Shrewsbury Town’s proposed takeover by an American investment group has cleared another significant regulatory hurdle after the Scottish Football Association approved the consortium’s interests in both the English club and Spartans FC.
The group, led by Scott Davidson and also including Will Dotson, Craig Graham and former Liverpool, Tottenham and Blackburn goalkeeper Brad Friedel, is working to complete the purchase of the League Two side.
The consortium had already satisfied the due diligence and financial requirements imposed by the English Football League and the Independent Football Regulator. The latest decision addresses potential concerns around overlapping interests because Davidson is the majority shareholder of Scottish League Two club Spartans, while Dotson and Graham are also involved with the Edinburgh side.
The Scottish FA has now approved the arrangement that would see Davidson, Dotson and Graham serve as directors of both Spartans and Shrewsbury.
Spartans said the ruling means most of the regulatory work connected with the proposed acquisition has now been completed, bringing the transaction another step closer to a conclusion.
Shrewsbury chairman Roland Wycherley first placed the club on the market in 2024, but several attempts to secure a buyer have since failed.
Talks with one American bidder broke down in March 2025, while another proposed takeover collapsed around six months later.
Discussions with Davidson’s consortium have continued for approximately six months, with those involved hoping to complete the sale before Christmas.
Wycherley, who is 85 and has spent three decades running Shrewsbury, has nevertheless indicated that the new owners will need time to settle in and develop the club once the transaction is formally completed.
A successful takeover would bring Wycherley’s 30-year period as Shrewsbury Town owner to an end and begin a new chapter under the US-led consortium.