'No-brainer' return to Shrewsbury Town: Jamie Haynes on leading his boyhood club's revival
Almost 20 years after being released by his boyhood club as a player, Jamie Haynes has helped lead Shrewsbury Town’s revival from the touchline.
Haynes has been Gavin Cowan's 'right-hand man' in football for more than 17 years, as well as his business partner away from the pitch.
He signed his scholarship as a youngster when Salop were relegated to the Conference in 2003 and formed close bonds with Cowan and joint assistant Dave Edwards during his time at the club.
All these years later, the trio have overseen Salop's resurgence in League Two, including a five-game winning streak that has lifted them clear of the relegation zone.
Haynes and Cowan had guided Brackley Town to a historic promotion to the National League, but when the call came from Shrewsbury, it was an offer they could not refuse.
"I'm very much his (Cowan's) right hand man so to speak, in terms of business and in football," Haynes said. "He'll always have my best interests at heart.
"It was a no-brainer. To get the opportunity is something I'm very privileged to be given.
"My family are from Shrewsbury, lived there my whole life, so to come and represent the football club and give back to that is a great feeling, and something I'm very proud to be able to do.
"I joined the club as a schoolboy, nine-years-old - it's almost to the day 20 years since I left. Obviously I didn't hit the dream that was to become a professional footballer, but I had a long stint at the football club.
"Being a player there at the time, Dave, then Gav came into it, Joe (Hart) was at the club at the time, so it was a great experience for me as a youth player.
"A lot of that time was spent with the first team, Gary Peters was the manager at the time, who signed Gav.
"It's this time now that the scholars get told whether they're going to get a pro contract or not. For me, when I didn't get that, the next best thing was to really focus on a career in coaching - and it's something that I've followed.
"I did my first badge while I was at the club - part of your scholarship is to do your UEFA level two. It was important that I found something else to focus on, and coaching certainly was something I was passionate about."
Cowan, Haynes and Edwards arrived with Salop sitting precariously just above the danger zone, fighting to retain their Football League status. Within a month, however, their fortunes have been transformed and the picture looks far brighter.
The trio's current roles mark their first in the Football League - but the start has been impressive.
Asked whether there was added pressure in taking charge of his hometown club, Haynes said: "There's pressure in football at any level, but the magnitude of coming into your local football club, it only adds to that.
"My boy beforehand would go to all the games with his grandad, he's a Shrewsbury Town fan through and through. Hearing him come away from games disappointed, and trying to say to him ‘keep going, stick at it, they'll turn it around’.
"But to be given the opportunity to come and impact that is something that I take very seriously.
"We've tried to really drive that message of how important it is to the people of the town, that they want to see the players play for the badge. We've definitely seen that since we've come in."
