Last week we enjoyed this tremendous photo of Leeds Road from issue 9 of Shrewsbury’s A Large Scotch. This, from May 1991, accompanied a grudging 2 word match report after a 4-0 reversal vs Fulham. (There was a report of the Huddersfield game as well)

Our intrepid heroes from issue 9 didn’t stop at West Yorkshire however, in the same issue a double page spread appeared covering a quite incredible ground hopping effort by the lads. Forget dodgy mini buses trailing around the Northern League grounds at Easter, our heroes went across the North sea on an actual ferry…

I don’t know about you but any article that starts with the words “When Town were away to Mansfield” IMMEDIATELY grabs my attention, I mean that could go anywhere, as proves to be the case here. The drinking /sleeping ratio on the ferry after catching Hull and West Ham bore the pants off people seems about right. As with other stories, I’m wondering who was driving when they reached the continent.

A stadium tour in Utrecht by the brilliantly names architect Pietre Joustre that leads to the author wanting to wax lyrical about the safety measures must have been quite something although in the excitement our hero misspells the stadium name, it’s actually Stadion Galgenwaard but we can forgive him this after Hull and 8 hours of drinking.

The stadium is still in use today, was built in 1970 with a capacity of 23,750 although the MOAT AROUND THE PITCH has been removed…I don’t think it was but you can only assume it was done before our heroes visited as no safety measure you could ever dream of would trump a moat in my mind. The stadium has hosted 2 world cup finals…The one for field hockey in 1998 (Netherlands 3-2 Spain) and the Football World Youth Championship final in 2005 (Argentina 2-1 Nigeria). A platform shoed Prince also performed at the stadium in case anyone cares about the tiny crooner.

The Dutch International Committee for Hooliganism should surely have been called The Dutch International Committee AGAINST Hooliganism but anyway “an emphasis on individual skill” has at least started to enter the English game 35 years on. The fact that our heroes have already spent about 50% of the trip drinking might explain whey Shrewsbury don’t have a supporters bar, as is the fact that they found bars in Utrecht on the following morning instead of kayaking round the many canals or visiting the incredible clock tower in the city (highly recommended if you ever visit)

No mention of the fact that De Kuip has all four floodlight pylons outside the ground is made..maybe they weren’t thinking of #FloodlightFriday in 1991.

and nothing, not the size of the pitch, not the three fences including a 20ft monstrosity can beat the news of a stuffed seagull in one of three trophy rooms. The contrast to Glanford Park must have indeed been jarring though the Shrews losing to Tranmere was perhaps less shocking given their travails that season.

A sea crossed 4 grounds visited, 3 matches watched, 2 terrible photos but only 2 floodlights photographed as a total for the whole weekend doesn’t even begin to cover delights within this piece. Majestic.