‘Continued improvements’ - Liam Dooley makes admission on Shrewsbury's financial position
Liam Dooley has revealed Shrewsbury Town’s financial position continues to improve in his latest open letter to supporters.
Salop were rocked when they reported more than £3 million worth of losses back in March 2024 which was the accounting period for the 2022-23 season.
It revealed their cash reserves had fallen from £1.5 million to just under £100,000 in a 12-month period, plunging them into a vulnerable financial position.
Since then they have recovered somewhat with those losses almost halving in the most recent set of accounts. They reported £1.6 million worth of losses for the 2023-24 campaign.
The club have continued to be run prudently as they seek to make financial progress and get back to a secure footing, and Dooley expects this to be demonstrated when the next set of figures are published.
"From a financial standpoint, our accounting year ends on June 30,” he said. “We expect to report continued improvements in our financial performance when the figures are published later this year.
"That optimism is rooted in solid operational and commercial discipline across the club.”
Town’s last two seasons have been tough going. They narrowly avoided relegation in 2023-24 and they could not escape it last campaign as they fell back into League Two after more than 10 years in the third tier.
Yet despite that the Shrewsbury fans have shown significant interest in purchasing tickets again for the upcoming campaign.
"Looking forward to next season, I’m thrilled to share that we are on track to match last season's total of over 3,000 season ticket holders,” he continued.
"This consistency in support, despite the setbacks, is testament to your loyalty and belief – and I want to say a massive thank you.
"On to our new kits, I’m excited to share that the home shirt will go on sale next week featuring our new front of shirt sponsor, Shropshire Homes, who I am delighted to say will now sponsor the home shirt – adding to their long-term support of our away and third strips.
"This deal continues their long affinity with the club. And we are very grateful for their continued support."
While it was a challenging season for the men’s first team other areas of the club were successful and the CEO recognised those achievements.
He said: "Our under-17s lifted the Professional Development League Cup, a wonderful testament to the strength of our academy.
"Our women’s team triumphed in the League Cup - a fantastic achievement and reward for their hard work and dedication.
"And finally, our STFC Foundation Elite Development Centre’s Under-16 girls' team were crowned National Champions, demonstrating the quality coming through our youth pathways in the women’s game.
"These successes reaffirm that our foundations are strong and that the future of the club is bright.”