Notable Fixtures
The first match at the new ground was an 'All-Stars' friendly game as part of Shrewsbury Town's new sponsorship deal with Italian sportswear manufacturer A-Line, who made Shrewsbury's kit for the 2007-08 season. Heading the list of All-Stars players was Gianfranco Zola, with the team being managed by Ron Atkinson. The match took place on Saturday 14 July 2007, and Shrewsbury Town ran out 4–0 winners, Shrewsbury striker Dave Hibbert taking the honour of being the first ever goalscorer at the new ground.
The first competitive match at what was then called 'The New Meadow' was a League Cup match against Colchester United, of The Championship, then two divisions above Shrewsbury. It took place on Tuesday 14 August 2007, Shrewsbury winning 1–0 thanks to a header from Darran Kempson in extra time. The first league fixture, in League Two, was against Bradford City on Saturday 18 August, with Shrewsbury winning 1–0 from a first half penalty scored by Dave Hibbert.
In November 2007 the England women's national football team played Spain at New Meadow. England won 1–0 with a Karen Carney goal and the attendance of 8,753 set a new record for the stadium.
The first game to achieve a home sell out was Shrewsbury Town's match against Oxford United in League Two on 7 May 2011, which held a new record attendance until April 2012 with 8,817 attending.
On 18 October 2010 it was announced that New Meadow has been selected as part of England's bid to host the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in 2013. On 28 January 2011, however, it was ruled Israel will host the Under 21's Finals.
An England under-20 international against France took place there on 9 February 2011.
On 27 March 2012, the generator room in the East Stand caught fire which caused the League Two match against Port Vale to be abandoned in the second half with the score 1–0 to Shrewsbury Town. Shrewsbury then won the replayed match 1–0.
Read more about this topic: New Meadow
Famous quotes containing the words notable and/or fixtures:
“a notable prince that was called King John;
And he ruled England with main and with might,
For he did great wrong, and maintained little right.”
—Unknown. King John and the Abbot of Canterbury (l. 2–4)
“There are no fixtures in nature. The universe is fluid and volatile. Permanence is but a word of degrees. Our globe seen by God is a transparent law, not a mass of facts. The law dissolves the fact and holds it fluid.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)