B RO
v SHREWSBURY TOWN FC
Saturday, August 12 2023
Kick-Off: 3.00pm
v SHREWSBURY TOWN FC
Saturday, August 12 2023
Kick-Off: 3.00pm
We'll need the vocal support that we had at Northampton & against Watford
Good afternoon and welcome to the players and officials of Shrewsbury Town for today’s Sky Bet League One fixture at The Lamex Stadium.
This is our first home game in League One for almost a decade – our last League One fixture being in 2014. Since then, we’ve maintained our EFL status and had roller coaster years culminating in last year’s automatic promotion. Looking back, some of those years were uninspiring and some were downright depressing, but we never wavered from a policy of spending within our means and improving the club’s infrastructure. Yes, it was risky, and it did little to generate new fans and grow our fan base.
However, the investment in infrastructure means that the Club now has a long-term future at the heart of the community – a modern stadium, a Championship quality training ground and a thriving Academy, all debt free and all underpinning sustainability for future generations to enjoy.
What it means now is that all incoming investment can go directly to the football budget, and you are now seeing the benefits of this in results and entertainment. First, automatic promotion in May 2023 based on a significant
investment in players, and this year, another significant increase in our playing budget to bring new players to the Club to continue this theme of over-achieving.
We have now had a full season working together. The spirit amongst Steve and myself, Steve and his management team, myself and the Board is equally as good as the spirit between the management and players. Our Club is an exciting place to be right now, either as an employee or a player. Steve deserves huge credit for that – he has created a platform for everyone to exceed expectations. Our recruitment has, once again, been outstanding and we are all hoping for another season of high drama and entertainment.
League One, of course, is a different proposition but the spirit in our side counts for a lot, so don’t be surprised if we achieve our pre-season aims of a top 6 finish.
The start of a new season is always exciting – so stay with us, spread the word and let’s see how far we can go together!
Enjoy the Match
MATCHDAY
CLUB SHOP: Midday-3pm & 15 minutes after FT
TICKET OFFICE: Midday-3.15pm
THE BROADHALL SUITE: Midday-Kick-Off (Home & Away supporters). Bar Food Available
THE 76 LOUNGE: Midday-Kick-Off (Home & Away Supporters) 3.15pm – 80 minutes (North Stand Ticket Holders) FT-8pm (Home & Away Supporters) Bar Snacks Available
TURNSTILES: 1:30pm
BACK THE BORO VS SHREWSBURY TOWN IN LEAGUE ONE RETURN
We recommend arriving at the stadium early to avoid lengthy queues at the turnstiles and ensure you are seated in your allocated seat. East North West South (Away)
Adult £20 £24 £25 £24
Concession £18 £22 £23 £22
Under 18 £14 £16 £18 £16
Under 12 £5 £10 £12 £10
CAMBRIDGE UNITED (TUES 15 AUG, 7:45PM)
Match tickets are available from the Stevenage FC Club Shop (open Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays 10am-5pm) and from the ground on the day of the game (£2 increase).
Adult: £25 Concession: £19 Under 18: £12
Under 12: £8 Under 5: Free
The Stevenage FC Supporters Association coach will be departing The Lamex Stadium at 5pm on the day of the game, with tickets costing £20 for SA members and £25 for non-members. Click HERE to book a seat
Tie to be played week commencing August 28th, with full details to be announced in due course.
he always scores when i go to watch so he’s a lucky player for me.
I love Boro because it is my home town and love the atmosphere of home games. I waved the flag in the guard of honour Vs Gillingham when i was with my Stevenage Borough Juniors FC team mates.
My favourite shirt to date is the Burger King away blue shirt that looks like ketchup and mustard was splattered all over it. Really looking forward to supporting Boro in their league 1 journey.
Rileys first Stevenage game was 11th November 2017 Vs Notts County where we drew 1-1 when Riley was 3 years old. We use to watch from the West stand but as Riley has got older he enjoys the buzz of the East Terrace. Riley is now 9years old and absolutely loves Stevenage Boro and begs to go every game he can.
