This Year's Trading Loss

[GrahamC]

According to Richard Latham yesterday, having posted a loss of £6M last year our next set of figures will show a yearly loss of nearer £10M!

I guess that is a wake up call to those on here who wonder why our targets in the transfer market have been relatively modest.

Still, I suppose if we were Cardiff our response to this would probably be to try to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic.........

[Nibor]

Wouldn't surprise me sadly. We are spending well beyond our means and it makes the stadium and Steve Lansdown's continued backing all the more critical.

[silverfox]

We are spending well beyond our means and it makes the stadium and Steve Lansdown's continued backing all the more critical.

How true. Has anyone seen any forecasts for the extent to which the income stream will go up with the new stadium? Gate receipts wouldn't be significantly higher, unless we get to the Promised Land, so presumably it's down to non footballing events and use of the facilities - conference centre etc? The World Cup would just be a one-off windfall.

I know that quite a lot of the housing development had to be shelved as part of the planning permission, but that would have met some of the building costs, rather than having been a source of income.

[Geoff65]

yes, yes, yes

[Nibor]

How true. Has anyone seen any forecasts for the extent to which the income stream will go up with the new stadium? Gate receipts wouldn't be significantly higher, unless we get to the Promised Land, so presumably it's down to non footballing events and use of the facilities - conference centre etc? The World Cup would just be a one-off windfall.

I know that quite a lot of the housing development had to be shelved as part of the planning permission, but that would have met some of the building costs, rather than having been a source of income.

08-09 we had £12.2m in the door (£7.8m football, £600k transfer money received, £3.9m stadium) and about £18.9m in expenditure (£400k interest, £1.6m transfer fees paid) . This was roughly a £6.5m loss. Our wage bill for the entire business was £10.2m of which £8.7m was football wages.

I would guess in 09-10 we've dropped revenue by a little and increased our football wage bill to over £11m, and spent over £3m on transfers. Plus more money on the stadium project.

If we're to support a £12m football wage bill at a Championship level, and spend £3m a year in fees,which would be commiserate with the biggest few clubs at this level bar those on parachute money, we'd need to bump our overall revenue up to £18-20m or so.

This is roughly in line with other clubs at this level who own large modern or redeveloped stadiums so I think it is realistic.

[Dave Youell]

THANK YOU STEVE LANDSDOWN!!!!

Normally these stats would worry me, however, I know the chairmen has the clubs best interests at heart and he will always make sure the club is in a good state

[Jon atyeo is my dad]

Perspective for people who have there head up there .....!

Oh I could name a few on here !

[Judge Roughneck]

How true. Has anyone seen any forecasts for the extent to which the income stream will go up with the new stadium? Gate receipts wouldn't be significantly higher, unless we get to the Promised Land

Errr, you don't really expect ticket prices to stay the same do you?

[silverfox]

This is roughly in line with other clubs at this level who own large modern or redeveloped stadiums so I think it is realistic.

Thanks for the reply Nibor - most informative. That income target looks stretching, but new stadium = new environment in all senses of the word and I'm sure the models of other clubs have been studied closely. That's why we're going for it after all.

One query though. If the Bristol Arena is built as part of the same development as 'Ashton Vale', this would take concert income away from the stadium. Is the plan that BCFC has a stake in the Arena too? I believe the club (SL personally??) owns the land on which the arena would be built, so hopefully, even if either BCFC or SL aren't going to own the arena outright (joint venture with the Council??), we would be able to press for the best deal on income, and the loss to the stadium would be reduced.

[silverfox]

Errr, you don't really expect ticket prices to stay the same do you?

No, but it's bums on seats that will make the real difference.

[The Red Planet]

08-09 we had £12.2m in the door (£7.8m football, £600k transfer money received, £3.9m stadium) and about £18.9m in expenditure (£400k interest, £1.6m transfer fees paid) . This was roughly a £6.5m loss. Our wage bill for the entire business was £10.2m of which £8.7m was football wages.

I would guess in 09-10 we've dropped revenue by a little and increased our football wage bill to over £11m, and spent over £3m on transfers. Plus more money on the stadium project.

If we're to support a £12m football wage bill at a Championship level, and spend £3m a year in fees,which would be commiserate with the biggest few clubs at this level bar those on parachute money, we'd need to bump our overall revenue up to £18-20m or so.

This is roughly in line with other clubs at this level who own large modern or redeveloped stadiums so I think it is realistic.

Nibor

As this is the second time in two days that I have complimented you on your posts, I risk getting a bit sychophantic but thanks for your concise summary of where we are financially (in non-accountant speak).

All I can say is thank you Steven Lansdown for "bridging the financial gap (loss) " and long may you continue to do so,

BUT it does worry me that so many football clubs (including our own) are trading at a loss. Thankfully our losses are (relatively) low.

Once again we are reminded about how indebted we are to our brilliant Chairman.

Steven Lansdown, as far as I am concerned, you Walk On Water !

[Nibor]

Thanks for the reply Nibor - most informative. That income target looks stretching, but new stadium = new environment in all senses of the word and I'm sure the models of other clubs have been studied closely. That's why we're going for it after all.

One query though. If the Bristol Arena is built as part of the same development as 'Ashton Vale', this would take concert income away from the stadium. Is the plan that BCFC has a stake in the Arena too? I believe the club (SL personally??) owns the land on which the arena would be built, so hopefully, even if either BCFC or SL aren't going to own the arena outright (joint venture with the Council??), we would be able to press for the best deal on income, and the loss to the stadium would be reduced.

The arena and the stadium would have different target markets for concerts. Stadium would be 15k+ events and the arena 2-5k events.

I would imagine the arena would be a separate venture with SL possibly having a stake since he'd be putting up the land, alongside the council and other investors but no real reason to tie that to the club.

To be honest I'd be surprised if the arena is built out there, when all is said and done it is the wrong location for it as it's inaccessible to east and north Bristol on weekday evenings when it would be expected to do most of it's business. I suppose if our council fluked a working transport system it's viable but that seems unlikely to me.

The income target probably is stretching if we don't have more success on the field but one should go hand in hand with t'other. It will also take some years after opening for the non-football business to build up to full flow.