Highs, lows, and managing while battling Covid-19: Steve Cotterill's two-and-a-half years at Shrewsbury Town
Steve Cotterill’s two-and-a-half year stay at Shrewsbury Town has seen real highs and deep lows – and at one stage saw the experienced boss managing his team from his hospital bed while battling a life-threatening case of Covid-19.
When he arrived at the Montgomery Waters Meadow, Salop were languishing in the League One relegation zone, after a rotten run of results under Sam Ricketts.
In his second full season in charge, he would lead the club to their second highest league position in 30 years, only bettered by Paul Hurst’s 2017/2018 side that went on to suffer play-off final agony.
Now, a month after the campaign concluded, Cotterill looks set to leave club by mutual consent.
Here is a look back on Cotterill’s time in Shropshire.
Arrival
Cotterill – who had won promotions with Cheltenham, Notts County and Bristol City – was somewhat of a coup when he penned a three-and-a-half-year deal in November 2020.
Confidence was on the floor at the club and Cotterill turned things around. After a late FA Cup win in his first game, he picked up three back-to-back 1-0 victories over promotion-chasing Hull, Lincoln and Doncaster Rovers.
He then oversaw an impressive January window, with the likes of Everton’s Matthew Pennington and Man City’s Nathaniel Ogbeta arriving at the club. It had been a whirlwind first few weeks in the job for the experienced Cotterill, but less than two months after taking charge, it was to take a difficult and cruel twist.
Covid-19 battle
In mid January 2021, Salop travelled to Southampton in the FA Cup under the stewardship of assistant boss Aaron Wilbraham, after Cotterill had been admitted to intensive care after suffering from Covid-19.
Cotterill would remain in hospital for a total of 33 days, before being re-admitted in early March after suffering Covid-pneumonia.
