128-718: Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury , Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One , the third level of the English football league system . Founded in 1886, the club were inaugural members of the Shropshire & District League in 1890 and then joined the Birmingham & District League five years later. Crowned champions in 1922–23, they switched to
256-423: A ball around a rectangular field called a pitch . The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for a total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it
384-628: A stele of c. 375–400 BCE in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens appears on the UEFA European Championship trophy. Athenaeus , writing in 228 CE, mentions the Roman ball game harpastum . Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence. They all appear to have resembled rugby football , wrestling , and volleyball more than what
512-412: A "Shrew" cartoon was introduced as the club's crest in an attempt to rebrand "Salop" as "The Shrews". During this time, the club's kit was also changed to predominantly white. A campaign by fanzine "A Large Scotch" eventually led to the return of The Loggerheads crest in 1992. The crest changed once in again in 2007 to coincide with Salop's move to New Meadow , the new badge featured a single lion's head in
640-549: A 4–1 win over Exeter City . In addition, the club beat First Division Manchester City 2–0 in an FA Cup run that saw them reach the quarter-finals for the first time, before they lost in a replay to Wolverhampton Wanderers . Turner is the team's most successful manager, winning the Third Division Championship in 1978–79 – his first season in charge – to take the club into the Second Division for
768-493: A French XI team in 1920, and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0. Despite being more popular than some men's football events, with one match seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920, women's football in England suffered a blow in 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches, stating that "the game of football
896-442: A caution ( yellow card ) or dismissal ( red card ). A second yellow card in the same game leads to a red card, which results in a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in their official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place and the player may not participate in further play. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while
1024-409: A circle. The club stated that the new badge was necessary as any design incorporating The Loggerheads could not be copyrighted. Over the years the club has had many different kit suppliers, the most recent being Umbro at the start of the 2021/22 season. It marked the return to the famous double diamond after the supplier manufactured the clubs kits during the most successful period in its history, which
1152-574: A competitive game, and involved the kicking of a mari , a ball made of animal skin. In North America, pasuckuakohowog was a ball game played by the Algonquians ; it was described as "almost identical to the kind of folk football being played in Europe at the same time, in which the ball was kicked through goals". Phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games. An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on
1280-505: A deadlock; some competitions may invoke replays . A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shoot-outs (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of
1408-400: A goal has been scored or not; this was brought in to prevent controversy. Video assistant referees (VAR) have also been increasingly introduced in high-level matches to assist officials through video replays to correct clear and obvious mistakes. There are four types of calls that can be reviewed: mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card, goals and whether there was a violation during
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#17327912358871536-640: A latex bladder for pressurisation, but modern balls at all levels of the game are now synthetic. As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB , the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units . The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with
1664-685: A league and cup treble. Shrewsbury were league champions, scoring 111 goals . In addition, the Welsh Cup was won following a replay, the team enjoyed a run in the FA Cup , and won the Shropshire Senior Cup . After a run of good seasons in post-war years, Shrewsbury were admitted, alongside Scunthorpe United to the old Division 3 (North) of the Football League in 1950, after being Midland League champions in 1949–50 , following
1792-529: A meeting attended by representatives from Eton , Harrow , Rugby , Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club , formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to
1920-426: A penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs , goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks. A standard adult football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee
2048-416: A relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain. The length of the pitch, or field, for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided
2176-576: A similar ancient game ( cuju , or tsu chu ) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu . There are also reports of annual football matches played by women in Midlothian , Scotland, during the 1790s. Association football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of women. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on