Riley started his love of Stevenage when he started going to the little kickers sessions on a Saturday morning at the Shephalbury academy.
Rileys favourite memory was last season when we beat Grimsby to be promoted to league 1. Another memory was a bicycle kick goal from Forster-Casky vs Walsall that was amazing.
Rileys all-time favourite Stevenage player is Dean Campbell because he scored the winning goal Vs Aston Villa.
Favourite current player is Piergianni because
DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST GAME OR THE FIRST SHIRT YOU BOUGHT? DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE ALL TIME PLAYER?
We would love to feature your memories in our digital interactive programme… if you are interested please drop Alex (dslo@stevenagefc.com) or Carl (slo@stevenagefc.com) an email asap!
Offices in UK, USA, Ireland, Holland, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Poland, Germany, Canada, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China. For
Being a mascot is a great way to experience a VIP day at the club. The mascot will also get a unique experience to speak to all their heroes and get a signed autograph book. The day becomes a wonderful lifelong memory, never to be forgotten.
Children aged 4-15* years old can be a mascot for home and away games.
*If you would like to enquire about a mascot package for children outside of this age range, please contact us on 01438 222222 .
PACKAGE 1 INCLUDES:
• Meet the first team players in the changing room
• Signed merchandise
• Kickabout on The Lamex Stadium pitch before the game and at half-time
• Your picture & mascot interview featured in the matchday programme
• Pre-match shout out from our stadium announcer
• Walkout with your choice of first team player in front of The Lamex crowd
• Matchday pack including certificate and activity packs
• 4 x North Stand Tickets (Includes mascot)
• Some of the changes to the packages have been made inline with EFL legislation around Covid-19 precautions.
To enquire about booking a mascot experience, click here to download our mascot registration form (attached). Then please return the form, completed, to our Football Development Officer, Melissa Edwards via melissa.edwards@ stevenagefcf.com who will then confirm your booking details with you.
If you’d like to discuss our mascot package in more detail, please contact the Foundation on 01438 222222
Our interactive quiz is back, five teasers on big money football deals, it’s been one of those weeks - can you get a Boro fifer?
Graham Westley’s Stevenage suffered back-to-back defeats at the start of the National League season, conceding a worrying eight goals across the two matches. Boro’s visitors had experienced the opposite of Stevenage’s troubling start as ‘The Terras’ were so far enjoying a perfect start. Despite low expectations, Westley’s men asserted the lead early in the fixture as forward, Calum Willock controlled a cross delivered across the box from Scott Laird. Willock then fired his effort beyond Barnard in the Weymouth goal, handing Boro the lead in 26 minutes. Determined, Weymouth replied instantly as the ball fell to Michael Malcom, who drove a powerful shot into the top left corner of the
Stevenage net, leaving Stevenage ‘keeper, Ashley Bayes, with no other option than watch the strike fly past him, making it 1-1. The whirlwind start to the game then petered out as a crowd of 1,357 at Broadhall Way watched Stevenage see out their draw and record their first point of the season.
STARTING XI
1 Ashley Bayes
3 Scott Laird
4 Eddie Anaclet (69’)
5 Luke Oliver
25 Ronnie Henry
8 Gary Mills
13 Daryl McMahon (87’)
23 Andy Drury
24 Michael Bostwick
7 Anthony Thomas
19 Calum Willock (79’)
SUBSTITUTES
31 Michael Jordan
2 Lawrie Wilson (69’)
6 Mark Albrighton
10 Lee Boylan (87’)
9 Lyseden Christie (79’)
Calum Willock controlled a cross delivered across the box from Scott Laird
A pre-season hangover or just a natural disposition towards mid-August fixtures? Either way, Boro’s record on this date in history could do with some much-needed tarting up; a return of one win from six not exactly inspiring confidence.
