Grant Holt
Town's top scorer Grant Holt received some more good news this week with the announcement that he would receive the PUMA Golden Boot for Coca Cola League 2.It is another great honour for Holty whose goals have already seen him pick up a host of awards.
ShrewsWeb spoke to Holty before training to get his thoughts on the news: "It's been a great year so far and the awards I've received so far have been excellent, although I'm disappointed I didn't do enough to win overall league goal scorer.
"It's nice to get such a prestigious award and I'm now looking forward to hopefully achieving something else at the weekend.
"We've now have got the opportunity to go out there on Saturday and to add to that final goals total.
"Everyone looks at how many goals I've got but it is a team effort and without the deliveries and passes that I get I wouldn't get the chance to score, so I am grateful for all the help."
There have been a lot of cameras and film crews down the Prostar Stadium this week as the national media get their stories ahead of the big game.Holty has been on the end of a lot of these requests but has taken it all in his stride: "We knew there was going to be a lot of hype this week but you have to take a lot of it with a big pinch of salt.
"You know it's going to come so you have to try to get the interviews out of the way so you can focus on the training.
"To be fair we've done it in the correct way and got the media in at the right times so it doesn't disturb training.
"There is a lot of hype but if we didn't have that then I'm sure we would be complaining about it and it does help to put the club on the map."
The players and management have now made camp in their pre Wembley hotel and this allows some quiet time ahead of the big game: "The good thing is we are leaving on Thursday and then staying in London for the two nights before the game.
"That gives you the opportunity to be around the lads and away from your family and friends so all there is to do is concentrate on the game.
"You also get away from the media as they won't be down the hotel so that just helps everyone to focus on the task ahead.
"Everything is now geared up for the weekend and we are just trying to settle down, relax and enjoy the time before the big day."
The mental preparations for the game have also been taking place with the squad becoming closer by the day.It is now a really close knit bunch of lads who will be taking to the Wembley turf: "We've had some good final training sessions that the manager has put on and they have been enjoyable.
"We'll have a few little things that we'll have done last night and on the bus down to build that team spirit.
"We've worked a lot on getting the away games right and to try and enjoy being away from home.
"You need that team spirit and we've had a lot of days out away from training and have a great craic in the dressing room.
"We had a few bits and bobs for a certain member of the squad who let himself down a bit in the media recently, but he's come in and taken it well."
Holty has played in some big games in his career but this one ranks right at the top.He is still ambitious and hopes that Town can get the right result on Saturday: "Without a doubt it's the biggest game that I've played so far in my career.
"When I came here at the start of the season I said I wanted promotion and nothing else will do and nothing has changed.
"We have a great team spirit, are playing well at the moment and we've got a great chance to go there at the weekend and get a result.
"It's the opportunity for me and the club to get promoted and if we can do that it will be absolutely fantastic."
On the pitch Town have shown in recent games that determined streak that can win games.A settled squad has helped this but Holty also puts this down to the time the lads have been playing together: "I think it's taken us a while to gel and to see what each other has got on the pitch.
"It can take time to work out peoples characters and how they are and it takes a time to get a squad united on the pitch.
"I remember when the gaffer was at Carlisle it took a while to get the team that he wanted but as soon as he got that they got promoted.
"Team spirit will take you a long way and I think if we'd gelled on the pitch a little earlier then we would have got one of the automatic spots."
Town's squad has been bolstered recently with Kevin McIntyre coming back and how Simmo has another selection headache with Chris Humphrey back to fitness: "We know we can score goals and we know that we can keep clean sheets and those are our strengths.
"We've got Kevin McIntyre who has been fantastic since coming back from his injury and he gives us that little bit extra.Dave Worrall came in for Chris Humphrey, Chris will be fine for the weekend and it's a big decision for the manager and if he stays with the same team and Chris is on the bench then we have a great player who can come off the bench and change games.
"It is a shame that we are missing Steve Leslie as he is a player who can give you that little bit extra.It's disappointing that he won't be involved but I'm sure it will all be forgotten if we win for him at the weekend and a lot of lads have spoken about doing it for him. "


