2304-463: A successful reign at local rivals Telford United . In 1999–2000 , Shrewsbury endured a poor season, and in mid-November 1999 King was sacked as the club neared relegation. The former Everton captain and Welsh international Kevin Ratcliffe joined from Chester City as manager and saved Shrewsbury from relegation on the final day of the season with a 2–1 victory away to Exeter City . The season
2432-564: A truce to the nation's civil war in 2006 and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké , an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time. By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras . The sport also exacerbated tensions at
2560-541: A unique service he and his coracle provided. He would sit in his coracle during Shrewsbury Town home matches, and retrieve any stray footballs that went into the River Severn. Although Davies died long ago, his legend is still associated with the club. A new stadium was opened in July 2007 on Oteley Road, Meole Brace . It features a 9,875 all-seater capacity in four separate stands for football. Capacity for concerts at
2688-432: A variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards . An athletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals. Headgear
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#17327912358872816-501: Is The Energy Check, a South Shields -based Energy management company. The first crest to appear on the shirt of Shrewsbury Town was the town's coat of arms, The Loggerheads in 1907. The crest was used intermittently on shirts until 1960 through to 1970, when a generic football design was used. During this time, The Loggerheads continued to be used on other merchandise, such as match-day programmes. The Loggerheads returned in 1970, and in various guises continued to be used until 1986, when
2944-582: Is a large supporters group in Portland, Oregon where there are ties with the MLS side Portland Timbers . In 2019, a group named South Stand Flags was set up after the opening of New Meadow's safe standing section in order to "improve atmosphere at home games". The group, usually based in block 9 of the South Stand, organise choreography and flag displays. Their first fundraiser raised over £1000 which funded
3072-468: Is governed by FIFA . Under FIFA, there are six continental confederations: AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA . Of these confederations, CONMEBOL is the oldest one, being founded in 1916. National associations (e.g. The FA in England) are responsible for managing the game in their own countries both professionally and at an amateur level, and coordinating competitions in accordance with
3200-410: Is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by
3328-438: Is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials. A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during
3456-405: Is positioned on each goal line, midway between the two touchlines. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (24 ft) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws. In front of the goal is the penalty area. This area
3584-816: Is quite unsuitable for females and should not be encouraged." Players and football writers have argued that this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted, and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game. The FA ban led to the formation of the short-lived English Ladies Football Association and play moved to rugby grounds. Women's football also faced bans in several other countries , notably in Brazil from 1941 to 1979, in France from 1941 to 1970, and in Germany from 1955 to 1970. Restrictions began to be reduced in
3712-506: Is recognisable as modern football. As with pre-codified mob football , the antecedent of all modern football codes , these three games involved more handling the ball than kicking it. Association football in itself does not have a classical history. Notwithstanding any similarities to other ball games played around the world, FIFA has described that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. The history of football in England dates back to at least
3840-643: Is the dominant region in women's football, with the United States winning the most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international success, and the women's game has been improving in South America. Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game . The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) circumference, known as
3968-455: Is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is called "additional time" in FIFA documents, but is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time , while lost time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of
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4096-401: Is the world's most popular sport. The game of association football is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game , a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and maintained by the IFAB since 1886. The game is played with a football that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) in circumference . The two teams compete to score goals by getting the ball into the other team's goal (between
4224-435: Is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School . Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes , and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football. The word soccer arrived at its current form in 1895 and
4352-404: Is to score goals; defenders , who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders , who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which
4480-421: The football (or soccer ball ). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by
4608-402: The 1996 Football League Trophy final and dropped into non-League football after suffering relegations in 1997 and 2003. Shrewsbury immediately regained their Football League status after winning the 2004 Conference play-off final . They subsequently lost League Two play-off finals in 2007 and 2009 before they won automatic promotion in 2011–12 and again in 2014–15 after relegation in
