Brian Caldwell: Season tickets can help Shrewsbury through this

With football having been suspended until April 30, clubs up and down the country are having to adjust without their primary source of income.

On Wednesday, the EFL announced a £50million short-term relief package to assist clubs with their cashflow.

That policy saw the Football League yesterday hand over money that otherwise would have been dished out in April, May and June.

But while that advance was welcome, Caldwell said it will really help the club if fans take advantage of the current early bird offer on season tickets.

“We want to still sell season tickets,” the chief executive said. “If you can renew, please help the club.

“We do have reserves in place but the last thing we want to do is dip into them.

“We want to hold on to what we do have in reserve for the purposes we have it there because we have no income at the minute really.

“We are relying on the season ticket money and the money that has been sent to us by the EFL, but that money was due to be coming to us anyway.

“We haven’t actually obtained any additional funds.”

As well as help from the EFL, the government has also issued a range of policies to assist businesses as the coronavirus pandemic continues to bring the country to a standstill.

And Caldwell says it’s his job to explore all the options open.

“The money from the EFL is money that was that was due to be paid over the next three months,” the former St Mirren chief continued. “Instead of getting that money in the first week in April, the first week in May and the first week in June – those payments have been paid to ease cashflow concerns.

“That is a helping hand.

“There is also the potential for an interest-free loan, but we haven’t got any further details on that yet.

“We will look at everything that is available to us.

“The government has also suggested a business rates exemption for a year which also helps with cashflow.

“I think as a football club we have to look at everything that is out there and available to us.”

Caldwell says Shrewsbury’s finances are also being hit because they can’t host as many hospitality events.

“The hospitality side of things, the conference and events team is a massive part of our income stream and that has almost been wiped out with all the cancellations,” he added. “It is obviously disappointing for us as a football club to lose that income stream.

“And that is where it’s really important to get any income we can at the minute – that’s why I am saying about season tickets.”