Shrewsbury takeover moves closer after Scottish FA clears dual-club deal

Shrewsbury Town's long wait for new owners moved closer to an end after Scottish football chiefs cleared the American buyers to hold roles at two clubs at once.

The Scottish Football Association has given approval for the dual interests linked to the proposed takeover of Shrewsbury, according to BBC Sport. That ruling allows Scott Davidson, Will Dotson and Craig Graham to serve as directors of both Shrewsbury and Spartans FC.

Davidson is the majority shareholder of Spartans, who play in Scottish League 2, the fourth tier in Scotland. Dotson and Graham are also involved at the Edinburgh club. Spartans said the decision completes the majority of the regulatory work around the Shrewsbury deal, as reported by Spartans FC.

The buying group has four names. Alongside Davidson, Dotson and Graham is Brad Friedel, the American former goalkeeper who played for Liverpool, Tottenham and Blackburn. Friedel's playing career in England spanned more than a decade and made him a familiar face to casual fans.

On the English side, the group has already passed the due diligence and financial checks set by the English Football League and the Independent Football Regulator. Due diligence is the deep background check on money and ownership that must be passed before a club can change hands. Clearing both that and the Scottish FA test leaves little regulatory road left to run.

Shrewsbury need that finish line. Chairman Roland Wycherley put the club up for sale in 2024. A sale to a different American buyer collapsed in March 2025. A second bid from another party fell through six months later.

Completion will end Wycherley's 30-year tenure as owner. Talks with Davidson's group had run for six months by early October 2026, with hopes the deal can be finalised before Christmas. Shrewsbury play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football.

For fans, this means clarity is close but not quite here. The deal is not done yet. That wait may soon end.