Well-run Shrewsbury Town show others the way forward - chief exec
Shrewsbury Town should be proud to be on solid financial footing now more than ever during the coronavirus outbreak, believes chief executive Brian Caldwell.
The League One club are in a strong position amid the threat of no football for the foreseeable future due to having no debt and reserves in the bank.
While established Football League club Bury were expunged at the beginning of the season after racking up debts and other clubs barely managing to stay afloat, Caldwell explains that Town’s prudent living will help during the troubled times.
Supporters often praise the manner in which the club’s finances are managed by chairman Roland Wycherley, as Caldwell and Sam Ricketts regularly stress that Shrewsbury will not spend outside of their means on player transfers and wages.
“There’s a lot of clubs in a far worse financial state than us with their reserves,” said Town chief Caldwell.
“We don’t want to dip into ours, but we can if we need to. A lot of clubs don’t have that reserve that we have.
“We’re in a far more fortunate position than 99 per cent of clubs, which is good for us and we should all be proud of that.
“Everybody involved with the club should be proud that Shrewsbury Town has one of the best finances and can deal with the situation.
“You hear about other clubs going to get loans, a few clubs are saying they’re having trouble getting any loans because of the financial situation.”
The EFL distributed a £50million short-term relief package among its clubs earlier in the month. The funds would have been handed out in April, May and June.
Town hope fans take advantage of the early bird season ticket offer for next season. The club sold more than 3,500 season tickets for the current campaign.
The early bird offer currently stands to run until April 15.
Caldwell stresses that ticket income is vital for the club. He added: “I’ve tried to put a clear message out, we totally understand that some people might not be in a position to do anything because of what’s going on in the world.
“We have very few income streams just now, so if there are people that are able to renew or intending to renew then please do.
“There have been a number of them that have taken it up to try and help the club.”
