The 2008–09 season was the 109th season of competitive association football and 58th season in the Football League played by Shrewsbury Town Football Club, a professional football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. Their eighteenth-place finish in 2007–08 meant it was their fifth consecutive season League Two. The season began on 1 July 2008 and concluded on 30 June 2009.
Paul Simpson, starting his first full season as Shrewsbury Town manager, made six permanent summer signings. They finished seventh in the table, and after beating Bury in the play-off semi-final, they lost 1–0 to Gillingham in the final at Wembley Stadium. Shrewsbury lost in their opening round matches in both the 2008–09 FA Cup and the League Cup, and were eliminated in the Southern section semi-final of the Football League Trophy.
32 players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were 17 different goalscorers. Grant Holt finished as leading scorer with 28 goals, of which 20 came in league competition, one came in the FA Cup and seven came in the Football League Trophy. Holt was recognised for his contribution to the season receiving the League Two Player of the Year award and was included in the PFA Team of the Year for League Two.
Match details League Two
League table (part)
FA Cup
League Cup
League Trophy
League Two play-offs
Transfers In DatePlayerClubFee23 May 2008Stephen HindmarchCarlisle UnitedFree23 May 2008Paul MurrayGretnaFre24 June 2008Michael JacksonBlackpoolFree24 June 2008Grant HoltNottingham Forest£170,00030 June 2008Shane Cansdell-SherriffTranmere RoversFree31 July 2008Graham CoughlanRotherham UnitedUndisclosed
Out DatePlayerClubFee18 July 2008Darran KempsonWrexhamFree6 August 2008Jimmy RyanAccrington StanleyFree25 September 2008Scott BevanTorquay UnitedFree1 January 2009Guy MadjoGuangdong Sunray CaveReleased2 January 2009Marc TierneyColchester UnitedUndisclosed10 January 2009David HuntBrentfordReleased31 May 2009David Maguire—Released
Loans in DatePlayerClubReturn4 July 2008Richard WalkerBristol RoversEnd of season1 August 2008Luke DanielsWest Bromwich AlbionEnd of season 12 September 2008Sean ThorntonLeyton OrientOne-month16 October 2008Gylfi SigurðssonReadingOne-month14 November 2008Jamie WhiteSouthampton4 January 200921 November 2008Matt GilksBlackpoolOne-month1 January 2009Joss LabadieWest Bromwich Albion6 January 200924 February 2009David WorrallWest Bromwich AlbionEnd of season
Squad Source: Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with squad numbers struck through and marked left the club during the playing season. Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Shrewsbury Town. Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward
+ Players included in matchday squadsNo.Pos.Nat.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotalDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GKGlyn Garner4010002070002DFDarren Moss28 (1)000105034 (1)0513DF/MFNeil Ashton24 (7)000004 (2)028 (9)0204DFMichael Jackson212101000232705DFGraham Coughlan424101061505806MFTerry Dunfield15 (1)000000015 (1)0006 DF/MFDavid Hunt0 (2)00 (1)000101 (3)0107MFMarc Pugh0 (7)000000 (1)00 (8)0008DFKelvin Langmead29 (4)0000 (1)07036 (5)0209FWDavid Hibbert9 (13)3000 (1)01 (1)010 (15)32010 FWJames Constable00000000000011FWMichael Symes1 (7)20 (1)0001 (1)02 (9)20012DFBen Herd20 (1)010103025 (1)06014MFBen Davies421200106149132015MFPaul Murray31 (1)210003035 (1)27016FWGrant Holt4320111067512814017MFChris Humphrey24 (13)2100 (1)04029 (14)21018MFSteven Leslie12 (15)010001 (4)114 (19)12119 MFJoss Labadie*10000000100019 FWGuy Madjo00000000000020FWStephen Hindmarch0 (3)00 (1)0001 (1)01 (5)02021 FWNick Chadwick9 (6)200002 (1)011 (7)20021 GKScott Bevan00000000000023 DFMarc Tierney1801010202202023MFDavid Worrall*7 (2)000001 (2)08 (4)01024DFShane Cansdell-Sherriff27 (4)200103131 (4)36025FWRichard Walker*16 (11)510102 (1)120 (12)61126GKLuke Daniels*3800010504401027 MFSean Thornton*51000010611027 FWJamie White*3 (6)10000104 (6)10028MFKevin McIntyre25 (1)010107334 (1)34029 FWMoses Ashikodi4 (3)100000 (2)04 (5)11029 MFGylfi Sigurðsson*4 (1)10000105 (1)11030GKDavid Maguire00000000000031 GKMatt Gilks*40000000400031FWOmer Riza0 (2)000001 (2)01 (4)00033DFJames Meredith000000000000
Notes
References