Andy Munro wonders where it’s going.
It’s always best to be in the black and, let’s face it, it’s far better than being in the red. However, the financial world are now using a new phrase, ‘Being in the blue’.
Apparently Blues and the Greeks are now in this category. A more old fashioned phrase meaning the same is ‘borassic’ and this is something Tom Ross, the self-opinionated BRMB sports pundit, and Colin Tattum, another sensationalist from the Mail, delight in saying without really examining the facts.
Consequently I decided to look more clinically at the basic facts and figures to endeavour to appraise Blues financial situation more accurately and to try and see through the smoke and mirrors and Chinese whispers.
Apart from Ziggy, all the really high earners have gone or are on contractually reduced Championship wages, massively reducing our wage bill following relegation. Add to that our extra Europa income, a decent retention of season ticket holders and fairly robust home attendances, then one should logically be able to presume that the club’s affairs generally ‘wash their face,’ particularly also given massive staff redundancies. Certainly, if we are still operating in a day to day crisis situation as a football club, all the other Championship sides can hardly be any better off. In fact Blues should be actually better placed given the operating infrastructure bequeathed by the Golds and Sullivan.
So in approximate terms, this leaves BCFC with the following ‘windfall’…
TRANSFER INCOME
- C. Jerome £4 million
- S. Dann £5 million
- R. Johnston £5 million
- B. Foster £1million (loan)
- C. Gardner £5.5 million
- A. McLeish £1.5 million
This comes to £22 million, which when added to the first of four £12 million parachute payments means a total income of £34 million
If we assume about £1 million has been spent on transfer fees, then £33 million has disappeared. The question is whether it’s on a fast boat to China. Maybe Carson and Pannu can tell the fans.