Shrewsbury takeover advances as Scottish FA approves dual club interests

Shrewsbury Town's proposed takeover has moved past another regulatory hurdle after the Scottish Football Association approved the prospective owners' interests in both the English club and Spartans. In a statement published on 6 October, Spartans confirmed the clearance for the consortium led by its lead shareholder, Scott Davidson. The announcement concerns the ownership links between the clubs, rather than confirmation that the sale has been completed.

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The approval covers Davidson, Will Dotson and Craig Graham becoming directors of both clubs. Spartans said the decision meant most of the acquisition's regulatory requirements had now been dealt with. The Scottish club also said it would issue further updates when it was able to do so, without announcing a completion date in its statement.

According to BBC Sport, the American consortium also includes former Liverpool, Tottenham and Blackburn goalkeeper Brad Friedel. The group had already satisfied due-diligence and financial checks conducted by the English Football League and the Independent Football Regulator before receiving the Scottish FA's clearance. Davidson is the majority shareholder at Spartans, who play in Scottish League Two, with Dotson and Graham also involved there.

The BBC reported that negotiations with Davidson's group have been running for six months, with hopes of completing the transaction before Christmas. Shrewsbury chairman Roland Wycherley put the club on the market in 2024, but earlier attempts to secure a new owner did not lead to a completed sale.

An American buyer's proposed deal collapsed in March 2025, and another bid from a different party fell through six months later, according to the BBC. A completed sale to the current consortium would end Wycherley's 30 years as owner. The 85-year-old has urged patience about what follows a change of ownership, drawing on his own experience of running the club.

For now, the confirmed development is the Scottish FA's acceptance of the dual interests and directorship arrangements described by Spartans. Its announcement marks progress on the approvals needed for the acquisition, while leaving the final completion of Shrewsbury's sale to a subsequent update.