Friedel group completes Shrewsbury Town takeover

Shrewsbury Town's long-drawn-out takeover deal has been completed, allowing former USA international goalkeeper Brad Friedel to come in as the Shropshire outfit's new sporting director. The paperwork on the share purchase agreement with Scott Davidson's American-based consortium Biscayne ST LLC - which includes Friedel - has been finalised, taking up 87.4 per cent of the League Two club's shares and allowing long-time owner Roland Wycherley to finally let go. Miami-based businessman Davidson is joined on the new Town board by New York financier Will Dotson and Craig Graham, chairman of Spartans, the Edinburgh-based Scottish League Two club, while former Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur keeper Friedel will come in to work with manager Gavin Cowan. After 30 years of leading the Shropshire club, since succeeding Ray Bailey as chairman in the summer of 1996, Wycherley can now retire at the age of 85. The Shrewsbury-born lifelong fan first made his intention clear to sell more than five years ago when the Town were still a League One club. But his dogged determination to do a deal he had to be convinced was right for the club's long-term future before he handed over the reins has made the Shropshire businessman a tough adversary - and lengthened the process, to the frustration of Town fans. Shrewsbury take step closer to takeover deal Shrewsbury chairman's succession plan We took our time, says Shrewsbury Town owner Wycherley After suffering relegation in his first season, Shrewsbury have since been relegated three more times - and promoted three times - in Wycherley's period as owner. But the biggest legacy of his three decades at the helm was the Town's move in 2007 from their old Gay Meadow home to a new 10,000 all-seater stadium. The first of those three promotions was under Graham Turner, who returned to the club to recreate the success they had in the late 1970s and early 1980s, taking them up in 2012. "Roland has put an awful lot into the football club," Turner told BBC Radio Shropshire. "He's kept it going, when at times it's been hard. "I've nothing but admiration for him. Over the years he's done a very good job." Wycherley's last game watching the club while at the helm was Saturday's 2-1 FA Cup first-round win at non-league Eastleigh. Wycherley leaves Town lying 15th in the table, but they are only two points shy of a play-off place and have performed encouragingly this season under manager Gavin Cowan, who came back to the club in January to save them from the drop. Town were up to eighth when they won at Crawley on 20 October - and have only slipped down in a tightly-congested table thanks to a late Rotherham equaliser followed by a late Gillingham winner a week later. Friedel was in attendance at Oteley Road for Town's EFL Trophy Northern Group E win over Everton Under-21s on 27 October. And both he and Davidson are expected to be in attendance for this Saturday's home game with another promotion-winning former Town manager Micky Mellon's Oldham Athletic. All the latest Shrewsbury Town news More to follow.