▁the ▁Football ▁League ▁Third ▁Division . ▁Its ▁highest ▁league ▁position ▁prior ▁to ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁was ▁second ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 – 3 5 . ▁▁ 1 9 6 0 s – 1 9 9 0 s ▁They ▁finished ▁one ▁place ▁off ▁promotion ▁from ▁the ▁Football ▁League ▁Third ▁Division ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁they ▁were ▁re leg ated ▁to ▁the ▁Football ▁Conference . ▁ ▁Conference ▁The ▁club ▁found ▁the ▁Conference ▁no ▁easier ▁than ▁the ▁fourth ▁division . ▁After ▁several ▁poor ▁seasons ▁with ▁severe ▁financial ▁constraints , ▁the ▁club ▁was ▁dem oral ised ▁as ▁there ▁seemed ▁to ▁be ▁no ▁way ▁out . ▁However , ▁previous ▁manager ▁George ▁Mul hall ▁returned ▁towards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 6 – 9 7 ▁and ▁avoided ▁re leg ation ▁from ▁the ▁Conference . ▁The ▁next ▁season ▁Mul hall ▁and ▁K ier an ▁O ' Reg an ▁made ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁add itions ▁to ▁the ▁squad ▁including ▁Jam ie ▁Pat erson , ▁Mark ▁Brad sh aw ▁and ▁Lee ▁Martin ▁to ▁put ▁together ▁a ▁title - win ning ▁team . ▁The ▁Sh ay men ▁were ▁crown ed ▁champions ▁of ▁the ▁Conference ▁and ▁thus ▁reg ained ▁Football ▁League ▁status . ▁Free ▁scoring ▁Geoff ▁H ors field ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁top ▁sc orer ▁in ▁the ▁Conference ▁that ▁season , ▁scoring ▁ 3 0 ▁goals . ▁ ▁Back ▁In ▁the ▁Football ▁League ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 – 9 9 ▁season ,