Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury Juniors turn 40 and want to achieve more

Shrewsbury Juniors celebrated their 40th anniversary this year – and the football club continue to rise at an impressive rate.

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The amateur club mainly base themselves at Shrewsbury Sports Village, with their men’s sides featuring at the Shrewsbury Unison Club.

Former England, Arsenal and Aston Villa forward Paul Merson was on-hand to celebrate the club’s 40th anniversary at the Lord’s Hill Hotel in Shrewsbury.

Chairman Eddie Gough has held his title for six years. Prior to that he was a keen parent and then began some coaching within the club’s junior sides.

Across those years the club have multiplied in stature. They ran around 15 teams with no opportunities for girls or ladies to play.

As they head into the 2017/18 campaign, Juniors are aiming to field 28 teams across the board. This will include five girls teams and a ladies team.

Clearly they are doing something right. If those statistics aren’t impressive enough, the Shropshire FA Community Awards held last month awarded the club FA Charter Standard Community Club of the Year.

It was the fifth time in succession that the award was heading back to the Sports Village with the progressive Juniors.

But Gough, from Wem, insists the success is all down to a unique and driven motivation within the club’s committee team, who he lavished with praise.

He said: “Everything that we’ve done is down to the fantastic committee.

“I sit as chair but they are what makes Shrewsbury Juniors.

“People notice that at awards dos we all go on stage, 15 or so of us, all in shirt and club ties. Ladies in blouses with badges. We like to look unique and the part. We paid extra at the FA awards for the committee to have a reward for their work.

“They’re fantastic volunteers. It’s grown from about five to 15 or 16 now. You really need that.

Keeping it in the family, it was a proud evening for the Gough clan at June’s awards at the Lord Hill Hotel, as Regan Gough also came home with an award.

He was named young volunteer of the year. And his progression as a volunteer and official is a further feather in Juniors’ cap.

Regan also helps out in Juniors’ FUTSAL set-up, as well as the Shropshire Schools Association and is a member of the Shropshire Junior League youth council. “It was obviously a proud moment for me as a parent,” added Gough senior.

“He works very hard. Regan actually gave up playing football. He wants to be a referee and is doing very well. He refs the boys’ league and the under-14 Charity Cup finals. The club invests on referee courses. Allowing young referees to officiate club games and progress.”

The club hosts two football festivals each season. More than 20 teams are involved with one – handing out the chance for youngsters aged seven and under to play with little opportunities elsewhere at that age category.

Eddie reiterates Juniors’ intent to continue progressing as they have throughout the last few years. He added: “We are a determined and ambitious club and we want to move the club on as much as we can.

“We had managers and players from the past at our celebration and it was quite a proud moment to show them how far we have come.”

Shrewsbury Juniors also provide local charities with raised funds. They give away £1,000 each year to a charity, including Hope House, also hosting a blind football penalty shootout and training session.

This year they provided funds to the Air Ambulance after its services were used to aid an under-17s player who suffered an injury.

The club seem set to continue their stable rise for decades to come.