That solitary victory came on the road in 2003. And it perhaps came with a little slice of payback for our hosts down at Dagenham & Redbridge. Five months before, a relegation-threatened Boro’ had lost 3-2 at Victoria Road – having been two goals ahead. New season, however, new fortunes; Elding and Costello on target in a useful away win.
Three years later and the Mark Stimson era got off to a losing start at Altrincham.
George Boyd’s well-taken effort was little more than a consolation, while Stimmo would end up having to wait ’til his seventh match in charge for victory.
On the subject of new eras, Graham Westley’s return to the club in 2008 started dreadfully at Wrexham. There wasn’t much respite on this day in 2008 either. In GW’s first home league match since his reappointment, a newly-promoted Eastbourne Borough side collected all three points in
1989 Stevenage Borough 1-2 Ware, Herts Charity Cup R1 (Roberts, Williams s/o)
2003 Dagenham & Redbridge 1-2 Stevenage Borough, Nationwide Conference (Elding, Costello)
2006 Altrincham 2-1 Stevenage Borough, Conference National (Boyd)
2008 Stevenage Borough 1-3 Eastbourne Borough, Blue Square Premier (Drury)
2014 Stevenage 0-1 Watford, Carabao Cup R1
2017 Colchester United 1-1 Stevenage, Sky Bet League Two (Newton)
what was a surprisingly comfortable defeat for Boro’.
IT’S SHREWSBURY TOWN AGAIN…
This won’t be the first time this season we comment on how long it’s been since we last met an opponent. In the case of the Shrews, you have to go back to January 2015 for our last encounter. On that occasion, an 88th minute goal saw us lose 3-2; our sixth defeat in what is currently a total of 10 meetings. The last time we met at the Lamex was earlier that season, obviously. And it was a victorious outcome; Boro’ winning 1-0 courtesy of Darius Charles’ decisive goal.
Mind you, it was only our second-ever victory over the Shrews; the first being all but 10 years before that (Nov 2003). Surely we don’t have to pace our wins against them at one a decade? It’s only been eight-and-a-half years so far…
MAGIC MOMENT:
01 November 2003 –Nationwide Conference
The Shrews came to us for the first time in November 2003 after being relegated from the Football League at the end of the previous campaign. And we were certainly not going to stand aside as they chased an instant return. A goal by Dino Maamria just
before the break set us on our way, with Simon Wormull adding a second just after the hour mark. It was our first league win in five attempts – and the second of five straight wins in all competitions. Ultimately, however, the Shrews would go back up at the first time of asking by winning that season’s playoffs.
Gameweek 2
Our 1-0 win at Northampton was the third year on the spin that we’ve won our season opener. We’ve only ever done that twice before, the last time being the 1996-7 campaign. The question now is if we can make it two from two. That again would follow the pattern of the past two seasons. It’d be the first time we’d done that three years on the spin.
Out of 43 past Boro’ seasons, we’ve won our opening two fixtures on 11 separate occasions. Our pinnacle, arguably, came in the mid-1980s; our start to the 1984-5 campaign seeing us score eight in our first two fixtures, while we put five goals past our first two opponents in 1985-6 without reply.
By Pete Hayman courtesy of boroguide.co.ukYou all but have to swap one side of the land for the other if you want to turn out for both Stevenage and Shrewsbury Town. But some folk have done it – and some of those folk are notable names, certainly in Boro’ annals.
Steve Morison, Leo Fortune-West, and Fejiri Okenabirhie are all examples of players who, in one way or another, were on their way up the ladder when with us; later seeing action in the Shrews’ colours. Other names you might remember include Steve Arnold, Richard Scott, Anthony Grant, Romain Vincelot, and David McAllister.
Good Afternoon. Welcome back to League 1 football after a 9-year absence. Good luck to the gaffer and his team as they begin the quest for success for the season.
