Mat Sadler: Let's make Shrewsbury Town history
Club captain Mat Sadler has urged his Shrewsbury Town team-mates to write their names in blue and amber history as the play-offs get under way this evening.
Town are fighting for a place in the second tier of English football for the first time since 1989 when their 10-year stint in the Second Division came to an end.
Paul Hurst’s men kickstart their League One play-off campaign tonight at Charlton Athletic before Sunday’s return leg at Montgomery Waters Meadow.
Sadler, 33, will wear the armband at The Valley tonight and admits excitement levels have reached fever pitch for Town ahead of what are the biggest games in many of the players’ career.
“We’ve known for a few weeks this is the outcome,” said the former Birmingham man.
“In terms of other people being on their holidays – whatever! It doesn’t bother me. I’m more than happy to be here and more than happy being a part of what’s going to be a cracking couple of games and hopefully a historic couple of games for the club.
“The excitement starts to build. You get the plan for what’s to come.
“As footballers you just focus on what’s in front of you.
“Now it’s right in front of our face is starts to get a bit exciting.”
Sadler was the only current Town player involved in Shrewsbury’s last play-off campaign, defeat against Torquay in the League Two semi-finals of 2011.
A crowd of more than 20,000 is expected in south east London, with many Town fans travelling to buy tickets on the night.
The skipper reckons Town have become accustomed to big-game atmospheres this season.
The defender continued: “We’ve been exposed to these scenarios a lot because we’ve done well and because we’re a good team.
“From my experience you hope that when it’s vocal, hostile and you’re under the cosh, the things we’ve gone through this season give you an edge on how to deal with them.
“You wouldn’t say that our ground will be the most hostile but I bet we make a right racket on Sunday.
“Any away ground in the play-offs, the atmospheres are unbelievable and that’s what you want to play.
“I want to prove the 20 or 25,000 people wrong in Charlton and then have 10,000 backing us on Sunday.
“The thought of that is why you play. As a team we’ve given ourselves this opportunity because we’re a good team.”
