Walsall Announce Profit

Walsall have announced a trading profit for the year ending May 31 2013 with the chairman expecting a bright future for the English League One club.

The Saddlers have revealed a profit of £23,000, an increase of £13,000 on the previous year, at an economically challenging time when many clubs throughout Britain are struggling to make ends meet.

It comes after a season in which the midlands outfit finished in ninth place in the third tier, just six points adrift of the play-offs, and chairman Jeff Bonser has painted a bright picture for the future.

In a statement on the club’s official website, Bonser said: “I am delighted once again to be able to announce a trading profit for the year, this time of B£23,000.

“I believe this represents a significant achievement when you consider the findings of the latest Annual Review of Football Finance Report, published by Deloitte in June 2013, which established that the average net loss for a League One club in 2011/12 was B£2.4million.

“It is also worthy of note that this profit was achieved despite a fall in Central Television Revenues of 26% as a direct result of a reduction in The Football League’s new TV deal with Sky. Consequently the club had to adjust and reduce its ‘player budget’ by a similar amount to compensate and this was done in a controlled and constructive manner.

“It was a significant year for the club on the field as the first team recorded their highest league finish since season 2003/04 and achieved their highest points total in League One since the League was rebranded back in 2004.

“Both were accomplished on the back of one of the smallest playing budgets in the division and the smallest the club has operated with in many years.”