4736-486: The 2011–12 season they finished second on 88 points, and beat Dagenham & Redbridge 1–0 with a James Collins header in the penultimate game of the season to achieve promotion to League One after a 15-year absence. Shrewsbury also enjoyed a notable run in the League Cup, beating Derby County at Pride Park and Premier League Swansea City , before losing 3–1 to Arsenal after James Collins headed them in front at
4864-399: The Birmingham & District League in 1895–96 . Many of the teams Town faced in the early days have vanished, however Shrewsbury met many of today's Football League and Conference teams, including Crewe Alexandra , Coventry City , Stoke City , Kidderminster Harriers and Stafford Rangers . In 1910, Shrewsbury looked to move to a new ground, having spent early years at locations across
4992-527: The Caribbean and Oceania regions (except Australia ) have yet to make a mark in international football. When it comes to men's national teams, Europeans and South Americans continue to dominate the FIFA World Cup, as no team from any other region has managed to even reach the final. These regional trends do not hold true for the women's game, as the United States women's national team has won
5120-532: The Emirates Stadium . Shrewsbury exceeded expectations in the 2012–13 season and sealed League One safety with two games to spare by beating Oldham Athletic 1–0, finishing 16th. The first half of the following season was disappointing, and Turner quit in January and relegation was confirmed after a 4–2 home defeat against Peterborough United . In May 2014 the ex- Fleetwood Town boss Micky Mellon
5248-826: The Midland League in 1937 and won the Midland League title in 1937–38, 1945–46 and 1947–48. Shrewsbury were admitted into the Football League in 1950 and won promotion out of the Fourth Division at the end of the 1958–59 season. They were promoted again in 1974–75 after being relegated the previous year, and went on to win the Third Division title in 1978–79. They returned to the fourth tier following relegations in 1989 and 1992, where they won another league title in 1993–94. The club lost in
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5376-540: The Third Division , in 1958–59 . They remained in the third tier 15 years, slipping back to Division Four at the end of 1973–74 . 1960–61 season saw Shrewsbury Town reach the Semi Final of the League Cup . After beating Everton in the quarter-finals, they narrowly lost over two legs 4–3 on aggregate to Rotherham United . This era was also remembered for Arthur Rowley . He arrived from Leicester City in 1958,
5504-503: The 1877–78 football season won both the Birmingham Senior Cup and Shropshire Senior Cup , and was captained by John Hawley Edwards . It disbanded in around 1880. The present Shrewsbury Town were formed in 1886, following the demise of first Shropshire Wanderers and later indirectly Castle Blues . Press reports differ as to the exact date the new club was formed, The Eddowes Shropshire Journal of 26 May 1886 reported
5632-635: The 1960s and 1970s. The Italian women's football league was established in 1968. In December 1969, the Women's Football Association was formed in England, with the sport eventually becoming the most prominent team sport for women in the United Kingdom. Two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by the FIEFF in 1970 and in 1971 . Also in 1971, UEFA members voted to officially recognise women's football, while The Football Association rescinded
5760-515: The 1995–96 Football League Trophy final. They lost 2–1 to Rotherham United , with future Shrewsbury striker Nigel Jemson scoring both Rotherham goals. Shrewsbury remained a mid-table team before slipping down to the bottom division again at the end of 1996–97 . Davies was sacked in May 1997 to make way for the former club captain Jake King to return to the club where he began his career, following
5888-400: The 2024–25 season. The club's other main rivals include Walsall , Wolverhampton Wanderers , Port Vale and Shropshire rivals AFC Telford United . As of 5 September 2024 Association football Association football , more commonly known as football or soccer , is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each, who almost exclusively use their feet to propel
6016-588: The Birmingham League. This ground is now allotments. Town played at Barracks Ground, Copthorne for 15 years, over 300 matches between 1895 and 1910 against more classier opposition of reserve teams like Aston Villa and Wolves. In 1909–10 they reached the first round of the FA Cup. Shrewsbury played at Gay Meadow , Abbey Foregate between 1910 and 2007. For many years, Shrewsbury coracle maker Fred Davies achieved some notability amongst football fans, by
6144-515: The European champions Liverpool , which Shrewsbury drew 2–2. Town narrowly lost the replay 1–0 at Anfield in front of an attendance of 52,399. However, following disruption to the season in March 2020 due to COVID-19 , final League One standings were decided on a points per game basis with Shrewsbury finishing in 15th place. In November 2020, Ricketts was sacked with Shrewsbury in 23rd place and
6272-576: The FIFA Women's World Cup four times, more than any other women's team. Football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Football has
6400-910: The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association , the Football Association of Wales , and the Irish Football Association . FIFA , the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. The board consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of
6528-467: The Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick . The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by
