Steve Cross: Return to Shrewsbury ‘just fantastic’

Title-winning Town midfielder Cross is a Montgomery Waters Meadow season ticket holder but, like his fellow supporters, was forced to stay at home for almost the entirety of the 2020/21 season.

But the 62-year-old – who resumed some co-commentary work with Radio Shropshire towards the end of this season – was back in the stands again this season to watch his beloved side from block 14 at on Oteley Road.

“Coming back was just fantastic, it was like a breath of fresh air,” Cross explained.

“I hated watching on the telly – even games in the Premier League with no crowds – it was just ridiculous.

“It’s hard for the players without gaining that confidence and momentum that the fans bring, cheering you on.

“To be fair to the Town fans this year, they’ve been fantastic. It was a strange time, so to get back on the footing that we have done is brilliant.

“The Town fans around me in the stands, I remember the first time we could go back in, there was just a buzz just to be there.

“I’m a season ticket holder in block 14, some have been going for years and years and even just sitting there was incredible.

“You don’t really realise how much you miss it until you are back there watching again.”

Town posted an average home attendance of 6,216 in 2021/22, banishing fears that gates would take a long-term hit post-Covid.

Cross, meanwhile, said of a return to punditry: “Stuart (Dunn) rang me and said they were hoping to get some ex-players in and whether I’d like to come back and do a few games – I jumped at the chance. Going to MK Dons – I know it was a poor defeat – but it was brilliant just to be back commentating for that first game.

“If they ask me to come back again, which I hope they will, I’ll be there. I know they are trying to share it among ex-pros.

“I was quite nervously actually in the first game, it’d been five or six years and I made sure I did all my homework.

“I really did, I did lots of homework on the team and results, even though I’d seen most of the games I wanted to make sure I had it all in front of me, I didn’t want to sound a clot to the fans listening!

“But as soon as we got started it was great and we just fell into place, like I’d never been away.”