Beeb highlights: http://news.bbc.co.uk
Player to watch
Marvin Morgan
Yes, he of the 'I hope you all die' comment to his fans while at Aldershot was one of Turner's six summer signings for the Shropshire club and has rewarded him with seven goals.
I believe the last time he played against us for the Shots he scored the winner in a horrible game at the Rec.
Morgan himself though would be thankful for former England youth international right-winger Lionel Ainsworth's dangerous crosses and creativity, left-back Peter Gilbert will have to be at his best.
The full tweeting story: www.guardian.co.uk
(Full player info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Morgan)
Life at the top
| 1 | Morecambe | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 8 | 20 | +13 | ||||
| 2 | Shrewsbury Town | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 20 | +6 | ||||
| 3 | Southend United | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 19 | +4 | ||||
| 4 | Crawley Town | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 17 | 19 | +2 | ||||
| 5 | Rotherham United | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 16 | 18 | +5 | ||||
| 6 | Gillingham | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 17 | +7 | ||||
| 7 | AFC Wimbledon | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 17 | +1 | ||||
| At Southend Utd. (28) | At Shrewsbury Tn. (27) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | |
| Southend Utd. | 17 | 60.71 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 10 | 37.04 | |
| Shrewsbury Tn. | 6 | 21.43 | Southend Utd. | 8 | 29.63 | |
| Draws | 5 | 17.86 | Draws | 9 | 33.33 | |
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | |
| Southend Utd. | 56 | 2.00 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 47 | 1.74 | |
| Shrewsbury Tn. | 29 | 1.04 | Southend Utd. | 31 | 1.15 | |
| On Neutral Ground (0) | Overall (55 matches) | |||||
| Results | Total | % | Results | Total | % | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Southend Utd. | 25 | 45.45 | |
| Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 | 0.00 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 16 | 29.09 | |
| Draws | 0 | 0.00 | Draws | 14 | 25.45 | |
| Goals | Total | Av.pg | Goals | Total | Av.pg | |
| Southend Utd. | 0 | 0.00 | Southend Utd. | 87 | 1.58 | |
| Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 | 0.00 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 76 | 1.38 | |
| Records | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Aggregate | 8 | Southend Utd. | 7 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1963/1964 |
| Highest Southend Utd. score: | 7 | Southend Utd. | 7 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1963/1964 |
| Highest Shrewsbury Tn. score: | 7 | Shrewsbury Tn. | 7 - 1 | Southend Utd. | 1952/1953 |
| Season | Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010/2011 | Sat 05 Feb | Southend Utd. | 0 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Two |
| Sat 20 Nov | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Two | |
| 2004/2005 | Tue 22 Feb | Southend Utd. | 1 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Two |
| Tue 02 Nov | Southend Utd. | 4 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | (Associate Members) | |
| Sat 23 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Two | |
| 2002/2003 | Tue 14 Jan | Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Division Three |
| Sat 17 Aug | Southend Utd. | 2 - 3 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Division Three | |
| 2001/2002 | Sat 13 Apr | Southend Utd. | 0 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Division Three |
| Sat 24 Nov | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 0 | Southend Utd. | League Division Three | |
| 2000/2001 | Sat 27 Jan | Southend Utd. | 0 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Division Three |
| Fri 22 Dec | Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Division Three | |
| 1999/2000 | Sat 22 Apr | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Division Three |
| Sat 16 Oct | Southend Utd. | 3 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Division Three | |
| 1998/1999 | Sat 16 Jan | Shrewsbury Tn. | 3 - 1 | Southend Utd. | League Division Three |
| Sat 15 Aug | Southend Utd. | 2 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Division Three | |
| 1990/1991 | Sat 02 Feb | Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Tue 18 Sep | Southend Utd. | 2 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1978/1979 | Fri 09 Feb | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 0 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Fri 29 Sep | Southend Utd. | 0 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1975/1976 | Tue 06 Apr | Shrewsbury Tn. | 3 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Sat 27 Sep | Southend Utd. | 1 - 3 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1973/1974 | Sun 10 Mar | Southend Utd. | 2 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division |
| Sat 27 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 2 | Southend Utd. | Third Division | |
| 1972/1973 | Fri 02 Mar | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 0 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Fri 06 Oct | Southend Utd. | 2 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1969/1970 | Mon 08 Sep | Southend Utd. | 2 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | League Cup |
| Tue 02 Sep | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 2 | Southend Utd. | League Cup | |
| 1965/1966 | Mon 14 Mar | Southend Utd. | 2 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division |
| Fri 01 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 3 - 0 | Southend Utd. | Third Division | |
| 1964/1965 | Sat 12 Dec | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 3 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Sat 22 Aug | Southend Utd. | 1 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1963/1964 | Sat 04 Apr | Southend Utd. | 7 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division |
| Sat 23 Nov | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 2 | Southend Utd. | Third Division | |
| 1962/1963 | Wed 12 Sep | Shrewsbury Tn. | 6 - 0 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Mon 03 Sep | Southend Utd. | 3 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1961/1962 | Wed 25 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Mon 02 Oct | Southend Utd. | 1 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1960/1961 | Mon 26 Sep | Southend Utd. | 1 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division |
| Wed 21 Sep | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 2 | Southend Utd. | Third Division | |
| 1959/1960 | Sat 13 Feb | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 3 | Southend Utd. | Third Division |
| Sat 26 Sep | Southend Utd. | 2 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division | |
| 1957/1958 | Sat 15 Mar | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 02 Nov | Southend Utd. | 5 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1956/1957 | Sat 16 Mar | Southend Utd. | 1 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 03 Nov | Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 - 0 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1955/1956 | Mon 23 Apr | Shrewsbury Tn. | 1 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 31 Mar | Southend Utd. | 1 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1954/1955 | Sat 18 Dec | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 3 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 21 Aug | Southend Utd. | 4 - 1 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1953/1954 | Sat 27 Feb | Southend Utd. | 3 - 0 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 10 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 2 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1952/1953 | Fri 01 May | Southend Utd. | 2 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 13 Dec | Shrewsbury Tn. | 7 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) | |
| 1951/1952 | Sat 16 Feb | Southend Utd. | 2 - 2 | Shrewsbury Tn. | Third Division (South) |
| Sat 06 Oct | Shrewsbury Tn. | 0 - 1 | Southend Utd. | Third Division (South) |
REF
The man in the middle is from Gavin Ward from Surrey.
