Town boss never understood Fleetwood axe
Shrewsbury Town manager Micky Mellon makes his first return to Fleetwood admitting "I still don't know why they sacked me."
The Town boss left the Cod Army in December 2012 after just over four years in charge at the Highbury Stadium.
He had took them on a meteoric rise from Conference North to the League Two promotion race.
He was sacked after three straight defeats, ironically the same return which cost successor Graham Alexander his job seven days ago.
But Mellon, who leads Town into their first-ever meeting with the coastal side tonight, has no regrets.
The 43-year-old said: "I still haven't been told why I had to leave, to be honest. There were things going on behind the scenes, but nothing I could pinpoint.
"Everyone learned they could do things better because I was never told face to face, which was disappointing. It was after we lost an FA Cup game against Aldershot.
"But I was there a long time and I would probably have left of my own accord the following summer anyway.
"I just felt I'd done everything I was able to do and everyone needed a change – them too. I still have a healthy respect for everyone at the club and I haven't fallen out with anyone."
Mellon still gets on with the man who axed him, chairman Andy Pilley, saying: "He texts me a lot and I text him back.
"When the draw came out, he said: 'It will be strange to see you in the away dugout!' and I said: 'Yes, it will be weird.'"
Mellon's biggest playing success was Jamie Vardy, now an England player.
Mellon signed Vardy from Halifax and then sold him to Leicester for £1m-plus after the player scored 31 goals to help Fleetwood to the Conference Premier title.
He recalls: "I couldn't have any regrets because we pretty much got promoted every year, and we had Jamie Vardy.
"I said back then when we were in the Conference that one day he'd play for England because you could tell.
"He had such fire, desire and aggression, he was unplayable, unstoppable and unflappable. I told Leicester and they laughed at me but I saw Steve Walsh the other day and they backed me up.
"I take great pleasure out of seeing a lot of that group playing in the Football League now.
"When I bump into them, people such as my skipper, big Steve McNulty at Luton last season, I'm really proud of them."
Mellon loved his time at Fleetwood and is relishing going back. He added: "It will be nice to see some familiar faces again.
"I probably know a lot of the crowd by name because with the old dugouts we were practically standing with them.
"People used to take a short cut across the pitch to get to the supermarket!"