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#17327912358876656-475: The IFAB Laws. Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes ), one of whom must be the goalkeeper . Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are
6784-430: The Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees . In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise. Goal line technology is used to measure if the whole ball has crossed the goal-line thereby determining whether
6912-748: The Laws of the Game. The most prestigious senior international competitions are the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup . The men's World Cup is the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic Games . The two most prestigious competitions in club football are the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions League , which attract an extensive television audience worldwide. The final of
7040-479: The Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss before kick-off or penalty kicks . The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with
7168-543: The United States. A notable exception is New Zealand, where in the first two decades of the 21st century, under the influence of international television, "football" has been gaining prevalence, despite the dominance of other codes of football, namely rugby union and rugby league . The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and
7296-460: The ban that prohibited women from playing on association members' pitches in England. Women's football still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth has seen major competitions being launched at both the national and international levels, mirroring the men's competitions. The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991: the first tournament was held in China, featuring 12 teams from
7424-410: The beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play: A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of
7552-485: The beginning of the Croatian War of Independence of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990. Women's association football has historically seen opposition, with national associations severely curbing its development and several outlawing it completely. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that
7680-556: The birth of the club at The Lion Hotel, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury . The Shrewsbury Chronicle reported the club being formed at the Turf Hotel, Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury. It may be both accounts are true, with a get-together at The Lion being finalised at the Turf. After friendlies and regional cup competitions for the first few seasons, Shrewsbury were founder members of the Shropshire & District League in 1890–91 , later admitted to
7808-404: The buildup, direct red card decisions, and penalty decisions. The ball is spherical with a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm (27 and 28 in), a weight in the range of 410 to 450 g (14 to 16 oz), and a pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6 pounds per square inch ) at sea level. In the past the ball was made up of leather panels sewn together, with
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#17327912358877936-750: The champions of these two club competitions would contest the Intercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world. In the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the best footballers in the world, but its clubs have fallen behind the still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players from Latin America and elsewhere. Meanwhile, football has improved in Africa , Asia and North America , and nowadays, these regions are at least on equal grounds with South America in club football, although countries in
8064-475: The club had unearthed two talented local players in Joe Hart and David Edwards , who both went on to become experienced internationals. Despite the departure of their goalkeeper Hart to Manchester City , Shrewsbury went on a 14-match unbeaten run in the 2006–07 season . Following a 2–2 draw against Grimsby Town in the final League match to be held at Gay Meadow, they finished in seventh place to qualify for
8192-509: The club on 3 March 2008 by mutual consent, and his replacement, Paul Simpson , led the club to an 18th-place finish in the league. After the season, the kit manufacturer Prostar earned the naming rights of the stadium. The 2008–09 season saw Shrewsbury reach the play-offs again, after they beat Dagenham and Redbridge on the final day of the season. They beat Bury 4–3 on penalties in the semi-finals, with Luke Daniels making two saves to send Shrewsbury through, but lost 1–0 to Gillingham in
8320-667: The club's final League game, a 2–1 defeat to Scunthorpe United , who coincidentally had been Shrewsbury's first League opponents in 1950. The Northwich Victoria manager Jimmy Quinn was appointed Shrewsbury's manager in May 2003. With most of the previous year's players released, Quinn assembled a whole new squad, with experienced non-league players such as Darren Tinson and Jake Sedgemore joined by Colin Cramb , Scott Howie and former League Cup finalist Martin O'Connor . The league title went to Chester City, but with 74 points, Shrewsbury finished third and defeated Barnet on penalties in
8448-638: The club's first player/manager. During his playing and managerial career, he broke Dixie Dean 's goal-scoring record, scoring his 380th league goal against Bradford City at Valley Parade on 29 April 1961. Retiring from playing in 1965 he remained manager until July 1968. Shrewsbury were promoted to the Third Division in 1974–75 as runners-up, before another successful season in 1978–79 , when they were league champions under Ritchie Barker and later Graham Turner . Over 14,000 fans packed Gay Meadow on 17 May 1979 to see Shrewsbury seal promotion with