Not a great deal of update since Tuesday.
Our U18’s are at home v Brentford FC at Shephalbury Sports and I would like to encourage as many faithful supporter to come and watch the good work Ronnie, Nick and all the staff in the academy are doing. Our Elite Development Programme have returned to pre season with a new look staffing team lead by Josh C-Stevens and Ashely Taylor,. There is still some places available for any aspiring young players, please look at the club website or email joshcs@stevenagefc.com for more details.
We have made some adjustments to our academy, Chris Barrell joined in February as our Pathway Manager and will now lead our new Fundamental age groups (U8-10) becoming a specialist in the delivery and recruitment of our youngest talent. Tom Farr will move across to lead the U11-14 as well lead our games programme as the coordinator which is a role that will task Tom to find variety and challenging hybrid fixtures. Paul Dale will continue as our Youth Development Lead but leading the delivery of our U15/16 programme, a move that see us benefit from his coaching expertise.
Ieuan Lewis will continue in his Head of
Coaching role as he looks to continue to provide extensive development plans for all our coaching staff. Matt Baranby will continue to lead the medical department along side Kush Patel who manages the 9-14’s injury provision. Matt has worked hard over the summer period to build links with local universities, and we have recruited a number of talented trainees physio who will work along Matt and Kush to support us. Austin Ephgrave has done a similar thing with the Sport science department with the introduction of 3 interns. Robyn Reardon will continue in our Player Care as she looks to evolve the programme. Louis Hrebeniak continues in the Academy Goalkeeping role but also oversea the Emerging Talent centre on a Friday evening.
As always, lots will happen over the course of the season, and we will share the thoughts of many of the team.
For now, enjoy the game, make some noise, and come on the boro!
JORDEN GIBSON Academy ManagerDAVE, THAT’S PRE-SEASON OVER WITH –HOW DO YOU FEEL IT WENT?
I think it went well. We got some real positive performances out of it. The football was really good. The fitness went up, so lots of boxes ticked. The team spirit was amazing. It’s been really good and positive.
IT GAVE US THE CHANCE TO RUN THE RULE OVER THE ENTIRE SQUAD, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SQUAD YOU HAVE ASSEMBLED THIS SEASON.
It’s really good. I think the players have responded really well to Terry and the coaching that we’ve put in place. I think a lot of the girls have talked about the intensity and what we’re demanding of them and how that’s coming across; it’s been really positive from that aspect. If that continues throughout the season, it should be a really good season.
A REAL POSITIVE HAS BEEN THE NUCLEUS OF FANS WHO HAVE FOLLOWED US HOME AND AWAY THROUGHOUT PRE-SEASON. HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK THE FANS ARE GOING TO BE THIS SEASON?
Huge! The girls love them being here and the support they get. They go over after every game and talk to them, and the interaction with the fans has been brilliant. The feedback from the fans of the football we’ve been playing I know the girls get a buzz off that.
IT WAS REALLY GOOD PERFORMANCE FROM BOTH SIDES IN THE INTER-HOUSE FRIENDLY GAME.
I think score wise you’d expect the first team to win. I think we moved the ball around very well. I said to some of the Devs at training that those are the levels to aspire to and then to reach. Some of them are 16 years of age. Some of them that played on Sunday aren’t even 16, which is a credit to what Shaun, Chad and Toby have done with them. It was a good performance from the first team and the Devs shouldn’t be disheartened by the score line.
WE’VE GOT OUR FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON COMING UP ON SUNDAY AGAINST REAL BEDFORD, HOW DO YOU FEEL GOING INTO THE GAME – ARE WE READY?
We’re ready and I’m sure they will be. We know what they’re about so it should be a good game and tough test first up. We’ll be ready and I think we’re all looking forward to Sunday now and hope the fans get behind us. Come on you ‘Boro!!
On behalf of the Foundation, welcome to The Lamex Stadium this afternoon for our first home game back in League One against Shrewsbury Town.
