Paul Shrubb

{{Short description|English footballer, coach, and scout (1955–2020)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Paul Shrubb

| fullname = Paul Shrubb

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1955|8|1}}

| birth_place = Guildford, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|5|28|1955|8|1|df=y}}

| death_place = Guildford, England

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/42 |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |date=1987 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5 |editor-last=Dunk |editor-first=Peter |location=London |page=42}}

| position = Utility player

| years1 = 1972–1975

| clubs1 = Fulham

| caps1 = 1

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1975–1976

| clubs2 = Hellenic

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| years3 = 1977–1982

| clubs3 = Brentford

| caps3 = 182

| goals3 = 8

| years4 = 1982–1987

| clubs4 = Aldershot

| caps4 = 174

| goals4 = 5

| years5 = 1987–1989

| clubs5 = Woking

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

| years6 = 1989–1990

| clubs6 = Dorking

| caps6 =

| goals6 =

| years7 = 1990–1991

| clubs7 = Leatherhead

| caps7 =

| goals7 =

| years8 = 1991

| clubs8 = Fleet Town

| caps8 =

| goals8 =

| years9 = 1991–1992

| clubs9 = Cove

| caps9 =

| goals9 =

| years10 = 1992–1995

| clubs10 = Aldershot Town

| caps10 = 31

| goals10 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1995

| managerclubs1 = Aldershot Town (caretaker)

}}

Paul Shrubb (1 August 1955{{spnd}}28 May 2020) was an English professional footballer, coach and scout who made 350 appearances as a player in the Football League, most notably for Brentford and Aldershot. He later returned to Aldershot as assistant manager and coached at a number of non-League clubs.

Playing career

= Fulham =

Shrubb began his career in the youth system at Second Division club Fulham and signed his first professional contract in 1972.{{Cite web |title=Guest of the Day Against Rochdale – Paul Shrubb |url=http://archive.theshots.co.uk/news/Aldershot46556.ink |access-date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Aldershot Town Football Club}} He made his debut during the 1972–73 season, which would be his only appearance before his departure in 1975.

= Hellenic =

Shrubb moved to South Africa to sign for National Football League club Hellenic in 1975.{{Cite book |last=Haynes |first=Graham |title=Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 |last2=Coumbe |first2=Frank |publisher=Yore Publications |year=2006 |isbn=978-0955294914 |location=Harefield |pages=144–145}} The high point of his time with the club was reaching the final of the 1976 NFL Cup, which was lost to Cape Town City.{{Cite web |title=South Africa Cup Winners |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zafcuphist.html |access-date=28 May 2020 |website=RSSSF}}

= Brentford =

Shrubb returned to England and joined Fourth Division club Brentford in March 1977. With a small squad of players, Shrubb blossomed as a utility player in defence and midfield and contributed to the Bees' promotion to the Third Division in the 1977–78 season. Shrubb took over as captain from Jackie Graham for a time, while Graham was out injured. Shrubb missed only a handful of games per season until the 1981–82 campaign, when he was dropped early in the season.{{Cite book |title=100 Years Of Brentford |publisher=Brentford FC |year=1989 |isbn=0951526200 |editor-last=White |editor-first=Eric |pages=394–396}} He departed the Bees in August 1982, having made 198 appearances and scored eight goals during his five years with the club.

= Aldershot =

Shrubb signed for Fourth Division club Aldershot in August 1982.{{Cite web |title=Paul Shrubb: 1993/1994 Biography & Statistics |url=http://archive.theshots.co.uk/PlayerDisplay.ink?skip=16&squadno=10980&season=93/94&seasonl=1993/1994&Playertype=p |access-date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Aldershot Town Football Club}} He made 202 appearances and scored six goals during a five-season spell and departed after the Shots' success in the 1987 Fourth Division play-off final.{{Cite web |title=Aldershot F.C Players Appearances & Goalscorers |url=http://www.mselliott.plus.com/appsgls.html |access-date=29 April 2019 |website=www.mselliott.plus.com}}{{NeilBrownPlayers|player2/paulshrubb}} He put his skills as a utility player to good use, wearing every single shirt number (1–11) during his time with the club.

= Non-League football =

Shrubb dropped into non-League football in 1987 and had spells with Isthmian League clubs Woking, Dorking, Leatherhead, Cove and Wessex League club Fleet Town.

