MIKE JONES
HIS STORY MIKE JONES LOOKS BACK OVER SHREWSBURY TOWN’S 125 YEARS AT THE PLAYERS, PLACES & TROPHIES.
Dennard Hopley was the sort of player every team needs he was skilful, committed and was a winger who had an eye for a goal. Den joined Town in the summer of 1935 and in three seasons was a key member of a team making real progress. During his three season stay the Club finished third in the Birmingham League, followed this up as runners up in that league and then was part of the Midland League Championship side. He also featured in eight of the nine games as the Club eventually lifted the 1938 Welsh Cup. The reason he missed the Final replay was that he had moved to Wellington Town. It may seem bizarre to support a player from our local rivals but surely no Salop fan will begrudge the fact that the Lilywhites provided Den with the opportunity to clinch the Welsh Cup winner’s medal he deserved in 1938 when they won the trophy in 1940. When I met Den, everyone thought it was short for Dennis but a Sunday school prize of a book was addressed to Dennard Hopley and he admitted he was always wrongly labelled. He also highlighted another couple of Salop legends one was a player and Danny Williams century of goals are recorded in Breathe on ‘em Salop whilst the other person is also far from a secret. Williams came to the fore in 1937 and was still the Club’s main hit man up to the outbreak of World War II. He scored both goals in the 4-2 home defeat to Peterborough United in September 1939 as
DEPARTED FRIENDS
When Salop went to Barrow in April 1951 there was one notable change: Frank Griffin was missing. He had been sold to West Bromwich Albion and his place in the number 7 shirt was taken by another Club legend in Jackie Butler. Butler had played nearly 200 league games for the Club but apart from the last game of 1948 at Ollerton Colliery never in the 7 shirt in fact all but two (both at inside left) all his appearances were as a left winger. Just over 5000 turned up to see a goalless draw which if the weather was normal would have been played in a squall.
Barrow were formed in July 1901 and initially played at the delightfully named Strawberry Ground before a move to Ainslie Street and finally Holker
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things ground to a halt. He was a young and major talent who like many saw his career wrecked by the conflict. The other object of Hopley’s praise was the man who was supposed to be the Club trainer; however Sam Powell was a lot more than that. Players arrived at Shrewsbury from all over the country to be treated by the healing hands of Mr Powell. Salop’s training schedule was geared by Sam to make them the fittest side in the nation. Den Hopley told me that Sam was Town’s secret weapon. As you will see in another article in this programme Town won several games in extra time. Den said “We (Salop) always came on strong in the last ten minutes. When I moved to Wellington the training was easy in comparison.
Sam was not only trainer as mentioned and what is now termed a physiotherapist but he was probably the first person to really take his skills to what is now called Sports Science. Ironically this is something I came across in Moscow in 1980 at the Olympics when I first met Dr Peter Bruckner who is now head of the Sports Science and Sports Medicine team at Liverpool F.C. and I can assure you is the best in his field. It is a great pity the pair never met. Sam was not just content with his role with the Club and for many years was licensee of the Old Post Office in town and was also the grandfather of Chris Smith. So at least his legacy lives on within the modern team.
Street, at the end of the first decade of the twentieth century. The early seasons saw the club compete in the Lancashire Combination until they joined the Football League on the formation of the twenty team Division Three North in 1921. They finished fifteenth in their first campaign which was a prelude to 51 years as a League side 48 in the bottom division. High spots were few although an epic if finally unsuccessful F.A. Cup battle with the then mighty Wolves in the mid 1950’s is one standout effort. The peak years in the Third Division came in the late 1960’s and Wrockwardine Wood born Ged Garbett was part of those halcyon days having moved from Town after a debut at Highbury. Another former player to move north was Bernard McGuire who still lives in Barrow not as a footballer but as Highways Superintendent.
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