Shroozbucket Town FC
Shropshire’s finest team were formed in 1887, after a pub crawl in the old town which started on Shrove Tuesday and ended at Stafford Wednesday. They joined the Mid Shropshite and Birminger League and finished bottom 9 years running, leading to the nickname the Salop Buckets.
Despite their long held ambition to become Welsh, confirmed by their entries into the Taff Trophy whenever Oswestry Reserves couldn’t field a team, the Buckets scraped into the Football League in 1950 after winning the Mid-Midwest Midlands League after a playoff versus Telford. After a draw in the first leg at Telford, the second leg was played at Game Elbow Ground in 6 inches of water and the Buckets played in divers boots and finished 1-0 winners, scoring in the last minute when Billy Muff fell over in the area to gain a penalty. Ever since, the Salop Buckets have been known in Telford as the Muff Divers.
The late 1950’s and 1960’s were notable for the arrival of Sir Arthur “Roots Hall” Rowleigh, who scored a few goals for Shrooz (154, bloomin’ goalhanger), but is most famous for being manager of The Mighty Shrimpers.
The 1970’s saw a rise to the second tier, and many scalps were gained at Game Elbow. The Salop Buckets stayed in Division Two for most of the 1980’s until mullets went out of fashion. Relegations followed and the Condomference was achieved in 2003, but one season later promotion was arranged with the Football League under the Welsh Quota regulations.
The Game Elbow ground finally sunk into the River Stixx 2006, and the Buckets moved to a new stadium even closer to Wales in 2007, and played their first game at the stadium versus Colchestaaargh Ewenightly in the Sheep Worrier Trophy, winning 1-0.
The new ground was originally named the Prostate Stadium in reverence to the old Game Elbow Ground and its narrow back passages, but has more recently been named after local leek producers and sponsors Greens, and fitness company Ace Rumba Zone Electra. The GreenARZE Ground has helped the Buckets gain promotion to League One.
2023-24 and still in League One ….