Agnew calls on disgruntled Rovers fans
A SENIOR director at Blackburn Rovers has taken the unusual step of using the club’s annual accounts to issue a rallying cry to unhappy fans.
In the directors’ report, operations director Paul Agnew admits, “Misfortune, mistakes and missed penalities” summed up last season, but he goes on to add: “More than ever, BRFC needs the full support of the town and its people. To borrow a slogan from a well-known retailer – every little helps!”
Antipathy towards the new owners – Indian poultry business Venkys, which bought Rovers for £38m in 2010 – has grown following last season’s relegation from the Premiership. Manager Steve Kean resigned in September and his replacement, Henning Berg, was sacked yesterday.
The newly-filed accounts for the year to June 30 show disgruntled fans hit gate receipts by staying away, while protests led to a higher security bill. Average attendance fell by nearly 10% to 22,551 from 25,008 – the lowest figure since prices were reduced in 2007-08.
During the year income fell 6% to £54.2m. The club posted an operating loss of £9.6m, with player trading leaving it with a pre-tax profit of £4.3m. This was an improvement on last year’s £18.6m pre-tax loss. The sale of players such as Phil Jones, Nikola Kalinic, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Chris Samba generated £24.1m.
A £1.6m increase in broadcasting revenue was offset by a reduction of £3m in “merit payment” as a result of finishing 19th, compared to 15th in 2011. Wages accounted for 92.2% of all income, up from 86.6% last time. The club said other operating costs increased by £1.9m, with the largest increase relating to stewarding and policing costs as a result of supporter protests.
According to the accounts, a detailed cashflow forecast to the end of June 2014 indicates the club will require “significant funding in addition to the current facilities available to the company”. But the ultimate parent, Venkateshwara Hatcheries, has confirmed it is willing to provide the finance.
