Gareth Ainsworth has left Shrewsbury Town FC, the people of Shrewsbury tell us how they feel about the departure.
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00:00So I'm here at the 12th Man retro football shirt shop in the Parade shopping centre in Shrewsbury
00:07with Sean Owen, big Shrewsbury fan and football fan
00:13to discuss the departure of Gareth Ainsworth as Salad Boss.
00:18Sean, what did you think when you heard the news?
00:21Absolutely shocked.
00:24Yeah, there's very few things in football that completely take your breath away
00:30but about half past ten today you start seeing weird stuff on Sky Sports News
00:36I was thinking, oh they've got another Ainsworth wrong
00:40and it turns out it was, the Ironman's gone!
00:44Don't know where, I mean it just throws up so many questions, it's unbelievable
00:48so what's happening with the takeover, being the main, the big one
00:54the season's over anyway, it's just what are we looking at
00:59first day of next season really
01:02Indeed, and I suppose given Mr Ainsworth was quite the man about town
01:08during his tenure as manager, I think he came in here didn't he?
01:13Yeah, I mean if you speak as you find, he was an absolute top fella
01:19it just throws up so many questions
01:24because how you could be so sort of like bought into something
01:28and then literally within a day
01:31because last week we had the big long interview with Dobson
01:36and you don't really get your assistant manager out front and centre as well
01:41if you're going to be at the club for a long time
01:44he's fronted the season ticket campaign
01:47which people have been buying season tickets off
01:50so literally the club have hung everything on Ainsworth
01:54and now he's gone, now what is there to look forward to really?
01:59I think that's the sense isn't it?
02:02we were kind of doomed in terms of league one status anyway
02:06but we had him, we had this charismatic manager
02:10and there was at least a little sense of optimism
02:12that he might be the person to galvanise us next season
02:15and take us up
02:16I think that's it, it's just extinguished any sort of hope that we had for next season
02:20Unless there is nothing wrong, the takeover is still happening
02:25Ainsworth maybe just wanted to live a little bit closer to home
02:28that could be perfectly reasonable
02:30but Fritz happened so quickly
02:32and to be so, at the time I'm speaking to you
02:35no comment from the club, no comment from Gareth Ainsworth
02:38no comment from Gillingham
02:40just a massive vacuum
02:42and at the minute it's sort of like
02:45town fans are just scratching their heads
02:48Have you had many Shoebury fans in and out of the shop since the new year?
02:52What are they making of it?
02:54Everyone's just sort of wandering around in a daze really
02:58asking, everybody's asking if anybody knows anything really
03:03Nobody knows anything at the minute
03:05We certainly need a statement from the club today
03:10and hopefully that will come from the chairman as well
03:13Incredibly early days, but who would you have to replace him?
03:17Jurgen Klopp's available
03:19Slightly optimistic
03:21I don't know
03:24I think we'll just have somebody on a temporary basis
03:27now into the end of the season
03:29CSL
03:31It's obviously killed the players that we've got in the club now
03:35Not much to look forward to this season
03:38We've got a big long time to be looking at a new manager really
03:43so get the next one right
03:45get him in place and ready for the summer
03:47How do you feel about it in terms of
03:50do you feel like it's a bit of a betrayal from Ainsworth
03:54given that he's been so vocal about how much he loves the town
03:58and how no matter what league we're in
04:02he'll be here for a good season next season
04:05or do you think it might be more that he's not been
04:09backed in the way that he should have been
04:12especially looking at the transfer window
04:14I think to be perfectly honest without knowing any of the details from either side
04:17there's complete silence at the minute
04:20you've got a feeling that maybe Ainsworth was lighting
04:24and he's taken another opportunity while he can really
04:30I can't really see any other alternative other than that
04:35to be perfectly honest
04:37it's because the last few years as a supporter we've been lied to quite a lot
04:41so it isn't really booking the trend so to speak
04:48we're just, yeah, we just sort of
04:53I mean as fans it's very very difficult to get any decent information
04:57about the club and what's really really happening
04:59everything's hidden behind NDAs, non-disclosure agreements
05:02etc etc
05:04and if there's any questions they seem to get shut down very quickly
05:07I think we need to know what's happening now
05:09and not hide behind NDAs etc
05:14the first one is the take-homes are happening
05:16if it isn't, please let us know
05:18because we need to brace ourselves
05:21to at least manage expectations for what's to come
05:24don't hang everything on one guy
05:26I mean they made Gary Ainsworth
05:28and he was more than happy to do it
05:30the messiah burnt the town
05:33and then when something like this happens
05:36then all them eggs in that basket have absolutely been smashed to pieces
05:41so yeah, tough time
05:44still looking forward to going to Birmingham on Saturday
05:48but that could be messy
05:58So I'm here with Dave and Bethany at Shrewsbury Market Hall
06:02reacting to the departure of Gareth Ainsworth, the Shrewsbury manager
06:07what was your take on it guys when you heard the news?
06:10what do you think Beth?
06:11I think it should have stayed
06:13should have stayed, should have seen it
06:15seen it through, yeah yeah yeah
06:17I think, that's what we think, it should have seen it through
06:20I mean it had some bad results but if you'd taken my advice
06:23absolutely Dave, it should have
06:25had he been in for a chat?
