Newly appointed managing director Rob Bickerton has outlined the desire for Shrewsbury Town to reach the Coca-Cola Championship.
Bickerton, former chairman at Macclesfield Town, believes Town’s 10,000 all-seater stadium at Oteley Road has given the club a platform to rise to the second tier of English football.
And the 48-year-old admitted Shrewsbury have the best chance of fulfiling that ambitious plan in the coming years before the final gap widens further.
“The challenge here is not just to stay in League Two,” Bickerton told a fans forum attended by around 60 supporters.
“The challenge in my view is to reach the Championship. With the support we have, and potentially have, we can be a Championship club.
“The gap is getting wider between where we are and where we want to be and getting there sooner means we can stay there longer.
“The Football League television deal means League Two clubs get £250,000, League One clubs get £350,000 and Championship clubs get nearly £2m.
“When that new television deal is re-negotiated in the next few years those figures are likely to double.”
Bickerton also outlined his roll at the club which he began almost two weeks ago.
“I have come in as a fresh pair of eyes to help maximise income and ensure the club is getting value for money on every pound,” he added.
“On the football side every player picked in the squad is down to the manager – 100 per cent.”
Other issues from the meeting, also attended by vice-chairman Keith Sayfritz and departing chief executive Steve Wellbeloved, included:
- The club is pursuing the task of filling in each corner of Otley Road with 500 seats to raise capacity to 12,000
- Bickerton urged fans to “watch this space” as Town’s search for a new striker continues.
- Changing the club’s new badge is “not on the agenda”.
- Bickerton aspires to be one of six directors to be sitting on the Football League board.
By James Garrison
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One Comment
It is good to have ambitions. However do we realistically see the Town getting to the Championship and surviving?
Not sure. It will depend on if we can develop our own players, keeping them and not spending too much in the transfer market. Tall order? Still we all need a dream.
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