Liam Dooley | August Update

In his latest open letter to supporters, Shrewsbury Town chief executive Liam Dooley has provided an update on the club’s takeover situation and outlined how the remainder of the summer transfer window will be managed following the departure of director of football Micky Moore.

 

Dear supporters,

In a departure from my usual 10/12-week update, I would like to focus this message more on football matters following the recent changes at the club.

Firstly, I want to address the departure of Micky Moore as director of football.

Micky played a key role - alongside Michael Appleton - in recruiting eight new players over the summer.

Until just a couple of weeks ago, the majority of our supporters rightly believed that recruitment had been strong and that we were well-positioned for the season ahead.

And while we understand supporters’ frustrations with recent results, our belief in this squad remains firm – it is just a matter of the players clicking and adapting to the new philosophy that Michael is working hard to implement. Ultimately, this process takes time.

As a club we will now take a considered pause to reflect on our footballing structure.

We’re assessing what has worked well at other clubs and we will weigh up carefully whether to continue with a director of football model or return to a more traditional structure.

During this transition, recruitment at the end of the current transfer window will be overseen by the head coach, recruitment team and CEO.

This will ensure decisions are collective, measured, and in the best long-term interests of the club - with the Chairman continuing to provide vital financial support.

At the same time, we remain mindful of the club’s future ownership and any direction that new investors may wish to go in.

I’m really pleased to report advanced talks are ongoing with one prospective party, and we hope to enter an exclusivity period in the coming days and weeks.

Since the conclusion of our previous exclusivity agreement, the Board has carefully reviewed numerous expressions of interest.

The majority did not progress beyond our internal process, which requires prospective buyers to demonstrate both proof of funds and a credible plan for the club.

Following this thorough due diligence, we are really excited to have now found a potential buyer who we are close to entering into an exclusivity period with.

When the time is right, and once protocol allows, we will communicate with you clearly. We’ve learned from past experiences, and we will work to ensure the process is handled with as much openness and care as possible.

On the pitch, while results in our opening fixtures are yet to reflect our hard work, we believe strongly in the quality of this squad.

Recruitment this summer has given us a strong foundation, and as the transfer window closes, we’ll continue to look for smart opportunities to strengthen further.

The talent is there; now it’s about building chemistry and belief.

Finally, I want to say thank you. Thank you for your loyalty and your passion. Seeing you support the club in great numbers is fantastic.

My ask is for this support to be united. When we talk about unity it means all of us - supporters, staff and players - all getting behind Michael and Richard.

We all need to focus our energy on driving the team forward. If we stand together, keep faith, and back the team with everything we’ve got, I am confident we can look forward to an exciting new chapter in our history.

Thank you for your support. 

Liam.

CEO, Shrewsbury Town FC