Newcastle have announced they came close to the break-even point for the last financial year, recording an operational loss of £3.9m.
Newcastle announce improved financial showing
Newcastle United have announced they came close to the break-even point for the financial year ending 30th June 2011, recording an operational loss of £3.9million.
The club, currently sixth in the Premier League, filed its annual accounts on Thursday to reveal a vast turnaround from the previous year.
After losing £33.5m in 2009-10 and £37.7m 12 months earlier, Newcastle reduced those figures to below £4million after amortisation in 2010-11, their strongest financial showing for several years.
Significantly, wages accounted for 60.6 per cent of a turnover which rose by 69% from £52.4million to £88.4million, where in 2008-09, the season they were relegated from the Premier League, the ratio was 82.7%.
The net cash spend on player transfers for the year was a receipt of £5.4m, including the £35m fee from the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool in January 2011.
Newcastle have also cleared all of their third-party debts under owner Mike Ashley, which stood at £76m in 2006-07 and incurred finance costs of £6.5m.
Ashley is still owed £140m from the club but this is interest-free.
Magpies managing director Derek Llambias told the club's
official website: "The club's financial results for the year end June 2011 are extremely strong.
"We can now count ourselves amongst the very few clubs across the UK and Europe who are operating at close to break-even.
Rewards
"What is particularly pleasing is that we have achieved this whilst also ensuring we have a strong squad sitting firmly in the top third of the table and currently pushing for a European place.
"Some of the key financial principles we set in place when Mike bought the club back in 2007 are now beginning to reap rewards.
"Most notably, our adherence to a strict transfer policy which avoids, or limits wherever possible, the acceptance of dated payments for players bought or sold. We believe it is a far healthier financial model to settle full transfer fees for players up front, not dated over a period of years.
"We have dealt wisely in the transfer market and reinvested the income received from player sales into improving the squad."
Llambias added: "Our net cash spend on player transfers to June 2011, which includes the sale of Andy Carroll, was a receipt of £5.4 million, with a further £25 million in cash spent on transfers and players' wages since June 2011.
"We have also worked hard to address an inherited wages-to-turnover ratio which was unsustainable. Wages now account for just over 60 per cent of turnover and we feel this is a healthy and affordable level.
"A further significant achievement has been to clear all of the club's interest-bearing debt, which in 2006/7 was costing £6.5million a year just to finance the debt.
"Mike Ashley continues to provide loans totalling £140million interest-free, for which we are extraordinarily fortunate. Once again, Mike has not taken any money out of the club."