Since our last home league game against Grimsby back at the end of April, there’s been plenty going on across both Club and Foundation to prepare for the new season, but also to continue to offer opportunities for our community to live active, healthy, and positive lives.
We’ve concluded an incredible year in local schools, delivering over 80 extra-curricular clubs to 750+ children per week. Our Premier League Primary Stars programme has had tremendous success in both Fairlands and Shep Park Primary Schools, and we’ve created a new partnership with the Stevenage Education Support Centre to work with young people on the fringes of mainstream education, to help them find a more positive path.
Working in partnership with Apex Multi-Sport & Herts Sports Partnership, we’ve continued our delivery of the Fit, Fed & Read programme
supporting children from low-income families with holiday provision. The partnership has now seen us diversify into the Government Multiply programme, offering numeracy support for individuals looking to brush up on their number skills. We’re also excited to welcome our new cohort of Foundation Degree learners to The Lamex from September, after our third years all graduated with honours degrees, including Tyler Chapman, who became our first student to secure a First-Class Honours Degree!
Our community work has gone from strength to strength, with Premier League Kicks at Nobel School and Ridgeway Academy every Friday night, seeing over 100 young people across both sites. The same group have represented Stevenage FC at the Premier League National Kicks Cup at the University of Warwick, and our community participation programmes such as Active Tots, Boro & Mini Ballers, and the ever-popular Soccer Camps have seen a steady increase in numbers.
The work we do to support the health & wellbeing of our community is often overlooked,
but with 240 people coming through our Strength & Balance classes every week, saving the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds each year through falls prevention, it is a vital component of what we do. We’ve relaunched our Community Kitchen programme, with the first cohort halfway through their course, and a face-to-face course starting in September, to support families to eat well on a budget. The team have also been working on a new programme that will support those caring for and living with dementia in their lives, this new programme will be based at The Lamex and will start in mid-September. A reminder that our Extra-Time Hub runs every other Thursday, 10am -12pm, at The Oval Community Centre, as a safe space for anyone at risk of isolation or loneliness to have a hot drink, slice of cake and good company.
I’m sure you’ve seen the fantastic news that Club Sponsors Grilla, HG Construction, and Everyone Active had agreed to sponsor the Women’s team, alongside the men’s team. My thanks to the Chairman, Phil Wallce and CEO, Mike Pink for ensuring the Women’s team are at the forefront of these commercial conversations, to help with the continued growth of our Women & Girls pathway. The first season of our FA Emerging Talent Centre (ETC) concluded in May, we’ve seen record numbers of players progressing to senior
opportunities with our Development and First Team squads, and had a staggering 350+ girls’ trial to take part in the pathway for the 2023/24 season!
A shoutout to the fans, in particular Stuart Rowe, that took the time to host a charity fundraiser match at Marriotts School, raising over £600 for Stevenage FC Women, and to Fiona Brook and David Gray who have planned events in the coming months to build on that amount. Your support and efforts and massively appreciated! Finally, you may have seen that we’ve agreed to partner with The Stevenage FC Podcast for their “Moment of the Week” and are working with The Broadhall Way on a fantastic heritage project to showcase legends of the Club. That last project is linked to another really exciting project that we can’t wait to show you at the Portsmouth game at the end of August!
As always, your supports for both the Club and the Foundation is so important to us. If you want to know more about the work we do in the local community and how you can get involved then please visit www.stevenagefcfoundation.com or get in touch of socials. COYB!
JOE GOUDE Foundation Chief Executivewww.shrewsburytown.com
Shrewsbury Town announced Matt Taylor as the club’s new head coach ahead of the 2023/24 season.
The 41-year-old joins us following an extensive recruitment process led by our director of football, Micky Moore. Matt enjoyed a glittering playing career that saw
him make more than 300 appearances in the Premier League during spells with Portsmouth, Bolton, West Ham and Burnley. He also enjoyed successful stints in the EFL with Luton, Northampton and Swindon.
