Morning all.
Arsenal announced a record loss of more than £100m for the year ending 31 May, 2021, £85 million of which has been because of Covid 19 after just two fixtures were played with fans inside The Emirates last season. As a result, matchday revenue fell by £75m to £3.8m. Ouch.
I’m not going to get into the depths of Arsenal’s finances because all of that information is on Arsenal.com if you want to see the breakdown. Basically, the profits are down and tickets prices have gone up for the first time in a few years. I’d imagine it’s a similar situation for many football clubs both here in England and overseas because of Covid-19 and the lack of bums on seats. Not only that but no one has been spending money on hot dogs, prawn sandwiches or watered down beer. The Arsenal shop has been closed too so no money has been coming in there either.
Everything is costing more too so it’s no surprise Arsenal have raised the price of tickets. A bag of sultanas which I buy to feed the blackbirds in my garden cost 99p in Lidl before Christmas, now they’re £1.09. That’s a 10% increase, not that the blackbirds will care as they’ll still be sat just outside my kitchen window each morning, demanding to be fed. And they will be of course. Just as Arsenal fans will probably pay the extra 4% for a ticket, which works out as follows, courtesy of Arsenal.com.
| UCL | UEL | NO EUROPE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average ST price | £1,219 | £1,095 | £1,010 |
| Current Avg. ST Price | £1,219 | £1,095 | £1,010 |
| 22/23 Price with 4% increase | £1,268 | £1,139 | £1,050 |
| Increase | £49 | £44 | £40 |
| 21/22 Cup Tie Credit (CTC) | £75.33 | £75.33 | £75.33 |
| Increase less CTC refund | -£26.33 | -£31.33 | -£35.33 |
| UCL | UEL | NO EUROPE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Avg. ST Price | £3,689 | £3,394 | £3,136 |
| 22/23 Price with 4% increase | £3,837 | £3,530 | £3,261 |
| Increase | £148 | £136 | £125 |
All double Dutch to me.
Securing Champions League football for next season would exceed many Arsenal fans expectations I’m sure. Just to be in with a chance is a something I never imagined six months ago. I was confident we’d never find ourselves in a relegation battle despite being bottom of the League after three matches but I never envisaged we’d be in serious contention for a top four place. Heck, I even doubted we’d get as far up the table to be in with an opportunity to compete in the Europa League next season.
We’ve talked about Arsenal not being ready to really compete in the Champions League before on HH but nor are a high percentage of clubs involved in the competition. Even Man City, despite having the great Pep Guardiola and his multimillion pound squad, haven’t managed to win it.
The money it offers is what a lot of clubs need and Arsenal are no exception. I read that clubs are award around £15 million just to reach the group stage then the further a club goes, the more they earn. That’s on top of the television monies etc which each club pockets at the end of every season which ranges from roughly £150m for the Premier League winners, to £135m for finishing 8th as Arsenal did last season.
Immediately, it might make one wonder where the money is going to come from to make player signings this summer but I don’t think club finances are as simple as that. Covid 19 and the impact it had on football was unprecedented and the FFP rules were relaxed. Plus, this current season has been back to normal as far as the gates being open and money coming in goes. Arsenal have also removed the wages Calum Chambers, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sead Kolasinac we’re earning from their outgoings which is somewhere around £500,000 a week, £2 million a month. On top of that, the club have offloaded some of the wages the players out on loan would have earned, many of whom will probably be sold this summer. The odd £10-15 million transfer fee might not seem much in footballing terms but it all adds up.
If Arsenal were really trying to sign Dusan Vlahovic back in January, then clearly the financial hit Arsenal have taken because of Covid, doesn’t seem to be a major problem as far a future signings go. After all, we’re not the only club to suffer financially because of football being played behind closed doors, although the back pages would have us thinking we are.
So yes, I expect Arsenal to be busy this summer. In’s and out’s because we won’t get better otherwise.
See you in the comments.
Morning Rico and all
I wonder if this loss is why we did not buy in January,
I don’t want to talk about the war as I believe this is not the correct site to discuss it but looking at the Chelsea situation are we lucky that Usmanov never purchased Arsenal.
Morning Geoff, all.
Not if media reports are correct, we were after a striker.
Rainy and miserable here today and i suspect so will the financial prognosis for everyone as the year progresses .
It may come as a shock to the Kroenke family on their Colorado ranch but they bought into what they saw as a money machine but it’s not turning out that way .Then again a £ 100 million is chump change to them.
However it’s not just football were it so a small increase might not be so unpalatable but it’s not .
We have inflation coming something the young generation in this country has never faced . Mortgage rates and rents are about to spiral upwards . The cost of living is going higher and higher, 10 pence on your bird food is nothing in the great scheme of things but when it goes across the board with the now crippling expense that Putin’s foray into Ukraine is going to cause . Fuel , Bread and the raw materials control of which are behind this will hit the average person’s pocket really hard.
