We're going up! Future is bright for super Shrews

Thousands of delighted supporters partied long into the night on Saturday after Town's 1-0 win over Cheltenham saw Micky Mellon's side achieve their promotion dreams.

The popping of champagne corks marks a huge turnaround for the club and its fans who this time last year were left heartbroken following a disppointing season which ended in relegation.

We are going up, say we are going up.

That was the chant which rang out from the Shrewsbury Town fans after their side secured promotion on Saturday.

The Shrews made sure they will be playing League One football next season with a 1-0 win over Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road much to the delight of the nearly 2,000 travelling fans and many more keeping up to date with the score back home in Shropshire.

Congratulations to all at the Greenhous Meadow on a successful season under manager Micky Mellon after relegation the previous season – it is a great achievement to bounce straight back up after the previous disappointment.

It means Saturday's final game of the season at home to Plymouth can be a celebration of all that has been achieved at the club over the past 12 months both on an off the pitch.

It can only be good for the club, good for the town and good for Shropshire to see the Shrews play at a higher level.

And who knows?

A win against Plymouth at the Greenhous Meadow and defeat for leaders Burton Albion in their final game of the season away at Cambridge United could even see the Shrews win the league.

That disappointment prompted chairman Roland Wycherley to make sweeping changes with Mr Williams brought in as chief executive and former Fleetwood boss Mellon hired as manager.

And Mr Williams admitted it's great to see Shrewsbury fans celebrating once again.

"This season has been absolutely fantastic and I want to say congratulations to Micky, the players, the chairman and the board of directors for all the wonderful work they have done," he said.

"We always hoped things would go as well as they have but now the feelings are of relief and delight.

"It still hasn't sunk in just what this club has achieved in a short amount of time.

"We have become a proper football club in every sense of the term. The way we prepare, the detail, the analysis. The future is now looking very bright."

Mr Williams was particularly pleased for Mr Wycherley that promotion has been achieved, with Shrewsbury still able to win the League Two title if they beat Plymouth on Saturday and title rivals Burton Albion fail to win at Cambridge.

"I'm delighted for the chairman," he said.

"He is Mr Shrewsbury.

"He wants a successful football club and he deserves a successful football club," said Mr Williams.

"There are not many chairmen who have the passion for the football club that he does. The relegation last year really hurt him."

Town's players marked the promotion by wearing T-shirts bearing the names of fans Lloyd Burton and Colin Bloomfield, who sadly both died last week.

Lloyd captured the hearts of minds and football fans across the country as well as superstars including David Beckham and Jose Mourinho after being diagnosed with medulloblastoma in 2013.

The 11-year-old tragically lost his battle with cancer last Wednesday.

Mr Bloomfield, a broadcaster, journalist and regular commentator for the Shrewsbury Town website, died on the morning of Shrewsbury's promotion after losing his battle with cancer. He was 33.

Mr Williams paid tribute to both fans and also fellow Shrews supporter Nick Mann who was killed by a tube train last month after trying to rescue his brother who had gone onto the tracks.

"I have never known a football club with fans like Shrewsbury's," Mr Williams said.

"We have had some really sad things happen recently. We've lost Nick Mann, Lloyd Burton and Colin Bloomfield.

"To remember them in the way they have done has been incredible."