Friday High Five – the news this week
This week and next TheBusinessDesk.com in the North West has been previewing the start of the new 2024/25 football season with a guide to the financial strengths and weaknesses of the region’s professional clubs.
We kicked off with analysis of the three Lancashire clubs in the EFL Championship, Blackburn Rovers, Burnley and Preston North End FC, and then looked at the five regional clubs in League One on Wednesday, the seven in League Two on Thursday, and then on Friday took a look at the ambitions of an ambitious non-league club, Marine FC in Crosby.
The word most frequently used is “sustainable”. Many of us fall into the trap of thinking an owner can buy into a club and expects to take profits. Very few do. But there seems to be a never ending queue of oligarchs, nation states and billionaires thinking football is worth a splurge.
Gary Neville at Manchester Tech Week
Shortly after we embarked on this exercise it transpired that Gary Neville had bought Peter Lim’s 50% stake in League Two Salford City. Quite where this now leaves the dream of a sustainable club in Greater Manchester’s second city is the question left hanging.
Next week we will look at each of the North West’s Premier League giants, all of whom have been in a whirlwind of either takeover speculation or legal wrangling.
The stakes are high this season as Sky is paying £187m a year for the rights to screen more than 1000 games across the three EFL divisions, earning each Championship club an additional £2m in income and £400,000 for League One and £200,000 for League Two clubs.
EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said he hoped the exposure would have the knock-on effect of new and better sponsorship activities.
Many clubs are dependent on income from gambling companies, but the televising of games also could have an effect on match ticket sales with fans opting to stay at home and watch their team rather than attending in person.
Thanks very much, have a great weekend, and I hope the football doesn’t spoil it.
