The news that Gary Peters was stepping down from his post as Town manager by mutual consent broke yesterday lunchtime.

The decision came after discussions on Monday between Town chairman Roland Wycherley and GP following the 4-1 defeat away to Barnet on Saturday.

ShrewsWeb caught up with GP this morning and started by asking him if it had been a tough decision to make: "It was a very hard decision to make as I love the club and have really enjoyed my 3 years here.

"My decision was made to benefit the team and the football club because the chairman was feeling the heat and there were people who were being very negative about me.

"Everybody can now group together with the supporters, directors, players can all be as one and the atmosphere should be good on Saturday. The people who were negative have got their way, we weren't doing as well as we should have been and the club now has a chance to push on.

"We are in a very average position, we aren't going to go up but a couple wins will ensure we don't go down and then it gives someone a chance to plan for next season.

"I couldn't have worked any harder at the job and really put my life on hold for 3 years for the club.

"I've got lots of things that I want to do and can now get on with those and I think it was better for me to go than to allow the club to slow up."

GP broke the news to the players before training on Monday and the lads were visibly upset by the news. The squad has been assembled by GP over the last 3 years and each season has seen a progression other than the current one where results haven't matched expectations: "My big worry of the whole situation is that I had a young bunch of players that we were bringing through and next year would have been a very good year.

"I think next year can still be a good year with one of two experienced players brought in to add to those youngsters.

"I know people think I'm tough and a strict manager but if you speak to the players I think you'll find I got on great with all of them.

"They are disappointed as they feel that they have left me down and to a degree their performances at times have.

"They worked as hard as I could have asked of them and maybe it was down to having too many young players all at once.

"All of those young players will go on to have good careers and most of them will go on to be a very good team for us next year."

When GP took over the club in November 2004 things were not looking good for Shrewsbury Town. After the euphoria of the previous season's promotion from the Conference it looked like the club would make an immediate return. One thing to please GP is the fact that he leaves the club in a much better state than the one he inherited: "I leave the club in a better way than I found it in every way shape and form.

"We had an aging ground, although it was good for us for results, we had a football club that couldn't justify the budget to do well.

"We now have a football club that has a modern stadium, different ways of making bringing in income because of the addition to the business the budget can grow.

"Financially we are a lot sounder than before, I've sold nearly £2 million of players, with more money to be collected, so that is a big positive.

"The work the chairman did building the new ground will give the club the stability for the future.

"The work we've done on the training facilities and to make sure all the preparation and professionalism are in place have also brought the club on.

"I think the club is in a very healthy state but with fans being disgruntled with results I didn't want to put pressure onto the club by staying so think me leaving is the right decision."

GP came in with a 5 year plan for the club but leaves with 2 years of that left to run. We wondered if he would always see Shrewsbury Town as an incomplete job: "I think it will always remain a half completed project for me.

"There was success in the way of that the club is stabilised now, when I came here it was bottom of the league and was very amateur into the way it was run.

"We've now have got the ground work done, we have a young bunch of players who have great attitudes and who love playing and training.

"It will now only take a small tweak to take the club to the next stage of being promoted into the next division.

"I hope to be there to see that as I have got very fond of the club and have a great relationship with the chairman. I think that's why we came to the mutual decision yesterday and not because either of us were putting pressure on the other.

"I'll be back to watch games as a supporter at times and would love to come back next season and see the club promoted."

In those 3 years that he has had with the club GP has seen some great highs. He also grown a great affection for the club and it will always remain a part of his life: "Moving into the new ground was brilliant and obviously the MK Dons game last year was a massive high.

"I'll always remember the way I was treated at the football club by everyone, supporters and directors was excellent.

"You couldn't work for a better chairman; I never went in and asked for something I didn't get.

"There are lots of good points and the Shrewsbury result will be the first one I look for for the rest of my life and I will remain a Shrewsbury fan.

"Even in the last few weeks when people have been giving me stick those are the right people to have doing that. When the away supporters give you stick you should take that because they are the really honest supporters who go week in week out home and away and are the lifeblood of the football club.

"They had every right to have a go at me at Barnet because that was a terrible performance."