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Articles and reports on financial issues within football – soccer – from The Political Economy of Football.
The financial gap between teams either side of the Anglo-Scottish border is widening according to accountants PKF in their recent study.
Charles Barnett, head of PKF’s football industry group, told the BBC: ‘There is clear evidence that clubs are absorbing some of the financial lessons of the last decade and are reducing wages to turnover to ensure they operate within a manageable ratio.’
In recent articles we have suggested that Championship clubs are the most likely targets in the immediate future for takeovers. There are hardly any Premiership clubs available. Championship clubs are available at more realistic prices and offer the excitement of developing them so that they can challenge for promotion.
Barnsley are hardly the most glamorous takeover target. They have only ever been in the top flight for one season and, despite recent efforts at regeneration, their hinterland has faced economic difficulties since the end of coal mining.
The BBC published a lot of data yesterday about how much it costs to go to a match at different clubs, even down to the cost of a pie (although often there one is not comparing like with like).
In what has rightly been described as a pivotal moment for Portsmouth FC and football generally, Portsmouth Supporters Trust (PST) have been named as preferred bidders to take the club out of administration.
PKF Football Industry Group has produced its latest Leagues Apart Survey of the finances of football clubs based on the responses of finance directors and it makes for bleak reading. The report argues that the divide between rich and poor in football is growing.
This article by Canada’s leading news magazine on the state of Spanish football perhaps goes too readily down ‘the football bubble has burst’ route which is the increasing first resort of journalists everywhere. Undeniably, Spanish football faces big challenges which are in part related to the country’s economic, financial and political problems. It could suffer the kind of decline experienced by Italy’s Serie A.
As it so happens, I had a pleasant day out in the mild autumn weather in Herefordshire yesterday. The road signs at the county border showing a bull and a ‘we can’ slogan got me thinking about the fate of Hereford United. When I got home there was an e-mail directing me a statement by the club about its financial plight.
Craig Whyte has set out a defence of his actions at Rangers in an interview with the BBC. In particular, he makes allegations against the administrators, claiming that they knew about the Ticketus season ticket deal which enabled Mr Whyte to buy the club.
Port Vale fans deserve some luck and they may have got it in the shape of Alchemy Investment Group, named today as the preferred bidder to take the Burslem club out of adminstration
The latest issue of Four Four Two has a feature article on Port Vale headlined ‘Britain’s most dysfunctional club.’ There are a few others that might deserve that title, but Vale fans have certainly been to hell in a handcart and back.
The financial benefits of being in the Premiership are demonstrated by the profit after tax of £14.6m on a turnover of £65.2m achieved by Swansea City in their first year in the top flight. This in spite of the fact that operating costs, particularly wages, doubled following promotion. However, in their promotion year the Swans made a net loss of £8.3m.