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Shrewsbury get a Lidl help

Shrewsbury Town have been the surprise package of League One this season and success on the pitch has been matched by good financial results. Admittedly, turnover was down from £6.9m to £4.7m in 2016/17. However, the previous financial year had seen a cup run and a televised game against Manchester United. Profits were a healthy £404k, down from £1.2m. The club has £1m cash in hand in the bank.

The club reports, 'During the year we eventually managed to secure the sale of just two acres of the Club's land at the stadium to Lidl UK which has proved paramount to the sustainability of the football club [without there would have been a loss] and enabled us to invest heavily in the seven acres at Sundrone Castle in our new magnificent training ground which is wholly owned by the Club.' The amount realised for the land sale was £987,804.

The training ground was bought from a director in return for £400,000 of shares.

Total staff costs are 75 per cent of turnover, a little on the high side.

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