= Return to Aldershot =

Shrubb signed for Isthmian League Third Division phoenix club Aldershot Town in 1992. The Shots won the Third Division championship during the 1992–93 season and secured promotion to First Division in the following campaign.{{Fchd|id=ALDERSHT|name=Aldershot Town F.C.}} He made 31 appearances before retiring in January 1995.{{Cite web |title=Paul Shrubb to be guest for Brentford replay |url=http://archive.theshots.co.uk/news/Aldershot50124.ink |access-date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Aldershot Town Football Club}} Shrubb was awarded a testimonial versus Charlton Athletic on 1 August 2007, in recognition of his service to the club.{{Cite web |title=Paul Shrubb Testimonial Heads Pre Season List |url=http://archive.theshots.co.uk/news/Aldershot44589.ink |access-date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Aldershot Town Football Club}}

Management and coaching career

Between 1987 and 1992, Shrubb held player-coach roles with Woking, Dorking, Leatherhead, Fleet Town and Cove. When he returned to Aldershot in 1992, he became player-assistant manager of the club and was caretaker manager for one match in 1995, after the departure of Steve Wignall.{{Cite web |title=Club Records – Managers – Caretakers History |url=http://archive.theshots.co.uk/RecordsManagersCaretakers.ink |access-date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Aldershot Town Football Club}} He was offered the job on a permanent basis but turned it down, citing work commitments.{{Cite news |title=Non League Football: Chapple in the Shots' frame – Sport |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/non-league-football-chapple-in-the-shots-frame-1568911.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=4 September 2014 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/non-league-football-chapple-in-the-shots-frame-1568911.html |archive-date=25 May 2022}} After his retirement from playing, Shrubb served as Steve Wigley's assistant, before departing the Recreation Ground for the final time in 1997. He later served Hampton and Kingstonian as a coach and resigned from the latter club in April 2001, in protest over the sacking of fellow coach Ian McDonald.{{Cite web |date=3 April 2001 |title=Paul Shrubb Resigns |url=http://www.kingstonian.net/news.jsp?2001/04 |access-date=4 September 2014 |publisher=kingstonian.net}}

Scouting career

Shrubb served as a scout at Charlton Athletic, Plymouth Argyle and AFC Wimbledon.{{Cite web |title=All About: AFC Wimbledon |url=http://archive.theshots.co.uk/news/Aldershot61664.ink |access-date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Aldershot Town Football Club}} While with Plymouth Argyle, he worked alongside former Aldershot teammate Andy King.{{Cite web |title=Ex-Player News |url=http://archive.theshots.co.uk/news/Aldershot47269.ink |access-date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Aldershot Town Football Club}}

Personal life

Shrubb lived in Aldershot and ran his own window cleaning business.{{Cite web |title=Paul's life with MND |url=https://www.pth.org.uk/paul-s-story/ |access-date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice}} As of 2014, he was living in Ash, Surrey.{{Cite web |date=29 May 2020 |title=Tribute To Paul Shrubb |url=https://www.beesunited.org.uk/news/tribute-to-paul-shrubb/ |access-date=30 May 2020 |website=Bees United |language=en-GB}} Shrubb was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in January 2006 and was given two years to live by doctors.{{Cite web |date=27 August 2014 |title=Shots Chairman Takes Public Ice Bucket Challenge For Local Hospice |url=http://www.theshots.co.uk/shots-chairman-takes-public-ice-bucket-challenge-for-local-hospice/ |access-date=4 September 2014 |publisher=Aldershot Town FC}} The condition forced him to give up full-time work in 2009. Shrubb died of the disease in May 2020.{{Cite web |date=28 May 2020 |title=Club Statement: Paul Shrubb |url=https://www.theshots.co.uk/club-statement-paul-shrubb/ |access-date=28 May 2020 |website=Aldershot Town FC |language=en-GB}}

Career statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|FA Cup ! colspan="2" \|League Cup ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
Fulham \|1972–73{{Hugman\|17951\|accessdate=30 October 2016}} \|Second Division \|1 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|1 \|0
rowspan="7" \|Brentford \|1976–77 \| rowspan="2" \|Fourth Division \|13 \|2 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|13 \|2
1977–78 \|45 \|1 \|2 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|49 \|1
1978–79 \| rowspan="4" \|Third Division \|39 \|2 \|1 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|42 \|2
1979–80 \|39 \|1 \|1 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|42 \|1
1980–81 \|42 \|2 \|3 \|0 \|2 \|0 \|47 \|2
1981–82 \|4 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|5 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !182 !8 !7 !0 !9 !0 !198 !8
colspan="3" \|Career total !183 !8 !7 !0 !9 !0 !199 !8

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |FA Cup

! colspan="2" |League Cup

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

Fulham

|1972–73{{Hugman|17951|accessdate=30 October 2016}}

|Second Division

rowspan="7" |Brentford

|1976–77

| rowspan="2" |Fourth Division

|13

| colspan="2" |—

|13

1977–78

|45

|49

1978–79

| rowspan="4" |Third Division

|39

|42

1979–80

|39

|42

1980–81

|42

|47

1981–82

colspan="2" |Total

!182

!198

colspan="3" |Career total

!183

!199

Honours

Brentford

Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1977–78

Aldershot/Aldershot Town

Football League Fourth Division play-offs: 1986–87{{Cite web |date=August 2015 |title=Paul Shrubb: Happy 60th Birthday |url=https://www.theshots.co.uk/paul-shrubb-60/ |access-date=29 April 2019 |website=Aldershot Town FC}}
Isthmian League Second Division third-place promotion: 1993–94
Isthmian League Third Division: 1992–93