Shrewsbury’s decade in League One: Micky Mellon’s departure paved the way for Paul Hurst
The 2016-17 season, Shrewsbury Town’s second of 10 years in the third tier, was another where they narrowly avoided relegation to League Two.
As the Shropshire Star reflects on Salop’s decade in League One, that season will be remembered for the departure of Micky Mellon and the arrival of Paul Hurst - his tenure will be etched in Shrewsbury history forever with what they were so close to achieving.
But before getting that, Hurst had to keep Salop up after a miserable start to the season in the autumn of 2016.
In the end, Mellon departed by mutual consent with the team 22nd in League One, having won just twice in their opening 11 games of the season.
The interesting thing, Town’s form was poor, but he went back to Tranmere, with his assistant Mike Jackson, to become their boss in the National League, before he was sacked.
Midfielder Abu Ogogo went on the record to say the Salop players felt like they had ‘let down’ their former boss, who had been in charge for the last two-and-a-half years and had overseen promotion.
Shrewsbury then approached Hurst, who was in charge at Grimsby and had won promotion to League Two via the play-offs the season before. He arrived with Chris Doig as his assistant.
