Town manager Paul Simpson today revealed two new additions to his squad in a press conference at the new stadium this morning.
Striker Grant Holt has joined from Notts Forest on a 3 year deal and defender Michael Jackson has joined on a 2 year deal after being released by Blackpool: "I'm delighted to be able to announce the signing of these two lads this morning. They are deals which have been ongoing for a couple of weeks now and I'm pleased that all the phone calls, conversations and meetings have actually come to fruition.
"We are really fortunate that we are in a position where the chairman is backing me to bring in these types of players and in Michael Jackson and Grant Holt we have two players who could become good signings."
Michael Jackson started his career as a trainee with Crewe before getting his break following a move to Bury. He went onto make over 125 appearances for the Shakers before a move to join Preston North End. He then had a spell at Tranmere before a move to Blackpool that saw him help the club win promotion to the Championship. He played over 30 games in the championship before picking up an injury which kept him out of the final games on the season.
Simmo has been an admirer of Jackson for a while now and had to be patient before finally getting the experienced centre back to sign: "I made it quite clear that I thought we were lacking a bit of a spine right though the side and Michael Jackson will help to give us that.
"He's a very experienced player who was been a captain all throughout his career, he was part of the Blackpool side that won promotion from League 1 to the Championship and played 30+ games in the Championship last year.
"Some people may get put off by his age but he is still fit and very keen to be successful and hopefully he can continue that success with us."
The other player who has signed is striker Grant Holt who has signed on a £170,000 deal from Notts Forest. The fee breaks Town's previous transfer record which was £100,000 for John Dungworth and for Mark Blake.
The signing is a big coup for Paul Simpson who has landed one of his main summer transfer targets. Holt had been linked with a number of clubs since going out on loan to Blackpool at the end of last season but in the end has chosen to join Town: "This is something that has been going on for a while, just before I went on holiday at the end of May I put the call into Colin Calderwood to see if there was a possibility that Grant might be available. I'd heard a little whisper that Robert Earnshaw might be signing for Forest and that would have meant Grant would have dropped a little bit further down the pecking order.
"It's all gone on from there, it's been a little bit slow but it came out at the end of last week that we had a bid accepted.
"It's another signing that shows where we want to go, the chairman has backed me with it and it is a record transfer for our football club.
"Grant has scored goals during his career and is a player who will score, he's a workman like striker who gets hold of the ball, can go past people and is a good finisher.
"He was the leading scorer for Forest the season before last but didn't get as many games last year but that is all in the past. All I want to see is grant pulling on the Shrewsbury Town shirt, performing for us and striking up a partnership with one or two of the other strikers we have here.
"We want to be serious about this season, we want to be competing at the right end of the table and hopefully with someone like Grant Holt in the side he can add to what we already have and give us a fighting chance."
The additions of Michael Jackson and Grant Holt, and central midfielder Paul Murray, have added that bit of experience and quality to the spine of the side that Simmo has spoken about needing. The Town manager is hoping to have another new face in by the end of the week but already feels the squad is stronger than last season: "It's looking good but I hope it's not the end of my signings and I will have the chance to bring in another by the end of the week. There have been things which have been ongoing for a while now and I'm looking to strengthen.
"I know it gives us big squad at the moment and there will need to be players who are going to be leaving but my priority was to get players in who are going to help us at the start of the season.
"I'm delighted in what we've brought in and if we can bring in another player then I will be delighted, if we can't then I am confident that squad which be stronger than the one that finished."
The calibre of today's two signings shows how the club is becoming more attractive to players. The new stadium and facilities have helped the Town manager to attract players but the biggest factor in the moves has been patience: "I wouldn't describe it as hard to sell the club to players; it's been something that I have had to be patient about. I've had to bide my time and just wait for things to happen.
"When you are looking at players from a higher level they have other options, Mike had the option of going to Scunthorpe, Oldham had made an offer to him, so for us a League 2 club to be able to attract him here means he must have seen something in us.
"I think the fact that the stadium is so attractive to people and that I've told them what my aims are and what I want to do means that they've chosen to join us."