06:27I'd have been out for a drink, wouldn't I?
06:29oh really?
06:30yeah yeah, nice chat, really nice chat
06:33came up from Queen's Park range
06:37I believe so
06:38yeah yeah, but I think it's just perhaps a lack of money
06:41perhaps no money, no players, no new players
06:45possibly like that, yeah
06:47did it come as a bit of a shock?
06:48because he seemed to really love the place
06:50and be keen to ingratiate himself into the local area
06:53when I met, well we were
06:55he'd just moved into Shrewsbury from Telford
06:57he's got his flat in Shrewsbury and he was settling in quite well
07:00and yeah, he seemed a really decent chap
07:03I think he was prepared to make a go of it
07:05whether he didn't have any money for players
07:07don't really know do you Beth?
07:08don't know
07:09you don't know
07:10and there's rumours about the town being
07:12somebody buying the town
07:14as a growing concern
07:16perhaps that had been better
07:18that's about it really
07:20it's a shame, it's a shock
07:23what about you Beth?
07:25I understand your other half is a big salad fan
07:28what's the reaction been like?
07:30I'm not sure really, I haven't spoken to him yet
07:34you got a message didn't you Beth?
07:36I got the message to say oh he's gone
07:38so yeah I guess they're going to sit tight and watch the news
07:41and see what happens I suppose
07:43do you think he'll be upset by it?
07:45quite possibly
07:46I don't know what you mean by him himself
07:48it's only football
07:50it is only football
07:52but I think even though the town were having a bad season
07:55there was a sense that
07:57we've got Gareth and maybe he's the man to
08:01galvanise us when the money comes in
08:04at some stage
08:06but unfortunately that bit of optimism
08:08perhaps he just knew something that we didn't
08:12he knew something was going to happen that didn't
08:15did he really want to go down with the team?
08:18he's had a better offer obviously from Gillingham hasn't he?
08:21certainly sounds like it
08:24oh well
08:25at least maybe we'll have another new manager soon
08:28and you can show him your trade down here
08:31well he's been in
08:33he's come walking in and out
08:38I think that's kind of why people are a bit disappointed
08:41because the players and the manager
08:44normally they come in for their training
08:47and their matches and you don't really see them
08:50they live all over the place
08:51he's quite a man for the people I think
08:53yeah he seemed to revel in being a local celeb
08:56yeah he liked his music
08:57we had a chat to him to see a band
08:59he loved his music, he was in a band as well
09:01I think he really liked that
09:03I'd say you can sit around many pubs and stuff in town
09:07it's a shame
09:09any idea who we should get next?
09:11it's very early days
09:13I'll get my boots
09:15that's a good idea
09:18no really
09:20I wouldn't have a clue on that one
09:22we might have somebody in mind but I don't know what you're aiming for
09:26no idea at all
09:28we're a rudderless ship
09:30we are sinking ships
09:32we might improve if we're rudderless
09:35who knows
09:37well we've got Birmingham soon, a trip to Birmingham
09:40that'll be a tough one
09:41we beat them last time though
09:43yeah that'll be a good team
09:45fingers crossed
09:46you never know your luck
09:47something might come
09:49you never know
09:51so I'm here outside Ginger & Co Coffee
09:55in Shrewsbury Town Centre
09:57with George who works here
10:00George we've just had the news that Shrewsbury Town manager Gareth Hainesworth is on his way
10:05a lot of people are quite upset about it
10:08I know he was here for his interview wasn't he?
10:10football focus
10:12what do you think of the news?
10:14it's pretty gutting
10:15he seems like a nice manager
10:17he obviously came in a little bit
10:19I think it would have been an idea if he came in at the start of the season
10:22but he didn't
10:24and it's a shame to see him go
10:25he's a great guy
10:26he comes in for a coffee
10:28he's always saying hello to people
10:29and also for Shrewsbury I think
10:31I know they've not been doing too well
10:33but I feel like he would have done well
10:35with a bit more time possibly
10:37it's a strange one
10:39because even though we're rock bottom of the league
10:41and 14 points a trip
10:43the fact that we have Gareth Hainesworth
10:46this kind of rock star manager
10:48that was a man about town
10:50seemed to give people a bit of optimism
10:52that maybe we've at least got someone
10:54who can get us out of the trouble eventually
10:57yeah it did feel like that
10:58it felt like he was definitely
11:00the guy for the job is how it felt
11:02and it feels bad to be back at a starting point again
11:06you've got to find someone new
11:08and it's not ideal
11:09I kind of wish he was still here
11:11so what was he like as a guy when he came in?
11:14he was always so nice
11:16he'd always make the most
11:18he'd always make the most to get to know people
11:21and if they came over to have a chat to him
11:23he was always so nice
11:24and gave everyone the time of day
11:26so it's a shame to miss that as well
11:29have you had many customers come in today
11:31and talk about it?
11:33yeah there's been some people
11:35I think it's a little bit sad
11:37my mates in the group chat
11:38sent me a message saying that you'd left
11:39and it's a bit of a bummer
11:41so yeah, not good
11:43indeed, who do you reckon we should be getting next then?
11:46to start the renaissance
11:48no idea to be honest with you
11:50absolutely no idea
11:51but all the best to them, good luck