[7] After a poor start to the season, winning only two of the opening ten league matches, manager Micky Mellon and his assistant Mike Jackson left the club,[1] and four subsequent successive defeats under the caretaker management of goalkeeping coach Danny Coyne saw Shrewsbury rooted to the bottom of the league table.

[8] Grimsby Town manager Paul Hurst was appointed alongside assistant Chris Doig on 24 October 2016,[2] eventually steering the club to an 18th-placed finish, three league places and two points clear of local rivals Port Vale who occupied the final relegation place.

[90] See main article: 2016–17 EFL Trophy Fixtures for the group stages were released on 27 July 2016.

[92] The fixture was originally scheduled for 1 November 2016, but was postponed due to Shrewsbury Town's participation in the FA Youth Cup.

[93] The tie was later rescheduled for 4 April 2017, but then moved forward to the 14 March, to prevent a clash with Shrewsbury's rearranged league match with Millwall.