European Football Match Boosts Local Economy in Town

The Business Improvement District (BID) of a town has reported that local businesses benefited from the presence of 2,000 Swedish football supporters last week. Shrewsbury Town Football Club hosted The New Saints’ (TNS) European fixture against Djurgarden on Thursday, drawing hundreds of fans who traveled to attend. Despite reports of vandalism at the stadium, Shrewsbury BID and the town’s Pubwatch organization stated that experiences elsewhere in the town were positive. Stephanie Mansell-Jones observed that pedestrian traffic on the matchday increased by a quarter compared to the previous Thursday and the corresponding day last year. “The feedback we’ve had has been really positive from all sorts of different types of businesses,” Ms Mansell-Jones commented. She added, “Accommodation all seems to have been full, cafes and restaurants… just last week when I was walking around, you could see fans in there with their scarves and their badges on.” Kev Rippard, co-owner of the Salopian Bar and chair of Pubwatch in Shrewsbury, described the additional footfall as “brilliant” for his establishment. “It was great really, mid-week trade, much needed,” he remarked. He further stated, “The Wednesday night we were pretty much full, Thursday day before the game and after later on we had a good few in.” Rippard explained, “I think mid-week some of the pubs are struggling a bit in the town… weekends we do really well, but the mid-week extra footfall does really really help.” Despite the positive impact on businesses, Shrewsbury Town announced after the match that Djurgarden supporters had caused damage to the ground. A spokesperson indicated that more than two dozen seats were removed from the Croud Meadow’s West Stand, along with “substantial damage” to lighting, tables, and chairs in Smithy’s Bar and the Fanzone. The BBC has sought a statement from Djurgarden regarding these incidents. “It’s a shame there’s always going to be one or two that are going to spoil things, but I think overall we’ve seen more positives than negatives,” Ms Mansell-Jones remarked. Mr Rippard mentioned that while some Swedish fans left stickers in his pub, he did not encounter any issues. He concluded, “If that’s the biggest issue we’ve got to worry about, that’s all good.” For further information, connect with BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC does not assume responsibility for the content of external websites. Details on our approach to external linking are available.