The Premier League 2012-13 season may be over but the highs and lows have been captured in this time series visualisation. Choose a team in the right hand panel and see how they compareAmi Sedghi
Posts Categorized: Norwich City
Transfer targets: where your club will be spending this summer | Guardian staff
Christian Benteke, Marouane Fellaini and Júlio César are almost certain to attract interest in the transfer window and what would Tottenham do with all that money if Gareth Bale left?
Arsenal
Money to spend? The oft-touted figure of £70m is really shorthand for whatever Arsène Wenger wants. With lucrative commercial deals secured, the club feel they are equipped to operate at the top level of the market
Who’s spending it? Wenger. The manager has total control over every aspect on the technical side
Ins? A goalkeeper, a defensive midfielder and a striker. In the likely event that Bacary Sagna leaves, having rejected a new contract offer, a right-back, too. QPR’s Júlio César is a goalkeeping target. The young Auxerre striker Yaya Sanogo will sign but the club will chase a bigger name up front
Outs? Andrey Arshavin and Sébastien Squillaci will be released upon the expiry of their contracts DH
Aston Villa
Money to spend? Randy Lerner is still intent on keeping things tight following the spending of previous managers
Who’s spending it? Paul Lambert will call the shots but in accordance with Lerner’s budget restrictions, overseen by the chief executive, Paul Faulkner. Expect more talent-spotting from outside the Premier League
Ins? A priority will be securing a new contract with Andreas Weimann and keeping hold of the much-coveted Christian Benteke but the Ipswich left-back Aaron Cresswell and the Crewe midfielder Luke Murphy are targets
Outs? Shay Given could be on his way to Hull City with Brad Guzan having tied down the goalkeeper’s spot, while Bent’s departure seems inevitable JR
Cardiff City
Money to spend? Vincent Tan has pledged to spend up to £25m on new players during the summer to ensure Cardiff’s stay in the Premier League is a permanent one
Who’s spending it? Malky Mackay will be key to any comings and goings although the Malaysian owners spoke of a need to “strategise well” in the transfer window
Ins? No player scored more than eight goals for Cardiff in the second tier last season so strengthening up front is crucial. Kenwyne Jones and Bafétembi Gomis have both been linked with moves
Outs? Cardiff may not want to dispose of players who performed so well in gaining promotion, but if anyone is to be replaced it may be their full-backs JR
Chelsea
Money to spend? Roman Abramovich will presumably seek to supply new manager José Mourinho with reinforcements, even though this club still aspire to comply comfortably with Financial Fair Play regulations. That might, potentially, necessitate at least one notable sale
Who’s spending it? The technical director, Michael Emenalo, is nominally overseeing the recruitment and scouting department and will liaise with the manager and owner to secure purchases
Ins? They will seek a central midfielder and a striker as priorities, but additions to defence and a back-up goalkeeper required
Outs? The likes of Florent Malouda and Yossi Benayoun will leave under freedom of contract. The intrigue will come if rivals bid for David Luiz, Ramires or Fernando Torres DF
Crystal Palace
Money to spend? The newly promoted club’s four owners have suggested around half of the money generated by elevation will be invested in transfer fees and wages
Who’s spending it? The manager, Ian Holloway, will draw up his wish-list and submit it to the co-chairman, Steve Parish, for discussion
Ins? There is an acceptance that the squad will need strengthening throughout, not least because the best player, Wilfried Zaha, has been sold to Manchester United and the top scorer, Glenn Murray, will miss the start of the new season with knee ligament damage. It would not be outlandish to suggest they need six additions to be integrated immediately into the first team
Outs? There will be players who depart under freedom of contract, but Palace are not seeking to sell DF
Everton
Money to spend? David Moyes was still waiting to discover whether a budget believed to be in excess of £10m included wages when the offer from Manchester United changed everything. Whether anyone activates Marouane Fellaini’s £24m release fee will have a big say
Who’s spending it? No one, yet. Moyes had total control over football operations as Everton manager and his replacement, Roberto Martínez is the firm favourite, will expect the same
Ins? Whoever takes over needs to add strikers plus younger competition for the established goalkeeper and centre-halves. The club has remained in contact with January target Leroy Fer, the FC Twente midfielder
Outs? Everton cannot afford to streamline their squad any further but John Heitinga, with 12 months remaining on a lucrative contract, can go AH
Fulham
Money to spend? Not a huge amount, which explains why Martin Jol has already recruited Derek Boateng and Fernando Amorebieta on free transfers and Sascha Riether for an undisclosed fee
