Bernard McNally column: Town fans daring to dream of ‘79 repeat

Those were very exciting times for the club and now fans are wondering whether this can be a very, very good year following the stunning start to the season.

It’s all right for me to say it with the team unbeaten and three points clear in League One, but Paul Hurst will be playing things down. For fans, it’s nice to be able to enjoy the occasion and enjoy their football.

Let’s face it, there are a lot more hard times than good times. Town fans are very wary anyway, but in the back of their mind they’ll have their fingers crossed for a special season.

I’m sure Paul may say ‘Let’s wait until the 15th game and we’ll see where we are’.

I signed for Town as a youngster in 1979. I joined right at the end of the season, they’d had all the adulation. There was Jake King, Ken Mulhearn, Colin Griffin, Jonny Keay, Davey Tong, Ian Atkins and Steve Biggins – all of the side that got us promoted.

They took us into what is effectively the Championship and it was so exciting for the club.

I was fortunate, no doubt about it, to come in on the back of the people that got us there. It was fantastic for me to come in at that level.

Leading up to my debut I had two years of excitement. The crowds were brilliant. They realised what had been achieved.

That’s why when you go down to the Meadow now those players are remembered as ‘the legends of 79’.

Myself, Nigel Pearson, Ross MacLaren, Colin Robinson, all of those I played with were standing on the shoulders of the 79 team. We had to try and sustain it, which we did for some time.

Paul will be diplomatic. He will say ‘Hold on, we haven’t done anything, don’t get sucked into the hype of what Bernie McNally is saying!’

To extend the unbeaten run to eight and make it seven wins, scoring late on at Oldham while under pressure shows resilience.

Stefan Payne scored again. He’s doing what you want, putting the ball in the net.

You need a recognised striker scoring, you know he just needs one or two opportunities and it’s in the net. Strikers are worth their weight in gold.

Jon Nolan is a creative midfielder. Now he’s started scoring goals and it would be some feat for him to get up near double figures. Paul has brought in a talented group and they’ll begin to all get noticed.

I would urge every Shrewsbury fan to come along and enjoy the occasion against Blackburn on Saturday – the club are three points clear...it’s tremendous!

Get behind the players, a crowd of more than 7,000 and towards 8,000 will boost the players and they’ll start to believe even more.