Brad Friedel Joins American Bid for Shrewsbury Town
Brad Friedel is set to return to English football in a very different role – as part of an American-led bid to take control of struggling League Two side Shrewsbury Town.
The former USA international goalkeeper has emerged as a key figure in a Miami-based group headed by Scott Davidson, a 58-year-old real estate magnate who has already dipped his toe into the British game with Scottish club The Spartans.
Davidson cleared, Wycherley era nearing its end
BBC Shropshire report that Davidson, the prospective new owner, has passed the English Football League’s owners’ and directors’ test, as well as scrutiny from the Independent Football Regulator. That clearance means he is free to push on with a takeover that would end the long reign of 85-year-old chairman Roland Wycherley, who has been at the helm for around three decades.
Talks between Davidson’s camp and the current Shrewsbury hierarchy are ongoing. The deal, which would see both Davidson and Friedel join the club’s board, is expected to be wrapped up in the coming weeks, drawing a line under one of the longest-running chairmanships in the lower leagues.
From Wall Street to the touchline
Shrewsbury supporters have already started digging into Davidson’s background. They will find a self-made multi-millionaire with serious business credentials and a growing football obsession.
Educated at the Yale School of Management, Davidson spent 12 years as a managing director at New York banking giant JPMorganChase. The money was made there. The passion, though, has increasingly been poured into football.
He is the majority shareholder at The Spartans, the ambitious Edinburgh club whose rise since his arrival in July 2021 has been striking. Under his watch they have climbed from the Lowland League to the brink of SPFL League One, one of the standout success stories in Scottish football in recent seasons.
Davidson has also been heavily involved in building Spartans’ football foundation, now regarded as one of the largest in the UK, giving the club a deep community footprint to match their on-pitch progress.
A UEFA ‘A’ licence owner – with Friedel at his side
Davidson has gone further than most owners in trying to understand the game. He holds a UEFA ‘A’ coaching licence, not to stand in the dugout, but to better grasp what a manager needs to succeed. It is an unusual level of preparation for a prospective lower-league owner.
Friedel has been closely involved throughout the takeover process and has played a supportive role behind the scenes. The former Premier League stalwart, who needs no introduction to British fans after long spells with Liverpool, Blackburn, Aston Villa and Tottenham, has spoken of Davidson as one of the most talented and humble people he has met.
Now the pair are poised to bring that partnership to Shropshire. If the final details fall into place, Shrewsbury Town will swap a long-serving local chairman for an American-led project built on Wall Street experience, Scottish success and a goalkeeper who knows English football inside out.