Following on from a botched Brexit and Covid financial institutions are in turmoil so It will come down to choices , We already have the eat or heat slogan being bandied about so where does going to football stand in that argument .
My family have had the pleasure of having season tickets for 3 generations 4 if you consider the grandkids . When my mother died she left the money specified for two Arsenal bonds . We still have them but .
We live in Norfolk some 120 miles from the ground ,expensive to drive for fuel and now Ulez and congestion charge . Both mine and my son’s cars are diesel and I am led to believe. not actually allowed in . Rail fares are extortionate and we would have to find a park somewere near Woodford Green and tube in.
It’s a.trip that we would now like to take perhaps 3 or 4 times a season .
Is it worth keeping them
A bond guarantees a season ticket but if your not going you have to use the ticket exchange system which costs extra .
We are loathe to lose them they are part of the families legacy but . I really don’t know . It’s heart against head.
Any suggestions ?
Sorry about that Rico , but it just all spilled out while I was writing.
@Potter ‘Any suggestions ?’
Where are the seats? If they’re good ones worth selling for a season. How much would you want for them?
@Rico I watch the Blackbirds eating bugs and berries. Sultanas are very up market for wild birds.
I heard that somebody I know cooks fish for their cat. World gone mad.
That’s ok Potter. You have a tough decision to make that’s for sure. I think I’d be inclined to sell them if you’ve no plans to go anymore but not yet.
Ha ha Pete. I’m an animal/wildlife over humans kind of gal. I’ve even bought a house for the hedgehog who comes to see us each year, and food of course. Lol
Any sell , on will only ever be at market price . I am not looking for a profit , never would ,. Face value .
We are having a chat about it next weekend .
@Potter I know a number of fans that sell their season tickets as they don’t want to get rid, but for various reasons they can’t go. One emigrated to Oz years ago!
One guy has a couple in the upper tier and sells for a profit. Hasn’t been a regular for years. Another in the stalls sells at face value to a couple of pals to share.
I’m not a fan of people selling season tickets for a profit, but it’s their choice. I’d rather let it go back to the Club so a fan can join from the mythical ‘waiting list’.
Am I right in thinking as a bond holder you can opt not to buy a season ticket, but retain the right to do so in the future?
Hi Rico.. I’ve noticed in the last week I’ve come down [by 2k] on the ST waiting list – now 42k. I’m not in a position to be able to attend every home game; by the time I’m offered one hopefully I will be! I’ve also noticed how sparse the tickets are on the ticket exchange – supporters must be happy…
I expected the rise as everything else is rocketing! Food prices are extortionate – it’s a good week if my weekly shop is below £160!!!
My son and I travel on the train to Arsenal, which is fine now as he travels for £1, but come August he’ll turn 16 and will pay an adult price..
Well, it’s been mentioned about a stadium refurb – roof, turnstiles, screens, the stadium wrap which will be costly, so I can see why they’re doing it – I wonder how much the food/drink will go up? Probably be a tenner for a slice of pizza 😆🙄
Aww, I bet the blackbirds are loving you, Rico 😊
I think you revert to a silver ,whether you can go back is not clear but as my seats are in the cheapest area whwethewr we could get back there is moot . I have heard that they offer the most expensive ones if you go back.
Were we to sell I think it would bwe the bonds that would go . But as I said we will be talkingthrough it in a few days time..
@Rico I’d take a hedgehog over Putin right now!
I remember your avatar from LeGrove way back when Geoff used to write. The hamster should have given away your animal bias, but it didn’t click.
Oh and come on Balogun and Middlesbrough.. live on BBC1 tonight
Potter, if you’re driving down Cockfosters Station is quite close to the M25 and has a fair sized pay and display car park. Opposite the station is a residential area without parking restrictions where spaces are usually available. I’ve used both in the past.
Hi Sue, yes, everything has increased and by comparison, 4% isn’t too bad but it’s easy for me to say that as I hardly ever go to The Emirates. It’s not a cheap afternoon out this football lark.
They must do Sue, they keep coming back. 😆
I would too Pete.
Gosh, that is going back a long time. The good old days eh, do you still go on there? I read sometimes but it got a bit hostile in the comments section for me.
Rico is a Guinea Pig. 😂
A Balogun hat-trick would be nice Sue.
20 minutes to go and still no Balogun.
Extra time would be good.
Balogun on, extra time, aching limbs, just what the doctor ordered.
Tottenham are decidedly unimpressive.
Boro 1-0
Tottenham are Lloris, Kane, Son and 8 dustbins
Tottenham out 😀
The wait for a trophy goes on… 🤣 And Palace dumped Stoke out – the perfect evening!
Conte has aged another year…
Spurs fanzine forums are not happy , Surprisingly not with Conte , most of the bile is aimed at Levy. They all want massive spending in the summer but
They really are a parody of us inconsistent , sometimes lazy the only difference is that we appear to go forward whilst they are going backwards.
Morning all
New post up now