Financial Results
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Manchester United 2018 Finances: Made of Stone
Introduction Tuesday 25th September 2018 may not go down as a great day in Manchester United’s history, as the club lost in the Carabao Cup to Derby County and there was a very public spat between Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba, but off the field the club announced record revenues for the year ended 30 June 2018. How this was achieved is more to do with the abilities of the marketing department which continues to set a standard that most other clubs can only envy. Earnings this high are likely to ensure that United are once again top or close to the top of the Football Money League when other…
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Hull City 2018: Eye of The Tiger
Introduction Hull City Tigers Limited were the first club to submit their accounts to the government registrar for the 2017/18 season and reported a £24 million profit before tax in the business review. Both the above look good, but things happen for a reason, and there’s more to the early publication and impressive profit than perhaps meets the eye. In the strategic report the board say the following… Hull finished 18th last season, yet scored 70 goals, which was only surpassed by three teams, and conceded 70 too, which was only surpassed by four. They currently lie 21st after nine games, and the former Scunthorpe United physio has not managed…
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Accrington Stanley: The Milkman of Human Kindness
In September 2014 Accrington Stanley were served with a winding up order by the tax authorites. This was one of a series of financial demands that the club had had to deal with as it lurched from crisis to crisis. It was saved at the last minute by a local businessman…and in May 2018 was promoted to League One as Champions. We met Accrington’s owner, Andy Holt, the social media scourge of the Premier League, the EFL and Salford City’s Gary Neville at the National Football Museum recently. He’s kindly not only given us the club accounts in respect of their League Two winning year for 2017/18, but also the…
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Bournemouth 2016/17 and FFP Fine: Every Breath You Take
Introduction: Bournemouth have just agreed a fine of £4.75 million with the English Football League in relation to a breach of FFP rules, a couple of years after initially showing an expected fine of £7.615million, so we thought we’d take a more detailed look at how this arose and the state of the Cherries’ finances. Overview Income £136.5 million for 11 months to 30 June 2017 (2016 £87.9 million for year to 31 July 2016) Proportion of income from broadcasting 91% (2016 85%) Wages £71.5 million (£59.6m) Profit before player sales £15.2million (loss £6.1m) Highest paid director £1,226,000 (£1,074,000) Player signings £9.3 million (£69.8m) League position 9th (16th) Income For…
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Crystal Palace 2017: Dancing In The Dark
Starting with the elephant in the room, we’re Brighton fans here on this blog, so stop reading if you’re a Palace fan and think the aim is to have a pop at your club’s finances. The Palace accounts cover the year to 30 June 2017, they were due to submitted to Companies House by 31 March 2018 but were a few months late. Eagles fans (and those of their rivals) have speculated as to why the club has taken such an approach, as all other clubs had submitted their accounts some time ago. Vast amounts of social media space have been taken up with fans arguing, often with themselves, as…
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Morecambe Finances 2017: Bring Me Sunshine
Introduction Morecambe had a nervous finish at the end of the 2017/18 season, surviving in the Football League on the final day. Perhaps they should have expected a close shave after being taken over by a Brazilian in 2016. What was probably cause for a party at the time has then no doubt been replaced by the sombre reality of trying to survive financially after being railroaded by an owner whose relationship with the truth is about the same as Sam Allardyce’s ego is with modesty. Being a fan of a lower league club is no different to that of a Premier League club, except there are fewer zeroes at…
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Newcastle 2017: Lovely Jubbly
Introduction Mike Ashley, Newcastle’s colourful owner, has finally submitted the club’s accounts for the year ended 30 June 2017 for public scrutiny. In first announcing a selected set of information from the accounts on the club’s website Ashley has laid himself open to accusations of trying to massage the message from the club’s season in the Championship. Kind words are in short supply in Tyneside for Ashley, who bought the club in May 2007 and has overseen two relegations during that period. Easy to criticise, and hard to love, but is Ashley as bad as some make out, given that he has lent the club over £140 million interest free,…
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Sunderland: Short Changed
As Sunderland’s new owner Stewart Donald picks up the reigns of the club and former head honcho Ellis Short walks away with the debts of £161 milion (and £40m in instalments from Donald) , the figures for their final season in the Premier League contain some grim reading although are rescued to a degree by the sale of Jordan Pickford in June 2017. Summary of key figures (Sunderland Limited) Income £126.4 million (up 17%) Broadcasting income £95.6 million (up 34%) Wages £84.4 million (up 1%) Loss before player sales £38.9 million (up 30%) Player purchases £47.5 million (£30.7 million in 2016) Player sales £43.1 million (£11.7 million in 2016) Borrowings:…
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West Bromwich Albion: Dazed and Confused.
It’s of little consolation to West Brom fans as their club is facing relegation, but the club’s holding company have just published their financial results for 2016/17 revealing record profits. A few months later though it was the night of the long knives in the boardroom and the club’s boardroom big cheeses were shown the door. Summary of key figures (West Bromwich Albion Holdings Limited) Income £137.9 million (up 40%) Broadcasting income £118.7 million (up 51%) Wages £79.1 million (up 7%) Profit before player sales £26.7 million (Loss of £5.2 million in 2016) Player purchases £37.4 million (£28.2 million in 2016) Player sales £19.8 million (£6.3 million in 2016) Borrowings:…
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Burnley: Your name’s not down, you’re not coming in
As The Notsensibles are one of our favourite bands, it’s time to take a look at the financies of Burnley as the club celebrated their most successful season to date in the Premier League in 2016/17 by finishing six points above the drop and have since used this as a springboard to be presently challenging for a European place. The club, along with manager Sean Dyche and the players, don’t get the credit they deserve for winning matches and playing decent football, with too many critics lazily linking Dyche’s nightclub bouncer dress code, Dalek like voice to a club with the ethos of a slightly upmarket Wimbledon of the Crazy…