Shrewsbury Town fans urged to raise a giant roar
Shrewsbury Town today issued a final rallying call for fans to be the club's 12th man to fuel their Great Escape bid towards League One safety – starting with tomorrow's massive home game against fellow strugglers Stevenage.
A bumper crowd of more than 6,000 is expected at the Greenhous Meadow as the bottom two club's in England's third tier of football meet.
The Shrews will be hoping to draw inspiration from their 3-1 win at Stevenage's Amex Stadium in November, while the visitors will go into the game buoyed after moving off the bottom of the table in midweek following a 0-0 draw at home to league leaders Wolves.
That result pushed the Shrews to foot of the table with just six games to go, and Martin James, the club's supporter liaison officer, said now was the time for fans to rally behind the team.
Despite their predicament, the Shrews are just two points from safety as up to eight club's battle to avoid the four relegation spots and a win tomorrow could take Shrewsbury out of the drop zone.
Mr James said: "It is absolutely vital at any stage, but particularly at this stage that we get the supporters behind us.
"The players respond to the support they get off the fans, the more noise they make and the more support they give I'm sure the players will feel more positive.
"They are human beings so they respond to encouragement and the comments off the fans as much as you or I would.
" I want the fans to make as much noise as possible and cheer them on as much as they can.
"I want the stadium to be like a cauldron so we can scare Stevenage to death for our boys.
"It's an old cliche but the fans are the 12th man. "
Ron Millar, who doubles as the club's mascot Lenny the Lion, said he hoped there would be an electric atmosphere inside the Greenhous Meadow for the game.
He said: "The only way is up.
"The fans have got to make as much noise as possible and play for everything.
"We have some very good players and for one reason or another things haven't worked."
He said he was confident of the right result.
"I'm fairly confident, the players are very strong-minded," he said.
Shrewsbury Town fan Alex Lewis, 20, from Abbey Foregate, said tomorrow's game was make or break for Shrewsbury.
"I'm actually a bit nervous about it – it is win or bust," he said.
"We are bottom of the league and after Stevenage getting a point against Wolves they will be full of confidence."
He said he was pleased the club was doing a special offer on ticket prices to encourage more fans through the turnstiles.
"It is something that has been needed all season.
"I hope it brings a lot of people in," he said. "The more bums on seats, the better the atmosphere and the better the performance."
Simon Moore, chairman of the official supporters' club, said: "We are all behind the lads for tomorrow's game.
"Stevenage are in the same situation so it is most certainly going to be a cracking game."