8576-404: The country. On 9 November, Oliver Norburn became the third Town player to be called up by Grenada , whom he qualified for through his paternal grandfather. On 26 January 2020, Joseph made his first visit to his adopted club, where he witnessed The Shrews come back from 2–0 down to draw 2–2 with Liverpool . The club maintains several rivalries. The rivalry with near-neighbours Hereford United
8704-425: The course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is five in 90 minutes, with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches . Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at
8832-544: The decision to expand from 88 to 92 clubs. Elevation to the football league in 1950 saw the club play one season in the Northern section of the third division, followed by a further seven in the Southern section, this before they became founder members of the newly formed fourth division in 1958–59, gaining immediate promotion as runners-up to Mansfield Town at the first attempt. Shrewsbury gained their first promotion, to
8960-453: The eighth century. The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England. The Cambridge rules , first drawn up at the University of Cambridge in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge , at
9088-740: The end of 1988–89 after ten years. In the Third Division, on 22 December 1990, Gary Shaw scored the quickest Town hat trick – 4 minutes and 32 seconds – against Bradford City at Valley Parade . At the end of 1991–92 , three years after relegation to the Third Division, the club was relegated to the Fourth – the first time since 1975. However, two seasons later Shrewsbury won the new (fourth tier) Division Three championship under Fred Davies in 1993–94 , and remained in Division Two (third tier) for three seasons. The 1990s saw Shrewsbury make their first appearance at Wembley as finalists in
9216-420: The end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. IFAB recommends "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team". Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations. A game is officiated by a referee , who has "full authority to enforce
9344-491: The end of the 1985–86 season to relegate their opponents, who went out of business and almost out of existence. The match was marred by violence from Middlesbrough fans, with many of them later having to return to Shrewsbury for court appearances. In the early to mid-1980s the club enjoyed its most successful Football League run. Shrewsbury survived through the sale of players, including Steve Ogrizovic , David Moyes , John McGinlay and Bernard McNally . They were relegated at
9472-405: The end of the game is the winner. There are situations where a goal can be disallowed, such as an offside call or a foul in the build-up to the goal. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal number of goals scored may result in a draw being declared with 1 point awarded to each team, or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shoot-out . Internationally, association football
9600-544: The first time. They remained in the division for ten years, although Turner departed for Aston Villa in 1984. Shrewsbury again reached the FA Cup quarter-finals in 1981–82 , defeating the UEFA Cup holders Ipswich Town in the fifth round before losing 5–2 away to Leicester City . The 1980s saw many big teams defeated by Shrewsbury, including Fulham , Newcastle United , Blackburn Rovers , West Ham United and Chelsea . Shrewsbury beat Middlesbrough 2–1 at Gay Meadow at
9728-420: The forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position. During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling , passing the ball to a teammate, and by taking shots at
9856-528: The formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street , London. The only school to be represented on this occasion
9984-531: The four British associations. For most of the 20th century, Europe and South America were the dominant regions in association football. The FIFA World Cup , inaugurated in 1930 , became the main stage for players of both continents to show their worth and the strength of their national teams. In the second half of the century, the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores were created, and
10112-695: The game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a formation . Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager . There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulations and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football for both sexes, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on
10240-425: The goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of
10368-404: The highest global television audience in sport. In many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans , local communities, and even nations. Ryszard Kapuściński says that Europeans who are polite, modest, or humble fall easily into rage when playing or watching football games. The Ivory Coast national football team helped secure
10496-629: The instigation of Alcock. England is also home to the world's first football league , which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor . The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England . Laws of the Game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The board was formed in 1886 after a meeting in Manchester of
10624-707: The lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s, with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup , which was founded by the footballer and cricketer Charles W. Alcock , and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match also took place in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow , again at