Who’s spending it? Jol pinpoints the players, but the level of funding available will be determined by the chairman, Mohamed al Fayed
Ins? They will seek to add another centre-half to the books, with West Bromwich Albion’s Jonas Olsson a potential target, and a ball-playing central midfielder
Outs? Some of the older guard will depart; the likes of Chris Baird, Simon Davies, John Arne Riise and Aaron Hughes are expected to leave among a host of players whose contracts are expiring. It remains to be seen whether Mark Schwarzer agrees terms to extend his stay at Craven Cottage DF
Hull City
Money to spend? Unknown, but will not be paying top dollar or taking extravagant gambles. Nick Thompson, the managing director, says Assem Allam and Ehab Allam, Hull’s father-and-son Egyptian owners, intend funding around six signings
Who’s spending it? The Allams have the final say and Thompson is heavily involved but Hull are reliant primarily on their manager Steve Bruce’s transfer market nous
Ins? Ahmed Elmohamady is close to a £2m switch from Sunderland and George Boyd has joined from Peterborough but a new striker and goalkeeper remain priorities. Bruce covets the Celtic centre-forward Gary Hooper, Burnley striker Charlie Austin, Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, Aston Villa keeper Shay Given, and Besiktas keeper Allen McGregor. He is also eyeing Sunderland’s Phil Bardsley
Outs? German striker Nick Proschwitz has struggled to adapt so cash could be re-couped by offloading him LT
Liverpool
Money to spend? Brendan Rodgers insists no figure has been set and no wonder. He has already started spending and more than £70m could be incoming if Luis Suárez, José Reina, Martin Skrtel and Andy Carroll are sold
Who’s spending it? The manager claims he has the final say but the managing director, Ian Ayre, has stated all targets will be considered by a committee, understood to include the head of recruitment, Dave Fallows, chief scout Barry Hunter and head of analysis, Michael Edwards
Ins? An entire new spine, potentially. Kolo Touré has started the defensive rebuild, and Kyriakos Papadopoulous of Schalke, Sporting Lisbon’s Tiago Ilori, Ajax’s Toby Alderweireld and the Lille left-back Lucas Digne are under consideration. The Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas is almost signed, a bid is in for Sevilla’s Luis Alberto and a lot more may follow
Outs? Carroll, Sebastian Coates, possibly Skrtel, Reina and Stewart Downing, plus several fringe players AH
Manchester City
Money to spend? Despite the club’s stated adherence to Financial Fair Play there would be no surprise if £100m in transfer fees alone is in the budget
Who’s spending it? The fact that Manuel Pellegrini or AN Other is yet to be confirmed as Roberto Mancini’s successor is immaterial as Txiki Begiristain, the director of football, is the driver of all football strategy, including recruitment
Ins? A keeper to provide competition for Joe Hart, with Reading’s Alex McCarthy the required calibre of candidate. One, maybe two, central defenders – Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel would be ideal – and a host of forward operators: Malaga’s Isco, a playmaker, Sevilla winger Jesús Navas, and in the striker department, Napoli’s Edinson Cavani, Stevan Jovetic of Fiorentina and Liverpool’s Luis Suárez
Outs? Up to a full XI of players could be shown the door. In addition to Kolo Touré, who should join Liverpool, Costel Pantilimon, Joleon Lescott, Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz, Scott Sinclair, John Guidetti, Maicon, Edin Dzeko and Wayne Bridge all have varying degrees of doubt over their future JJ
Manchester United
Money to spend? The outgoing manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Any time we have asked for money from the owners they have delivered. That will apply itself this year. There is no doubt about that.” The sense is that if his successor David Moyes wants to land one marquee name – Gareth Bale, say – the Glazers would sanction a a £50m splurge
Who’s spending it? This is an interesting one as the official answer is Moyes, but as transfer strategy for the new season has been underway since February, Ed Woodward, the new chief executive, is also a key player as the bridge between the Ferguson regime and that of the new manager
Ins? Moyes is considering moving for Everton’s Marouane Fellaini with Real Madrid’s Luka Modric also of interest. He is also sure to keep tabs on Cesc Fàbregas. At this point Moyes also hopes to retain the unsettled Wayne Rooney
Outs? Anders Lindegaard is surplus to requirements and there continues to be no resolution to Nani’s new contract discussions so his future remains in the balance. Anderson has become a fringe player so Moyes may sell the Brazilian. Nemanja Vidic has only a year remaining on his contract so while it would be a surprise if he were sold, when the two serious knee injuries that plagued his last two seasons are factored in a sale would not shock JJ
