Former Championship manager Gareth Ainsworth has left League One relegation-doomed Shrewsbury Town to join League Two strugglers Gillingham in an intriguing move
Former Championship manager Gareth Ainsworth has dropped from League One to League Two in an intriguing managerial move.
Ainsworth spent over a decade in charge of Wycombe Wanderers before making an ill-fated switch to QPR in 2023. The 51-year-old had been looking to rebuild his managerial career at Shrewsbury Town, but has been unable to steer the Shrews away from the League One drop.
Shrewsbury are in a dire situation in the third-tier, sitting rock bottom of the table and 14 points from safety with just nine games left to play.
But their doomed season will not end with Ainsworth at the helm looking to rebuild next season. Instead, Ainsworth has jumped ship to join struggling League Two outfit Gillingham.
The Gills, who are currently languishing in 19th in the table – 13 points clear of the bottom two – have endured an underwhelming season under former boss Mark Bonner and interim John Coleman.
Speculation regarding a change of manager were sparked last week when Ainsworth was spotted in Gillingham. He will now be looking to guide the Gills as high up the table as possible before beginning a rebuild next season.
Ainsworth was sacked by QPR after just 28 games, of which he won five, after taking charge of over 500 games at Wycombe, guiding them to two promotions.
His appointment by the Shropshire side appeared a coup at the time, but Ainsworth has won just five of his 22 games in charge despite his tenure beginning with a 3-2 win over runaway league leaders Birmingham City.
The reason behind Ainsworth’s decision to swap Croud Meadow for The Priestfield is unclear. However, Gillingham’s US-based property tycoon Brad Galinson could be behind the deal.
Galinson, who has a net worth said to be around £65-£82million, has previously stated his desire for promotion after investing in the club both on and off the pitch.
The plans to leave their 11,582 capacity home and build a new stadium remain ongoing.