10752-614: The men's tournament is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. Association football is one of a family of football codes that emerged from various ball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within the English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in Great Britain and most of Ulster in the north of Ireland, whereas people usually call it "soccer" in regions and countries where other codes of football are prevalent, such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, most of Ireland (excluding Ulster), and
10880-596: The nation to a six-match unbeaten run in qualifying for the CONCACAF Gold Cup . The president of the Grenada Football Association , Cheney Joseph , adopted The Shrews as his team, stating "I have fallen in love with Shrewsbury. I'm serious. I believe they can become a dream story, a Cinderella story". In November 2019, Joseph sent a partnership offer to the club, as well as a formal invitation for Town chairman Roland Wycherley to visit
11008-534: The nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the IFAB. In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of association football. Within the United States, Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s and the National Federation of State High School Associations and NCAA still use rulesets that are comparable to, but different from,
11136-511: The next stoppage of play. The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect. 1922%E2%80%9323 in English football The 1922–23 season was the 48th season of competitive football in England . Liverpool retained
11264-616: The now defunct Chester City . In 2010, a new club was formed named Chester FC who, like Hereford, also compete in the National League North and are yet to meet Shrewsbury in any competition. Another rivalry for the Shrews is with Welsh club Wrexham . Following Wrexham's relegation from the Football League in 2008, the fixture was not competed again until 2024 for an FA Cup match. The two sides also met in League One during
11392-426: The offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute, substituted player, and to non-players such as managers and support staff. Rather than stopping play,
11520-470: The original thirteen laws of the game. The sticking point was hacking, which a twelfth club at the meeting, Blackheath FC , had wanted to keep, resulting in them withdrawing from the FA. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, and instead in 1871, along with Blackheath, formed the Rugby Football Union . The FA rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and
11648-432: The pitch does not become square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115 yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for international matches; however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented. The longer boundary lines are touchlines , while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines . A rectangular goal
11776-437: The pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play. The first match recorded by the Scottish Football Association took place in 1892 in Glasgow . In England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in 1895. Women's football has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom. Association football continued to be played by women since
11904-435: The play-off final, with a goal in the 90th minute by Gillingham's Simeon Jackson . On 30 April 2010, after a disappointing 2009–10 season, Simpson was dismissed with two games remaining. Graham Turner returned to Shrewsbury Town as manager in June 2010. The club finished the 2010–11 season in fourth place, missing automatic promotion by one point. They lost 2–0 on aggregate in the play-off semi-final to Torquay United . In
12032-567: The play-off semi-finals to set up a final against Aldershot Town , at Stoke City 's Britannia Stadium . After a 1–1 draw, Shrewsbury's goalkeeper Scott Howie saved three consecutive Aldershot penalties in another penalty shoot-out, and the defender Trevor Challis scored the winning kick. Quinn departed 14 league games into the 2004–05 season , and was replaced by the former Preston North End manager Gary Peters , who preserved Shrewsbury's Football League status in League Two. Meanwhile,
12160-419: The play-offs, where they defeated Milton Keynes Dons in the semi-finals. The team lost to Bristol Rovers in the final on 26 May 2007 at the new Wembley Stadium in front of a record crowd for any fourth-tier game of 61,589. The club chairman Roland Wycherley had cut the first sod of soil at Shrewsbury's New Meadow ground in the summer of 2006 and club moved permanently for the 2007–08 season . Peters left
12288-437: The player spends the most time. For example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of
12416-400: The players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa . Trailing 1–0 with two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper deliberately kicked the ball out of play; by
12544-407: The posts, under the bar, and fully across the goal line). When the ball is in play, the players mainly use their feet, but may also use any other part of their body, such as their head, chest and thighs, except for their hands or arms, to control, strike, or pass the ball. Only the goalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and that only within the penalty area . The team that has scored more goals at
12672-570: The previous season. They finished as runners-up in the 2018 EFL Trophy final and 2018 League One play-off final . The club plays its home games at New Meadow , having moved from the Gay Meadow in 2007. They have won the Shropshire Senior Cup a record 67 times and are the only club from the county to ever play in the Football League. The first club in the town was the Shrewsbury Football Club , founded in 1868, which in
