League 1 General Chat Thread

[Psycho Mouse]

No surprise that Birmingham have lost a lot. Wage bill 33 million but remember this is the season before they were relegated and includes championship tv money, There owners seem quite happy spending big this season,

The figures have been detailed today in the first accounts published under the ownership of Knighthead Capital Management, which confirm a £16.1m loss for 2023/24 - before that summer window. That is despite income rising 45 per cent to £28.7m because the wage bill went up 17 per cent to £33.7m.

Don't forget this was last season when the squad was fully of shit players on massive contracts.

This season the wage bill is a lot lower and the revenue is even higher. As a League One club, if it wasn't for Premier League TV money, we'd be on a par with a midtable Premier League side for revenue.

We will have the highest revenue by far in the Championship next season outside of clubs receiving PL parachute payments.

 

[Psycho Mouse]

Whereas it's not exactly news, it's became pretty evident that unless you have a spectacular fluke of a season a bog standard club like a Mansfield, Lincoln, Exeter or Cambridge (no offence meant to any of those mentioned) league 1 is the highest you're going to get.

The only way to do it is increase your revenue. How you do that as a club like Mansfield is anyone's guess but you can't blame clubs like Blues and Wrexham for spending the money they make.

 

[IzzyFook]

Yes, but there are still a few stubborn posters here in the L1 forum who haven't moved over for some reason.

Pointless talking to yourself in an empty room, but I personally have had no issue getting on here on my phone on the rare occasion I do so - coz I usually have a mooch when on my laptop. Weird how some are affected but others not at all

I did have a spell a few weeks back where I couldn't get on here at all - lasted for a week to 10 days or so. Was just about to say fuck it, but tried one last time...and it let me on!
Btw, why not use both? I am for now....

 

[Conker]

The only way to do it is increase your revenue. How you do that as a club like Mansfield is anyone's guess but you can't blame clubs like Blues and Wrexham for spending the money they make.

Birmingham and Wrexham have been spending beyond the money they make, not got an issue with that but let’s not pretend otherwise.

 

[denzel ecfc]

What do you do if you run your club sustainably though? you've no chance.

When in league 1 you've Birmingham spending masses on transfers and wages, and Wrexham with all their circus to start all you're going to do is end up having a bigger and bigger gap.

Whereas it's not exactly news, it's became pretty evident that unless you have a spectacular fluke of a season a bog standard club like a Mansfield, Lincoln, Exeter or Cambridge (no offence meant to any of those mentioned) league 1 is the highest you're going to get.

In theory, we are running sustainably, ie we run a profit every year. However this is entirely due to player sales. One day I'm sure that will dry up so who knows what happens then. And finishing in the upper bottom half on league one is our ceiling, as the Birmingham fan seems to enjoy chiding us with.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

What do you do if you run your club sustainably though? you've no chance.

When in league 1 you've Birmingham spending masses on transfers and wages, and Wrexham with all their circus to start all you're going to do is end up having a bigger and bigger gap.

Whereas it's not exactly news, it's became pretty evident that unless you have a spectacular fluke of a season a bog standard club like a Mansfield, Lincoln, Exeter or Cambridge (no offence meant to any of those mentioned) league 1 is the highest you're going to get.

Some clubs like mine are better off competing at the top end of L2, crowds will come if doing well in any league. Mid table league one seems our absolute limit. This season we have spent more than we have ever done and look like going down.

 

[White horse]

Don't forget this was last season when the squad was fully of shit players on massive contracts.

This season the wage bill is a lot lower and the revenue is even higher. As a League One club, if it wasn't for Premier League TV money, we'd be on a par with a midtable Premier League side for revenue.

We will have the highest revenue by far in the Championship next season outside of clubs receiving PL parachute payments.

Very debatable , how do you know what revenue you will have next season and be the biggest in the Championship. You do not know and why is your revenue going up this season without the Championship TV money, The other thing definitely going up is your debt, over 20 million on transfer fees in L1.

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

Birmingham and Wrexham have been spending beyond the money they make, not got an issue with that but let’s not pretend otherwise.

Hmmm, not sure where you got that from but ok.

 

[Throbber_for_Dunk]

I've said this before, but if "spending beyond money they make" is the criteria, then it's easier to list the few EFL clubs that don't hit that.

Who didn't make some form of loss this (last) year? Exeter?

 

[thewwfc]

It’s a pointlessly escalating arms race though, I guess the winners in this are the players and their agents, who make more and more in wages and fees.

But the actual quality of the end product doesn’t necessarily go up.

There always seems to be new loopholes to circumvent any attempt to make things above board, as well.

I don’t know what the answer is, but I kind of sympathise with the Shrewsbury chairman when he was lamenting that the days of the local businessman made good being able to own a club are coming to an end - I mean, plenty of those are/were dodgy too (hi Andy Pilley), but I feel that it’s better to have someone with links to the local community, since in the ideal world (naive maybe?) a club should kind of be community property.

I don’t think our current Eastern European squillionaire owner has even been to a game…I know, I know, “can you blame him?” etc, but it does feel a bit weird just to be a line item on someone’s balance sheet.