LOVE them or hate them, high-earning soccer businesses like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur can't be ignored; one profligate in money management, the other prudent. Manchester United, the much-hyped Premier League champions, featured more in the business pages this week than in the sporting sections.
Loose talk of a £300 million approach from entertainment group VCI to purchase the club outright was yesterday denied by the MU board but the club had been in negotiation with VCI. Annual results this week show the Old Trafford money-making machine still grinding away. Pretax profits of £15 million came on a £53 million turnover despite heavy expenditure. Profits are heading for £20 million in the current financial year.
More than vision was impaired by the great grey shirts debacle, when the club abandoned the strip because the players apparently could not identify each other on the pitch. The decision cost the club nearly £500,000.
Over at Spurs, chairman Alan Sugar is perplexed at the business rationale of massive transfer deals and high players' wages. Where, he asks, is the logic in having players worth £30 million when even winning the European Cup yields less than £10 million.? Although not in the same money-spinning league as United conservative Spurs is one of a handful of clubs actually making good money from the game. Last year profits more than doubled to nearly £12 million on improved sponsorship income. The deal with BSkyB should chip in a minimum of £13 million over the next few years.
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