Simpson hints at further signings

Boss Paul Simpson is holding onto the possibility of making further additions to his Shrewsbury Town squad - but not at the expense of the club’s financial viability.

Simpson has already smashed the club transfer record this summer, splashing out £170,000 on striker Grant Holt.

And he has been well-backed by chairman Roland Wycherley, who has so far allowed him to bring in five other new faces - defenders Michael Jackson and Shane Sherriff, midfielders Paul Murray and Stephen Hindmarch and striker Richard Walker.

Simpson, who took his side to Stafford Rangers today for their first pre-season friendly, is happy with that business, but admits there could yet be more new signings.

“There are other players out there I’d like to bring in but I’m not going to be silly about it,” he declared.

“I’m delighted with what I’ve been allowed to bring in so far and it’s more than I expected.

“If I can create space by moving someone on, then it may be possible that we get more players in.

“And if there was someone exceptional who became available to us then I think the chairman would back me, because he is hungry for success.

“The big thing we wouldn’t want to do, though, is put ourselves at financial risk.

“You look at Luton, Rotherham and Bournemouth and we wouldn’t want to have the kind of problems that they have got.”

Simpson is also delighted by the success of the club’s training camp at Desert Springs in Almeria, Spain.

Shrewsbury flew out last Sunday and returned in the early hours of yesterday morning after four days of hard work.

“It went very well,” the Town chief said. “They really applied themselves well and stuck together as a group.

“It was a good opportunity to really work on their fitness levels and there was an excellent spirit.”