Poll reveals Shrewsbury Town fans want outside investment in club

Salop have had significant financial issues over the last 18 months which recently led to them revealing £3 million losses in their 2022/23 accounts.

Town have been a well-run club under the stewardship of Roland Wycherley – who has been in charge for the last 28 years.

But last season he revealed they are searching for outside investment with the club in dialogue with various parties over a takeover deal.

And 96 per cent of the club’s fan base believe that is needed to push the club forward after they narrowly avoided relegation.

Wycherley and Duncan Montgomery, the club’s finance director, have been putting their own cash into the club to help with running costs but competing on the pitch is getting harder with Town having to release a lot of their better players due to high wage costs.

It has been a tough time and 41 per cent of fans are very concerned about their financial position, while 49 per cent are worried and 10 per cent thinking it will all be OK.

Before the season, Shrewsbury changed their structure by bringing in a director of football, Micky Moore from Cheltenham – the first time the club have had the position.

They went down the route of appointing a head coach rather than having a manager with complete control, and 55 per cent of fans are not convinced by the new model but are prepared to give it more time.

However, 37 per cent do not like it, while just eight per cent think the change has been a success.

One of Moore’s first appointments in his role was to give Matt Taylor the job as head coach, a move that did not work, as the former Portsmouth midfielder was sacked in January after a run of seven defeats in eight games.

And 96 per cent of fans believe sacking Taylor was the right call to make.

Before chief executive Liam Dooley arrived, supporters had raised concerns about the club’s communication, but 65 per cent of fans were happy with it over the last 12 months.

With the new season just around the corner, 89 per cent of fans are excited to see what Paul Hurst can do when he recruits his own players. Last time he was in this position, he took Town to the play-off final.

However, supporters are concerned about Shrews’ options in forward areas, with 59 per cent of them saying attackers should be prioritised in the transfer market – goals were a struggle for Town last time out. But expectations are realistic, and 43 per cent of supporters believe avoiding relegation will make the campaign a successful season, with 37 per cent saying they would need a mid-table finish for it to be a success.