A UEFA Pro License coach, Matt began his journey into management while still a player with the former wing-back spending time with Luton’s under-16s while he was playing for West Ham. After hanging up his boots, he enjoyed two years working in the coaching set-up at Tottenham before joining Walsall as head coach in 2021.
Shrewsbury Town signed young midfielder Tom Bayliss from Preston North End on a two-year deal with a one-year extension option in June 2022.
Bayliss came through the ranks at Coventry City alongside Jordan Shipley. Bayliss made 73 first-team appearances for the Sky Blues and scored nine goals along the way.
He then earned a move to Preston North End in 2019 and made 12 Championship appearances. He netted his maiden goal for the Lilywhites against Nottingham Forest on the final day of the 2020/21 season. He then went on loan to Wigan Athletic and made 16 appearances as the Latics lifted the Sky Bet League One title.
Thank you to DRJ Home Improvements (photographed here) for sponsoring the game against Watford on Tuesday night.
Anyone interested in Match and Match Ball sponsorship this season please contact Dave Hoskins on davidhoskins@ stevenagefc.com
They can take their place from:
1st September (Autumn Term)
1st January (Spring Term)
1st April (Summer Term)
It’s been a while, but it’s really great to see and welcome The Shrews back to our corner of Hertfordshire.
I distinctly remember when Stevenage played Shrewsbury for the first time. It was nearly twenty years ago - November 1st 2003 to be precise.
The Shrews had been relegated from the Football League to the Conference and it was their first time to Broadhall Way. Their fans were great, especially in the BHS where their banter about the rivalry with their near-neighbours Telford had me in tears laughing. Boro went on to win that game 2-0, thanks to Dino Maamria and Simon Wormall. Jarnail Singh refereed that game. Always liked ‘Mr’ Singh – one of football’s characters.
In last Tuesday’s programme (v. Watford), I touched on the notion that Watford boasted some 28 supporters’ groups, with a significant number of them being based overseas.
During my research with this afternoon’s visitors, I learnt that the Shrews too have supporters’ groups based in Sweden, Canada, Belgium, USA, and Argentina – let alone Shropshire!
Is Stevenage missing a trick here?
Former Shrews CEO Brian Caldwell summed up my thoughts in a single sentence on the club’s website: “The aim of Shrewsbury Town FC is to grow, promote and support the fantastic groups we have across the world”
Further buoyed by this initiative, I reiterate the clarion call I made last Tuesday. If you are a Boro fan, living abroad, then I’d love to hear from you.
OPEN
Stevenage has had a Supporters’ Club of one description or another, for almost 100 years. The accompanying photo depicts the committee of the day with its Ladies Section back in 1949. Who of you can pick out a young Vic Folbigg, who went of to become one of the first managers of Stevenage Borough FC back in 1976?
The SA in its current guise was established in 1994. That was the year when our amateur committee-run club became a limited company. We currently have almost 200 members registered for this season, and there’s never been a better time to join. Our current membership rates are as follows:
• Adults – £15.00
• Concession – £10.00
• Junior Boro (Under 16s) – £5.00
• Family Membership – £30.00
• Baby Boro (under 5) – FREE
Joining is easy. Simply go to the SA’s web page here.
The club is right at the heart of our community, and our SA is right there with it. Join today.
This coming Tuesday (15th) it’s the Abbey Stadium and our near neighbours Cambridge City. The bus departs at 5.00pm and costs just £20 for SA members.
Then, the following Saturday (19th), it’s the ‘Select Car Leasing Stadium’ (or Madejski as I remember it) in Reading. £25 and an 11.00am departure for that one.
After our stunning start to the season at Northampton, there’s likely to be a significant demand for these buses, so book early. Either go on-line to the SA’s web-site, or phone John Carroll on Stevenage 814285 (after 6.00pm)