12800-435: The purchase of 50 new flags. The group has gained of praise from players and managers, including the ex-Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts . An unofficial fanzine and forum named Blue & Amber was introduced in 2005. In late 2019 the club started attracting fans from the small Caribbean island nation of Grenada . The support stemmed from the club having two Grenada internationals, Aaron Pierre and Omar Beckles , who helped
12928-416: The referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at
13056-419: The referee. Stoppage time does not fully compensate for the time in which the ball is out of play , and a 90-minute game typically involves about an hour of "effective playing time". The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half, the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time they intend to add. The fourth official then informs
13184-440: The respective six confederations. The World Cup has been held every four years since; by 2019 , it had expanded to 24 national teams, and 1.12 billion viewers watched the competition. Four years later , FIFA targeted the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup at an audience of 2 billion, while about 1.4 million tickets were sold, setting a Women's World Cup record. Women's football has been an Olympic event since 1996 . North America
13312-544: The rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart. At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2022–23 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.85 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers , or forwards, whose main task
13440-554: The sexes are so widely divided are all on the side of emancipation , and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in Parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them most." Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this
13568-419: The shirts radically changed to white shirts for four seasons before reverting to stripes in 1991–92. After a flamboyant abstract pattern on the shirts in 1992–93, Shrewsbury's kits have stayed mostly blue, with amber stripe(s) of some description evident since 1999. The shirt sponsors have, since their introduction in 1982 until 2017, all been local companies. As of the 2017–18 season , the current shirt sponsor
13696-415: The stadium is 17,000. The ground has conference facilities, a function area, snack bars, licensed bars, a club shop and a restaurant. Within the stadium confines are training facilities for the club and a 5-a-side football complex which is run The Shrewsbury Town Foundation. The first match at the stadium was 4–0 win against A-line Allstars featuring Gianfranco Zola on 14 July 2007. The first league match
13824-453: The stadium. The England Women's team have played three matches at New Meadow. For sponsorship reasons, the stadium has been named The Croud Meadow since June 2023. The club's colours have always featured blue. However, blue has not always been the most dominant colour. Early kits included blue and white stripes, quartered shirts and all-blue shirts, which were worn with either white or amber trim until 1978. In 1978 Shrewsbury's most famous kit
13952-596: The team to the League One play-offs , but they lost to Rotherham United after extra time. Hurst left to join Ipswich Town on 30 May 2018. He was replaced by former Macclesfield boss John Askey , who was sacked in November 2018 having won just five of their opening 21 games. His successor, Sam Ricketts was appointed manager in December. A highlight of the 2019–20 season was a fourth round FA Cup tie against
14080-519: The third round in front of 7,800 spectators. Watched by a near-capacity crowd of 7,950, Town lost 4–0 in the fourth round to Chelsea in a match televised on BBC's Match of the Day , with Gianfranco Zola scoring twice. The side's form then disappeared, and they picked up just two further wins as they were relegated from the Football League after 53 years. Following angry demonstrations from fans, Ratcliffe resigned, and Mark Atkins took temporary charge for
14208-447: The time it was recovered, the clock had run out and the game was over, leaving Stoke unable to attempt the penalty. The same law also states that the duration of either half is extended until a penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed; thus, no game can end with an uncompleted penalty. In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required, various methods may be employed to break such
14336-538: The time of the first recorded women's games in the late 19th century. The best-documented early European team was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named the British Ladies' Football Club . Honeyball is quoted as, "I founded the association late last year [1894], with the fixed resolve of proving to the world that women are not the 'ornamental and useless' creatures men have pictured. I must confess, my convictions on all matters where
14464-422: The tournament or be the champion. Goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament, with goals scored in a penalty shoot-out not making up part of the final score. In competitions using two-legged matches , each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from
14592-442: The town, notably near Copthorne Barracks west of the town. The club moved to Gay Meadow on the edge of the town centre, within sight of Shrewsbury Abbey , and stayed 97 years. Shrewsbury's Birmingham League days were mostly mid-table, with a few seasons challenging near the top, the club being league champions in 1922–23 . A move to the Midland League in 1937–38 saw the club enjoy one of its most successful seasons, winning
14720-613: The transmission of cuju outside of China, especially the form of the game popular in the Tang dynasty , the period when the inflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball. Other East Asian games include kemari in Japan and chuk-guk in Korea, both influenced by cuju . Kemari originated after the year 600 during the Asuka period . It was a ceremonial rather than
