Shrewsbury Town players in fine voice at their carol service

It certainly wasn't a silent night when town manager Micky Mellon, first team player Micky Demetriou and club president Mel Starkey joined other members of the team and hundreds of people at Shrewsbury Abbey last night.

Reverend Phil Cansdale, the club's chaplain, led the service, which featured Highley Primary School, years five and six, singing carols, and the Shrewsbury Male Voice Choir.

The Silent Night Carol Service was held at the Abbey for the first time. In previous years it has taken place at the football ground at Otley Road.

And concert organisers were hoping singers would dig deep for the collection plate and raise cash for Hope House.

Event organiser Jamie Edwards, Shrewsbury Town's community sports trust manager, said: "It has only taken about three weeks to organise the carol service, which is pretty good going.

"We approached Shrewsbury Abbey as normally we hold this at the football ground. But we wanted to spread it out to a wider community rather than just to football fans. The response has been amazing and we have had really great feedback.

"Everyone was really keen to offer their support to the service. Although it is free to everyone, we did take donations and once the proceeds have been calculated and the costs, such as the hire of the Abbey deducted, we will be giving the remainder to Hope House. This is another first as we have never done the carol concert for charity before."

Shrewsbury Town Chief Executive Matt Williams said: "The Abbey is the perfect venue for the club to host the annual carol concert this year.

"Having it during the week will hopefully have given a lot of our fans the opportunity to come down and help us to get into the Christmas spirit."

The concert featured the usual carols including Silent Night, in tribute to the soldiers of World War One who halted hostilities to take part in an impromptu carol service in the trenches.

Ken and Chrissie Davies had travelled to the Abbey from Telford to attend.

Ken, 58, said: "I have been a supporter of Shrewsbury Town since I was six years old and my grandfather took me to my first match. I have always wanted to see inside the Abbey church, and this seemed like the ideal opportunity.

"It's been a lovely service. I thoroughly enjoyed myself."

Margaret Lobbenberg, 80, from The Mount, Shrewsbury, has been a supporter of the town since she was 15.

She said: "There was a great atmosphere inside the church. I have been to club carol services before, both at the old and the new ground, but because they are so big the atmosphere was not so good. It's been very well attended for such a horrible night."

Rosemary Keylock, 68, of Castlefields, Shrewsbury, said: "I'm a lapsed supporter but I do love carol services."

Jane Pyne, 71, from Castlefields, said: "It was a really lovely service. And the children's singing was beautiful. The references to the First World War trenches and the Christmas day football match, which were dotted throughout the service, were especially poignant."