Shrewsbury has hit back after Wrexham footballer James McClean branded it a ‘cesspit full of inbreds’ – revealing why you should pay Shropshire’s ‘Town of Flowers’ a visit.
McClean’s stinging criticism came after a video of him being targeted with abuse by Shrewsbury Town FC fans during a League One match went viral.
McClean – who was involved in a car crash on his way to training this morning – took to social media to retaliate in brutal fashion.
‘In fairness, if I was born and raised in Shrewsbury I’d probably be this angry as well ’cause it’s an absolute cesspit full of inbreds,’ he wrote in a now-deleted Instagram story.
Disappointed locals on X (formerly Twitter) told James – who has made headlines for a number of years for his refusal to wear a poppy around Remembrance Day or link arms with his team-mates during a minute’s silence – why they believe he’s wrong about their hometown.
‘@Mfwic1865’ replied: ‘Doesn’t work cos Shrewsbury is one of the nicest places in [the] UK.’
Another user, ‘@jack642784’, added: ‘Shrewsbury is one of the nicest places to live in England. Wonder what he thinks of places like Crewe, Grimsby, Bradford, Stevenage, Blackpool, or even Wrexham.’
And Shrewsbury officials have also hit back at McClean’s comments.
Shrewsbury (pictured) was branded a ‘cesspit full of inbreds’ by Wrexham footballer James McClean
After he was targeted with abuse by Shrewsbury Town FC fans during a League One match, McClean (left) hit back in a now-deleted Instagram Story (right)
Speaking on behalf of Shrewsbury Town Council, town clerk Helen Ball told MailOnline Travel: ‘Congratulations to Shrewsbury Town FC, who were victorious in the match against Wrexham FC. We wish Gareth Ainsworth and the team the best of luck in the team’s fight against relegation from League One.
‘Shrewsbury enjoy a fierce rivalry with Wrexham FC. This is an important match for both sets of fans and most of what we see between them is friendly banter.’
She continued: ‘We are proud to serve the residents of Shrewsbury in what is known as the “Town of Flowers”.
‘It has wonderful architecture with picturesque black-and-white buildings. There are over 400 listed buildings in Shrewsbury and many tourist sites in the town.’
Helen also revealed the must-see attractions in Shrewsbury – encouraging tourists to come and see them for themselves.
Top of her list of recommendations is the Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, ‘which allows you to explore millions of years of history about the town’.
Shrewsbury Town Council’s town clerk Helen Ball thinks Shrewsbury is worth a visit, thanks to its ‘wonderful architecture with picturesque black-and-white buildings’ (pictured)
Helen suggests a trip on the Sabrina Boat (pictured), which runs six daily boat trips around the River Severn, with live commentary and table service. ‘It gives tourists a leisurely tour of the town from Welsh Bridge to English Bridge and back,’ she adds
Shrewsbury’s Quarry Park (pictured) which, Helen says, has an annual event programme, including the Shrewsbury Flower Show, a regular event since 1857
Helen (pictured) says Shrewsbury is going through a regeneration over the next 10 years
She also suggests a trip on the Sabrina Boat, which runs six daily boat trips around the River Severn, with live commentary and table service.
‘It gives tourists a leisurely tour of the town from Welsh Bridge to English Bridge and back with views of Shrewsbury’s famous Quarry Park,’ reveals Helen, who says that there’s a lot on offer in Shrewsbury for those interested in culture, too.
She says: ‘The Theatre Severn attracts over 250,000 attendees every year looking to enjoy comedy, theatre, music and, of course, the Theatre Severn pantomime, which enjoys record attendance figures each year.
‘Another specialist point about Shrewsbury is the annual events programme in the Quarry Park, with over 10,000 people regularly attending events such as the Shrewsbury Food Festival, Let’s Rock Music event and the Shrewsbury Flower Show, which has been a regular event in the town since 1857.’
Shrewsbury is also going through a regeneration over the next 10 years, Helen says, as ‘councillor officers and stakeholders are focused on enhancing the town with initiatives such as Shrewsbury’s Big Town Plan’.
She adds that the priority goals for the town are ‘creating a place for enterprise, improving Movement and Place (town planning), nurturing natural Shrewsbury, and supporting vitality and life’.
Helen notes that there are ‘over 400 listed buildings in Shrewsbury’