Micky Moore issues apology to Shrewsbury Town fans following relegation and admits Salop mistakes

On the eve of Salop's final game following relegation from League One, the club announced interim head coach Michael Appleton had penned a two year deal to remain at the Croud Meadow.

Appleton arrived back in March, with Salop already destined for the drop after a disastrous campaign that had seen Paul Hurst axed and Gareth Ainsworth walk out of the club.

Off the field, a proposed takeover collapsed shortly after Ainsworth's departure, with the club now in talks with potential parties about taking over from long term chairman Roland Wycherley.

With Salop's ten year League One stint heading for a conclusion, director of football Moore has penned an open letter to fans, apologising for the failings this season

He said: "I want to start this open letter by apologising to you all for how the 2024/25 season has unfolded and our subsequent relegation into League Two.

"Performances and results simply were not good enough. Mistakes have been made. And I want to say sorry to you all. You deserve better.

"For a decade, Shrewsbury Town were proud members of League One. Dropping out of the division hurts. And everyone at the football club shares the anger and frustration you feel. There are no positives to going down. One thing it does allow us to do, though, is reset.

"And that leads me on to why we have decided to appoint Michael Appleton as head coach. First and foremost, his style of play fits the identity we are working to install at the football club. Installing a clear identity and a clear playing style is so important and it’s vital we stick to it."

Moore, who has come under scrutiny from sections of Salop fans during his time at the club, went on to outline the reasons behind the managerial appointments that have been made during his time in Shropshire.

Moore arrived shortly after Steve Cotterill's departure, with new head coach Matt Taylor only lasting a matter of months in the hot seat.

Then after Hurst steered Salop away from the danger zone last season, he lost his job earlier in this campaign to be replaced by Ainsworth.

Moore added: "There will be supporters reading this asking why we haven’t installed this identity before, why it is only happening now – in my third season.

"So I think it’s important I explain to you the head coach appointments that have been made during my time at the club, starting with Matt Taylor.

"Matt arrived in the summer of 2023 on the back of the team having finished 12th in League One. It’s important to reiterate that 12th placed finish was achieved with a massive overspend, an overspend that was not sustainable for this football club.

"Nevertheless, you cannot rip up all the things that have been done well. Matt was brought in to work with the 3-5-2 formation that had been in place over the previous seasons.

"Ultimately, he lost his job on the back of a run that saw him win one of his last eight games. But Matt won 50 per cent of his home matches and he was never in the bottom four. He left the club with a 34 per cent win rate.

"Following his departure, we appointed Paul Hurst. I put Paul on a list of potential candidates and the Chairman went on to appoint him. I think the majority of Shrewsbury fans welcomed the appointment based on what Paul had achieved during his first stint in Shropshire.

"And while it didn’t work out second time around, I know he will always be fondly remembered for that first spell.

"When Paul left, the morale of the club needed lifting. There is nobody better at doing that than Gareth Ainsworth so I was delighted to bring him to the football club along with his assistant Richard Dobson.

"Gareth oversaw an upturn in results and performances. He lifted the club and the town. But he failed to win any of his last eight games in charge – and I think we all knew relegation was likely following his final match against Burton.

"Due to mine and the chairman’s relationship with Gareth, it was a big shock when he informed us of his wish to speak to – and subsequently join – Gillingham.

"Within 30 hours, we had managed to secure Michael as our head coach on a contract until the end of the season – with a view to offering him a longer deal.

"Michael perfectly fits the philosophy we want at the football club. And I think under his tenure, you have started to see this identity take shape."

Ahead of the final game of the campaign, Moore also revealed that the club will soon release its released and retained list, with 13 players still under contract at the Croud Meadow.

He also explained that he has been regularly been meeting with Appleton during his time as interim boss, to discuss potential targets for the summer.

And he also revealed another big reason why the club moved to tie Appleton down on a longer term deal.

He added: "Just as importantly, he wants to help us produce, develop and sell our own players.

"For a club with our resources, we simply have to produce, develop and sell our own. Michael understands that. And that is why we have selected him to be our head coach.

"Very soon we will be publishing our released and retained list. We have also held discussions with our scholars and will also be announcing soon which academy youngsters will be saying with the club.

"Work is also underway on new additions for next season – with both Michael and I having been meeting regularly over the past few weeks to discuss targets.

"I know the pain of this season still very much remains. But I want to wish you all a very happy summer and I look forward to seeing you all next season."