Big profit at Newcastle

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Newcastle have announced a post-tax profit of £9.9m for the year ending June 2013. The figure represents an £8.5m increase in profit on the previous 12 months and, according to Newcastle, is down to “player trading, a strong commercial performance and a significant reduction in operational losses”. This is the third profitable year in a row for owner Mike Ashley.

Newcastle made a £10.6m profit on player sales, the bulk of which came from the sale of Demba Ba to Chelsea, although £28.7m was paid in transfer fees on the likes of Mathieu Debuchy, Yoan Gouffran and Moussa Sissoko.

Dulwich Hamlet rescued

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Founded in 1893, London club Dulwich Hamlet were at one time a leading amateur club. They are still in the Isthmian League but the club has had financial difficulties and Hadley Property Group were officially unveiled on Saturday as the new owners of Champion Hill Stadium and Dulwich Hamlet FC Ltd.

Are Rooney wages ‘obscene’?

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‘Obscene’ is a word that has been used a great deal in the last few days to describe Wayne Rooney’s enhanced wage packet. However, although he earns in a week many times what I have earned at peak in a year, I don’t feel envious.

Footballers provide entertainment, or at least they should, which is something that I have rarely done. I would be more concerned about whether relatively mediocre players are overpaid, although admittedly there is something of a ‘cascade’ effect.

Barcelona deny tax irregularities

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Barcelona have denied any tax irregularities in relation to the signing of Neymar. However, in order to safeguard their reputation, they have made a tax declaration of just over €13.5m (£11.1m). However, they insist that the original tax payment was in line with their obligations.

Cash flow problems as ‘tiny’ club push for league status

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Alfreton Town are currently third in the Football Conference and therefore have a chance of promotion to the Football League. The Derbyshire town has a population, counting surrounding villages, of around 25,000 and the attendance at Saturday’s game was just over 800. Table topping Luton Town can easily attract 6,000 or 7,000.

Are transfer losses that surprising?

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Premiership clubs have lost £1.2bn over the past decade from buying and selling players, a new study claims. Behind The Balance Sheet, a consultancy set up by financial analyst Stephen Clapham, has set out a critique of the finances of elite football. However, it is open to question whether the findings are that surprising, although that does not mean they should not be a concern.

Stadiums and housing fit together

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Many years ago when Charlton were in exile in Crystal Palace and The Valley was a forlorn tip which fans were starting to clear up, I was talking to someone who lived near the ground. They said that they hoped the Addicks would not come back as it would depress the value of their house and make it more difficult to sell.

Is Wayne Rooney worth £300,000 a week?

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It is being reported that once Wayne Rooney returns from his warm weather break in Dubai (which I am sure we could all do with) he will sign a new five-and-a-half year £86m deal which will be worth about £300,000 a week.

Is he worth that much? That splits into two questions: is any footballer worth that much and is he worth that much to United? On the first question, one can already envisage Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells drafting a letter to the press.

PL2 scheme may not satisfy nursery club pressure

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The Premier League is facing increasing pressure from its member clubs to allow them to play reserve teams in the lower leagues or at least to have formal links with nursery clubs.

It is realised that any such move would be strongly opposed by the Football League and enrage fans who would see it as further evidence of an unhealthy dominance by the top flight.

Nevertheless, there is a real dilemma about how one develops players in the 18-21 age group. Less than 35 per cent of Premier League starting XIs are English. One might then argue that clubs should use fewer foreign imports.

Cash flow pressures at Leeds

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Cash flow pressures are mounting at Leeds as a decision is awaited from the football authorities on whether the takeover by controversial Italian Massimo Cellino can go ahead.

Current owners GFH Capital borrowed money to pay the wage bill for January and another payroll is due in a couple of weeks. Moreover, Leeds don’t have a home game, which could generate some cash flow, until March 8th.