He has a facebook group dedicated to his skills as a match official: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=47685079867; oh dear!
His assistants are Nigel Lugg and Lee Betts; The fourth official is Carl Fitch.
FIXTURES
League Two
Friday, September 30th; (both kick-offs 19.45): Macclesfield v Swindon, Southend v Shrewsbury.
Saturday, October 1st; (all kick-offs 15.00): AFC Wimbledon v Gillingham, Accrington Stanley v Aldershot, Barnet v Northampton, Bristol Rovers v Cheltenham, Burton Albion v Bradford, Crawley Town v Plymouth, Dag & Red v Crewe, Hereford v Oxford Utd, Port Vale v Rotherham, Torquay v Morecambe.
BET
Southend (to win) - 17/11, Draw - 5/2, Shrewsbury (to win) - 19/10.
For all the footy odds go here: www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-two/
HISTORY
Shrewsbury Town were formed in May 1886, indirectly following the demise of Castle Blues. The Blues were a rough team, leading to their demise after several games were marred by violence.
The new team hoped to be as successful but without the notoriety. Press reports differ as to the date the new club was formed, The Eddowes Shropshire Journal of 26 May 1886 reported the birth of the club at the Lion Hotel, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury Chronicle reported the club's being formed at the Turf Hotel, Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury. It may be both accounts are true, with a get-together at the Lion being finalised at the Turf.
After friendlies and regional cup competitions for the first few seasons, Shrewsbury were founder members of the Shropshire & District League in 1890-91, later admitted to the Birmingham & District League in 1895-96. Many of the teams Town faced in the early days have vanished, however Shrewsbury met many of today's Football League and Conference teams, including Crewe Alexandra, Coventry City, Stoke City, Kidderminster Harriers and Stafford Rangers.
In 1910, Shrewsbury looked to move to a new ground, having spent early years at locations across the town, notably at Copthorne barracks west of the town. The club moved to Gay Meadow on the edge of the town centre, within sight of Shrewsbury Abbey and stayed 97 years.
Shrewsbury's Birmingham League days were mostly mid-table, with a few seasons challenging near the top, the club being league champions in 1922-23.
A move to the Midland Champions League in 1937-38 saw the club enjoy one of its most successful seasons, winning a league and cup treble. Shrewsbury were league champions, scoring 111 goals . In addition, the Welsh Cup was won following a replay, the team enjoyed a run in the FA Cup, and won the Shropshire Senior Cup.
After a run of good seasons in post-war years, Shrewsbury were admitted to the old Division 3 (North) of the Football League in 1950, after being Midland League champions in 1949-50.
The club was promoted back to the Football League in 2004 at the first attempt, when they won the Conference play-off final. They had been relegated into the conference national from what was then the Third Division (fourth tier) in 2003. In 2006-07, they reached the first play-off final at the new Wembley Stadium, losing 3-1 to Bristol Rovers. Shrewsbury qualified once again for the fourth tier play-off final at Wembley in 2008-09, but lost 1-0 to Gillingham.
The old Gay Meadow ground which we knew and loved, sort of, lasted 97 years between 1910 and 2002.
It hosted over 3,000 matches, 3rd and 4th tier championships, 5 time Welsh Cup winners, league Cup semi finals, Football league trophy semi finals, play off semi finals, a full conference season, 10 years in the 2nd tier and huge cup shocks. This ground saw it all but was demolished three years ago!
The spanking new state of the art Greenhous Meadow stadium was opened July 17th 2007 4-0 win Vs A-line allstars featuring Gianfranco Zola. Has seen one playoff semi final during its short history and hosted Manchester City, England under 19's and the full England Women's team.
With such previous success as player and manager of Shrewsbury Town during their heyday of the late 1970s through to 1984, at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and then at cash-strapped Hereford United as chairman and manager combined, Graham Turner sold Hereford United and was delighted to return to Shrewsbury Town, being installed as manager on 11 June 2010.
He couldn't achieve automatic promotion though, and the club finished fourth at the end of the 2010-11 season, where they lost in the play-off semi-finals to Torquay United.
(For a more comprehensive history of the club, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewsbury_Town)