‘Still means a lot’ - Graham Turner looks back on unforgettable Shrewsbury Town success

Legendary former manager Graham Turner still speaks about his time at Shrewsbury Town with unmistakable pride.

As Shrewsbury celebrate their 140th anniversary, it was only right to speak with one of their greatest managers of all time.

In January, Gavin Cowan became the ninth man to have both played for and managed Town - a group that also includes Turner, who is widely regarded as one of the club’s greatest-ever bosses.

Across two spells in charge, alongside making more than 350 league appearances for Salop as a player, Turner led the club to the Third Division title, oversaw 10 seasons in the Second Division, and guided Town to two FA Cup quarter-finals. He also secured promotion to League One in the 2011/12 season.

Reflecting on what the club still means to him, Turner said: “It still means a lot.

“You often talk about it, come across people that are either supporters or have some involvement in the club and it's great being able to talk about it, especially with a bit of pride because of some of the successes there.

“The FA Cup as well as getting into the Second Division, it really was a smashing time.

“The first time in particular as a young manager, taking over, being thrust in at the deep end and getting some success out of it.”

Turner took his first managerial post at Shrewsbury in 1978 and moved on to Aston Villa, Wolves and Hereford before returning to Shropshire in 2010 for a second spell in charge.

After narrowly missing out on promotion via the play-offs in his first season back, he led Shrewsbury to League One the following year, setting a club record points tally and going unbeaten at home throughout the campaign.

Turner has praised the job Cowan has done to lead Town to safety in League Two this season. Cowan matched Turner’s joint-record of six wins from his first 10 matches in charge.

The 78-year-old added: “I am delighted for the club, delighted for the chairman, I know he's worked hard over a number of years and I'm sure that they can take stock through the close season and get what they need.”

Cowan said relegation to non-league would have been “catastrophic”, warning it would have been difficult for Town to bounce back immediately.

Turner pointed to the Premier League as evidence that any club can potentially face the drop, regardless of size or history.

“There is no side, and that's been proven by even looking at the Premier League, the chance of Tottenham Hotspur almost going down, it happens,” he said.

“It happened to us, it happened to me at Hereford. You have to keep that enthusiasm, get your organisation right and start from scratch.

“Supporters will stay with the club if they see organisation, if they see enthusiasm from the players.

“If the results are right, then the crowds start to creep back again and start to go upwards and…it can be enjoyable for supporters after the initial disappointment of what's happened.”

The 78-year-old enjoyed great success throughout his playing and managerial career, but is now embracing retirement.

“I'm taking it easy,” Turner added. “I'm just waiting to go in and have a new hip.

“I've had a new knee over the last two years, so it's patching up the remains of a long career in football.”