Shropshire Stars: Bernard McNally

But he has been well prepared for a managerial career minding the pennies after serving as apprentice and a player during Shrewsbury Town's glory era of the 1980s.

Under player/boss Graham Turner's stewardship, Salop picked up bargains and made up for their lack of resources with boundless team spirit.

McNally, now 49 and in his second season at the helm at Latham Park, learned invaluable lessons alongside experienced professionals like Jake King, Ian Atkins and Sammy Irvine as

Town defied the odds season after season in the old Second Division.

It mirrored the encouragement and coaching expertise he'd received as a pupil at Grange School in his home town of Shrewsbury.

"I had some great teachers and coaches as a youngster coming through," recalled McNally, who is among the 10 footballers in the Shropshire Schools and Colleges Football Association's coveted Hall of Fame.

"I remember Ken Challoner and an area coach called Eric Morgan who were a great help to me. Bernard Jackson, the PE teacher at the Grange, also gave me a push in the right direction.

"At 14 I signed schoolboy forms with Shrewsbury and then I turned professional at 18 in 1981."

A goal-scoring midfielder, McNally went on to make nearly 350 appearances for Salop during his eight-year spell at the Gay Meadow, during which time he also earned international honours with Northern Ireland.

"It was a great time to be at Shrewsbury. I was fortunate to join when I did. Graham Turner had got them promotion and he had players like Jake and Ian Atkins who were a great influence on me. I was a young lad of 18 playing alongside experienced players and it was a great learning curve.

"Nigel Pearson, Ross McLaren and Gary Stevens were also in a side which had quality but was put together on a shoestring.

"If Shrewsbury were in the Championship today they would have to spend a lot more money to have a side as good as that. To stay at that level for 10 years was no mean feat and they had some great cup exploits too. I remember watching the Manchester City (2-0 FA cup triumph in 1979) as an apprentice.

"It was great management from Graham and then Chic Bates. They knew where to pick up cheap deals. It was all about recruitment and I've tried to do the same with my scouting network in the Welsh Premier."

McNally, himself, helped Shrewsbury balance the books when he secured a £385,000 move to West Brom in 1989.

He went on to be a fans' favourite at the Baggies, winning the player-of-the-year award a year later.

But Albion endured mixed fortunes during his six-season stint and were relegated under Bobby Gould's management before returning to the second tier via a Wembley play-off final win over Port Vale in 1993.

After winding down his career at Hednesford, McNally kicked off in management at the start of AFC Telford's adventure in 2004 and went on to guide them into the Northern Premier League.

After a spell coaching in India, he returned at Hednesford in 2009 before taking up the challenge of fighting the odds in the Welsh Premier League.

The Robins have one of the lowest budgets in a league where outside investment can guarantee a high-profile shot at the Champions League and Europa League preliminary rounds during the summer months.

But McNally says he is relishing the challenge and hopes it can prove the stepping stone up the managerial ladder in future.

"My biggest frustration is the lack of money as we're competing with teams like Airbus and The New Saints who are spending four times our budget," he said.

"We're always fighting against the odds, but it's good and Newtown are making progress."

Name: Bernard McNally

From: Shrewsbury

School: Harlescott Grange

Clubs: Shrewsbury, West Brom, Hednesford Telford United.

Clubs managed: AFC?Telford,?Pune, Hednesford, Newtown.

Intern'l caps: Northern Ireland (5)