14848-439: The two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shoot-out are required. Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play . From
14976-516: Was Charterhouse . The Freemasons' Tavern was the setting for five more meetings of The FA between October and December 1863; the English FA eventually issued the first comprehensive set of rules named Laws of the Game , forming modern football. The laws included bans on running with the ball in hand and hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Eleven clubs, under the charge of FA secretary Ebenezer Cobb Morley , ratified
15104-644: Was a 1–0 win against Bradford City with Dave Hibbert scoring the winner. Shrewsbury's record victory at this ground is 7–0 against Gillingham on 13 September 2008 in League Two . The record attendance at New Meadow is 10,210 vs. Chelsea in the 2014–15 Football League Cup . The record league attendance at New Meadow was 9,510 for a League One tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 2013. The England under-18s , under-19s , under-20s , under-21s and England women's senior team have all played at
15232-659: Was a 5–2 victory over Wellington Town on 16 October 1886 at the Racecourse Ground. Copthorne 1889–1893 Town spent 4 seasons at Ambler's Field, Copthorne between 1889 and 1893. Here they were founder members of the Shropshire and District League started in 1890. 22 February 1890 saw town's record victory which was 18–0 against Wellington Town (Bowdler 8, Phasey 3, Rowlands 2 Gosson 3 Aston and Murphy). Town played 44 times at this ground. Sutton Farm 1893–1895 Town played 47 times in 2 seasons at Sutton Lane, Sutton Farm and when they moved from here, they also moved up to
15360-582: Was appointed manager. Town were promoted back to League One on 25 April 2015 with a 1–0 victory away to Cheltenham Town via Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro 's goal. Mellon left for Tranmere Rovers in October 2016, and was replaced by the Grimsby Town manager Paul Hurst , with Shrewsbury bottom. In 2017–18, Hurst led Shrewsbury to the EFL Trophy Final , which they lost to Lincoln City . He also led
15488-533: Was first recorded as in exercise in the Zhan Guo Ce , a military history from the Han dynasty . Cuju players would pass the ball around, having to avoid it touching the ground at any point. It was then passed to a designated player, who attempted to kick it through the fengliu yan , a circular goal atop 10–11 meter poles. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), cuju games were standardised and rules were established. The Silk Road facilitated
15616-419: Was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form of socca . Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures. The Chinese competitive game cuju ( 蹴鞠 , literally "kickball"; also known as tsu chu ) resembles modern association football as well as a mix of basketball, and volleyball. This is the earliest form of a kicking game for which there is historical evidence. The game
15744-511: Was from 1973 to 1982. From the start of the 2024/25 season, Oxen will become the clubs new technical kit supplier. The club has many supporters groups from different areas of the nationally and internationally, including locally throughout Shropshire , Wales , Scotland , London and internationally in Italy (where there is a team called Shrewsbury Town in a league in Milan). Most recently there
15872-536: Was introduced – the blue and amber stripes, which they wore as they were promoted in successive seasons, up to the old second division (now the Football League Championship). This was the design worn by character Derek Smalls in the movie This Is Spinal Tap . The club was not loyal to the stripes for long, and in 1982 reverted to a blue shirt, then used a blue body with amber sleeves, later reverting to an amber body with blue sleeves. In 1987
16000-443: Was known as the 'Great Escape'. Subsequently Town made steady progress with Luke Rodgers emerging as a regular goalscorer, and they narrowly missed the 2001–02 league play-offs after a final-day defeat to Luton Town . The 2002–03 season saw Shrewsbury enjoy an FA Cup run. After dispatching non-league sides Stafford Rangers and Barrow , they hit the headlines when Nigel Jemson struck twice to beat Everton 2–1 at Gay Meadow in
16128-504: Was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of the game. Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of the First World War , when female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men 50 years earlier. The most successful team of the era was Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England . The team played in one of the first women's international matches against
16256-551: Was ranked nineteenth in The Daily Telegraph ' s Twenty fiercest rivalries in English football in 2015. Known as the ' A49 derby ' due to the road that connects Shrewsbury with Hereford , it has not been played since Hereford United went out of business and reformed as Hereford FC , who now play in the National League North , three divisions below The Shrews . This is similar to the rivalry with
16384-568: Was replaced by Steve Cotterill . He helped Shrewsbury to a five-year high of 12th place in 2023, then stepped down in June 2023 and was replaced by Matt Taylor , who lasted less than seven months as manager. On 24 January 2024, the club confirmed the reappointment of Paul Hurst as head coach. The Racecourse Ground was used in Monkmoor between 1886 and 1889. Town's first ground hosted 51 matches over 3 years. The majority of these were friendlies as Town were not members of any league. Their first game
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