New Chief Executive relishing the challenges at Town
Interview is copyright of Shrewsbury Town Football Club and no part can be reproduced without prior permission of Shrewsbury Town Football Club.“It would have been nice to have one game to see how that went before actually coming to the big ones but you might as well start as you mean to go on.”
“It’s going to be an interesting baptism of fire shall we say. We’ll see how that goes.
But Caldwell admits that, whilst he is looking forward to the glamour tie, he would have liked one game beforehand just to settle in.
As far as first games go, Manchester United at home is surely as big as it gets for a new Chief Executive.
“We’ll obviously be open to suggestions for things that the fans think we can improve.”
“Even meeting the staff last week has been good to get an understanding of what everyone is doing in their job and how we can improve things because you can always get better. I am very hands on and during my times at Ayr United and St Mirren I have probably done most jobs so hopefully I can help our staff with my 18 years experience in football"
“We had a really good relationship with the fans at St Mirren and Ayr. You’re never going to please everyone in football because each person has their own opinions but hopefully we can galvanise everyone together.
“We had a fans council at St Mirren, comprising 15-20 fans from all walks of life. They were keen to help improve the club in any way that they could.
“It’s all about engagement- I’m very much into that,” he insisted.
Caldwell also accentuates the importance of developing a strong rapport with supporters, another factor that he placed great emphasis on at St Mirren Park.
“We need Shrewsbury Town to be seen in the Shropshire community more and more and the badge to be known by the local people, who can then take pride in their local football club and be seen as a community and family club.”
“It is great for the club to be seen in the local community. With the good work that Jamie (Edwards) has been doing, I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with his team.
Caldwell added: “The community side of things is going well - it’s something I have taken pride in and built up at St Mirren.
One aspect the Scotsman is particularly keen on advancing is the Club’s involvement with the community, having tackled such a task whilst at St Mirren.
“By all accounts, he has done well here and has a good reputation in football. Hopefully I can continue the work that has been done and continue the improvement ”
“He has always said to get in touch with him if I need anything once I’m down here, which is great.
“I’ve actually dealt with Matt when I was with St Mirren when Matt was at Blackpool. We exchanged emails before he left.
And Caldwell believes that Williams performed to high standards at Town, something he is keen to build upon.
The new CEO also revealed that he has come into contact with predecessor Matt Williams before.
“I knew everyone would be very busy so I thought it would be ideal to come down for a few days to meet everyone. I’ve got to thank St Mirren because they’ve been understanding to let me come down although the journeys are pretty long (5 hours) , however my wife now has a job down here so we are looking forward to living in shropshire.
He said: “When the FA Cup was drawn during my notice period at St Mirren, and Manchester United came out, I knew the week I was due to be starting was going to be difficult to meet all the staff and get to know everybody.
Caldwell, who worked at Ayr United for 10 years prior to joining St Mirren, has been down to Shrewsbury on a number of occasions before his actual start due to the FA Cup Fifth Round fixture at home to Manchester United.
“Hopefully we can improve things off the park and Micky can improve things on the park."
“I think this club offers me the challenge that I’ve been looking for. It’s a really good fit for me - there’s a new stadium with fantastic foundations, a better set up and more staffing. This set up should be one that the people of Shropshire should be proud of, this club has come a long way in a relatively short time, the set up is one they should be very proud of"
“I enjoyed my time at St Mirren, we won a national trophy and retained our Scottish premiership status for seven years but it was time for a new challenge,” he commented.
Caldwell spent eight-and-a-half years at Scottish Championship outfit St Mirren but felt that it was time to move on to pastures new.
“It’s one that I couldn’t refuse personally, and professionally as well. It’s a lovely part of the world to live and I’m really looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
“For me, it’s just a great opportunity. There are a lot of good foundations at this club, with a cracking stadium and a great setup,” the 47 year-old told ShrewsWeb.
And the former St Mirren chief executive is excited about what lies ahead at Greenhous Meadow.
Caldwell has been appointed as the successor to Matt Williams, who left the Club in January to become general manager at Burnley.
New Chief Executive Officer Brian Caldwell is relishing the upcoming challenges as he begins work at Shrewsbury Town.