Financial Sustainability
The owner-benefactor dilemma:
How much are clubs throughout the pyramid dependent on an owner
A deep dive into the accounts of league clubs, this project seeks to ascertain the level of owner support from either debt or equity, and what this would look like for clubs if it were removed. Owner injections are not sin per se, but show that a club may not be sustainable in the long term, and the effect of the owner turning off the tap, by choice or otherwise, could send clubs into insolvency. Understanding the current position of clubs in the top four leagues in this way is essential to understanding what financial rules need to be put in place going forward.
Timeline: 6 – 12 months
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Lisa Ferguson
Club supported:
Experience:
Lisa Ferguson is a Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at Northumbria University. Her research interests are around corporate governance, social mobility, and social justice -
Mark Middling
Club supported: Stoke City
Experience:
Mark Middling is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting at Northumbria University. He is currently researching accountability and reporting in the football industry -
Richard Evans
Club Supported: Arsenal
Experience:
Richard is an economist with a PhD in sports economics, an accountant (former FCMA) and now an Associate Research Fellow at London University, Birkbeck with a research interest in the financial performance and regulation of football clubs