Shrewsbury @ Wembley

Last updated : 16 April 2010 By Nick Humphreys

Despite the weekends success at Crewe, Town’s chances of clinching a play-off place still remain next to nothing.

However, is this a blessing in disguise? Shrewsbury boast a 100% record at Wembley Stadium, 3 games, 3 losses, and bucketloads of tears from heartbroken fans whose dreams have been crushed on their big day out.

Here we roll back the years and chronicle the three fateful days in London…

1996 Auto Windscreens Shield Final: Shrewsbury 1-2 Rotherham

This match was one of my first experiences of a live football match, i’d only been to Gay Meadow a handful of times with my Dad and his weird collection of domino-playing, ale-swilling pals. I remember one guy (his name escapes me) always used to ask me down at the Hen and Chicks before kick-off if i’d been naughty. At the time i was a confused 6-7-year-old, so got defensive and insisted i’d been well behaved, now i get it, he was making out that i was being punished for being naughty for being forced to watch Salop get thrashed with my Dad.

Anyway i digress, Wembley for the first time in Shrewsbury’s long history was a great occasion, a fun road trip with a bunch of exciting fans, exploring places i’d never seen before. However there was a game of football to be won to make the day complete, and unfortunately Town couldn’t manage it.

Future Town legend/arsehole Nigel Jemson proved the matchwinner, firing the Millers in front on 19 minutes from a Shaun Goater pass, and doubling their lead on 58 minutes, after charging down Paul Edwards clearance after and iffy Dave Walton backpass, and slotting into the net.

At 2-0, with the atmosphere in the Shrewsbury end flat, i’d lost interest and wanted to go home, until Mark Taylor popped up with a tap in 10 minutes from time to give us a glimmer of hope and make for an exciting, yet ultimately fruitless climax.

Unlucky this time, but we’d be back…wouldn’t we?

2007 Coca Cola League Two Play-Off Final: Shrewsbury 1-3 Bristol Rovers

Town’s first wonder down Wembley Way in 11 years was an eagerly anticipated affair.

Neither team should of been there, Rovers finished 6th, two points behind Lincoln City, whom they dispatched in the play-off semi’s in an exciting goal-fest in which prolific strike pairing Rickie Lambert and Richard Walker sparkled, and Shrewsbury finished a massive 13 points behind Milton Keynes Dons before edging them out 2-1 at the National Hockey Stadium. Super-sub Andy Cooke netted twice for Salop in a nailbiting end-to-end thriller.

A bumper 61,000 crowd descended on Wembley to witness the first Play-Off Final to be played under the arch.

It all started so well, with Stewart Drummond nodding Salop in front on 3 minutes.

In a match which was dominated by Shrewsbury for long spells, we were given a masterclass in finishing. Where Town’s frontmen lacked the composure to find the net, Rovers striker Walker didn’t, levelling on 21 minutes, and firing Rovers in front on 35 with an exquisite lob over the stranded Chris MacKenzie, who incidentally only made the starting line-up due to on-loan number one Scott Shearer actually being a Bristol Rovers player.

It was in some way ironic that another future Shrewsbury forward should shoot us down at Wembley, unfortunately Richard Walker couldn’t replicate Nigel Jemson’s giantkilling heroics in a Town shirt.

Town threw the kitchen sink at Rovers, Derek Asamoah tormenting them time and again with his pace and skill, but couldn’t draw level.

Left-back Marc Tierney, arguably Shrewsbury’s best performer all season, received a red-card late on for a second bookable offence, to further dent Town’s chances, but they continued to bang on the Rovers door.

The result was put beyond doubt after MacKenzie went up for a Town corner in injury-time as a last throw of the dice, and Rovers cleared the ball to Sammy Igoe who found an empty net with a long-distance strike.

Town could leave Wembley with their heads held high, after dominating a match without influential pairing Ben Davies and Luke Jones, who both got injured during the warm-up.

Another long drive back to Shrewsbury, pondering what might have been…

2009 Coca Cola League Two Play-Off Final: Shrewsbury 0-1 Gillingham

Two years after the Bristol Rovers agony, Town were back at Wembley for another stab at promotion to League One, third time lucky perhaps?

The signs all pointed in Shrewsbury’s favour, a 7-0 demolition of the Gills at the Prostar Stadium in the early weeks of the season, and a 2-2 draw in Gillingham inspired by League Two Player of the Year Grant Holt, Town surely couldn’t throw it away this time…

Shrewsbury had scraped through to the final by the skin of their teeth, oweing to three terrific penalty saves from young loanee goalkeeper Luke Daniels in the semi vs Bury.

53,000 fans witnessed an uneventful first half, and after the break, it was Gillingham who dominated the early exchanges.

Eventually Town got into the match, with Kelvin Langmead and Kevin McIntyre both wasteful in front of goal.

Salop’s cult hero Holt, who had almost single-handedly won matches for Town during the season with his bruising forward play and expert finishing, was well marshalled out of the match by Gary Richards and Simon King.

Play-Off Final Match Programme
Play-Off Final Match Programme

It was billed as Grant Holt vs Simeon Jackson, the two highest scorers, the two most dangerous players in the league, one of them would rise to the occasion and fire their team to League One.

Unfortunately for Shrewsbury, it was Jackson, the Canadian capitalised on sloppy marking to nod home a corner in the 90th minute, despite the best efforts of Neil Ashton on the goal-line.

If history repeats itself and lightning strikes thrice, at least we can look forward to Jackson turning out at the Prostar in a few years time, probably a few stone heavier, winding down his career, in a labouring, awkward and frustrating fashion as his predecessors Jemson and Walker did.

Fans were left with a different feeling after this match from the Bristol Rovers game, at least the team turned up for the Rovers match, and deserved to be walking away with the trophy, in this tie, the players seemed to freeze on the biggest stage.

So to date, that concludes Shrewsbury Town’s love(/hate) affair with Wembley. Maybe we’ll be back there soon, whether it be for the Play-Off final, JP Trophy, Carling Cup or FA Cup (i’m not high, you never know when an Arab billionnaire might take a fancy to us!), i’m sure the blue and amber faithful will be careful not to get their hopes up…