Shrewsbury Town’s salute here to stay as Steve Cotterill builds rapport

One of the sights of the summer and season so far for Town has been the manager, his staff and players uniting in their salute to the returning fanbase.

The Town ranks embraced and waved, with arms linked, to the away end at AFC Telford United at the end of the first pre-season friendly, which marked Cotterill's return to the dugout following severe illness. Such scenes are more commonplace on the continent and especially popular in German football, used to a high profile by Jurgen Klopp at Mainz, Dortmund and Liverpool.

Cotterill, 57, was keen to say thank you to Shrewsbury fans on his return to the dugout and the salute at the New Bucks Head was an emotional scene. But, perhaps surprisingly, the boss did similar at Montgomery Waters Meadow following Tuesday's penalty shootout comeback win over Lincoln in the Carabao Cup – and has now revealed he hopes to make the gesture a regular occurrence at the end of games this season, suggesting a routine of three waves for a win and one for a draw.

"We'd said that wherever we are or whatever we do this season, we get three arm raises for a victory, we only get one for a draw and we applaud our supporters if we've been beat," Cotterill said.

"That's the sort of theory we're looking into. So if there's only one on another day, then it might be a draw. We clapped them on Saturday when we got beat.

"It's good, I want them to get that relationship with the supporters, it's vitally important.

"I think the fans like it as well, you can see them, they are waiting for it now.

"And the other thing about it is that the lads actually like the moment, when they are winning, or they are up against it, or it's 1-0 with 90 on the clock and five added on, we want to see that game out so we can have that moment with the supporters and get that link.

"Because I don't know any club that ends up being successful that doesn't have that link."