Newcastle United
Money to spend? Unknown. Newcastle are in a healthy financial position and anxious to avoid another relegation skirmish but Mike Ashley, the owner, does not part with his cash lightly
Who’s spending it? Alan Pardew, the manager, is involved but chief scout Graham Carr remains a hugely influential prime mover while Derek Llambias, the managing director, does the deals
Ins? Pardew would like more experience along with a relaxation of the policy whereby Newcastle generally sign players aged 25 and under boasting high re-sale value. Carr is now concentrating onthe Dutch and Belgian, as well as the French, markets although Will Hughes, the Derby midfielder, is a target. Two new strikers are needed plus a centre-half with St Etienne’s forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and FC Twente’s defender Douglas under consideration. Retaining Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye appears high priority
Outs? Danny Simpson and Steve Harper have said their goodbyes and could be followed by striker Shola Ameobi and, possibly, midfielder Cheik Tioté LT
Norwich City
Money to spend? Having already splashed an impressive £8.5m on the striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel from Sporting Lisbon, further signings may follow but they are unlikely to eclipse that figure
Who’s spending it? Chris Hughton has brought in a number of players since his appointment last summer, mainly from Leeds United, and the majority have proved shrewd signings
Ins? Only two Premier League clubs scored fewer goals than Norwich last season so attacking midfielders could be added to Hughton’s squad to complement Robert Snodgrass and Anthony Pilkington
Outs? The arrival of Van Wolfswinkel could spell the end of Grant Holt’s stay, although the club recently turned down an offer from Melbourne Heart as it did not meet their £2m valuation JR
Southampton
Money to spend? A large chunk of Liebherr Trust money is likely to be available again this summer following showdown talks between the chairman, Nicola Cortese, and the owners. Last summer the Saints’ outlay was £33m
Who’s spending it? Cortese holds the cards and will make the calls in consultation with the Argentinian manager, Mauricio Pochettino, with the pair enjoying a good working relationship
Ins? A new striker to complement Rickie Lambert and a top-class centre-half. The Italy defender Davide Astori is on the radar although keeping Gaston Ramírez may be difficult with Juventus reportedly keen
Outs? Pochettino will continue to restructure a squad recently inherited from Nigel Adkins and could be tempted to sell Billy Sharp and Emmanuel Mayuka who struggled to feature last season JR
Stoke City
Money to spend? The Coates family will support Mark Hughes with a healthy budget but not to the extent of recent years under Tony Pulis. As chairman Peter Coates put it on Thursday: “Ours is the third-highest net spend in the Premier League…It’s not really where we can afford to be.”
Who’s spending it? Hughes expects to be joined by his trusted backroom staff of Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki and will make the decisions. His advisor, Kia Joorabchian, has already distanced himself from Hughes’ poor signings as manager of QPR
Ins? Pulis’s oft-criticised style cannot be abandoned overnight but Hughes will want to add finesse to the attack, with Junior Hoilett a potential target at QPR. The goalkeeper Jack Butland has already been signed with the first choice Asmir Begovic on his way out
Outs? Well-paid strikers Peter Crouch and Kenwyne Jones both endured disappointing campaigns last season and Stoke are unlikely to stand in the way of any offers AH
Sunderland
Money to spend? Unknown. Ellis Short, the owner, accepts the team needs restructuring with at least six new signings required but hopes a new recruitment system will identify several bargains
Who’s spending it? Paolo Di Canio’s formal title is head coach but although primarily a training pitch-based “teacher of football”, he retains a final say on signings. Transfers will be executed by two immiment appointments; Roberto De Fanti, a Fifa agent, as director of football and Valentino Angeloni, Internazionale’s outgoing chief scout as technical director
Ins? Cabral is joining from Basel’s midfield as are defenders Modibo Diakité and Valentin Roberge from Lazio and Maritimo respectively. Sunderland crave creativity, pace, athleticism and reinforcement in most positions including full-back and, above all, attack. The Portuguese market has been targeted. Celtic’s goalkeeper Fraser Forster could replace Simon Mignolet
Outs? Titus Bramble and Matt Kilgallon are leaving and Phil Bardsley will surely follow. While that trio have crossed swords with Di Canio, the majority of players are believed to broadly welcome his modus operandi LT
Swansea City
Money to spend? Michael Laudrup will hope to convince Huw Jenkins to loosen the purse-strings and allow him to strengthen the squad ahead of a European campaign
Who’s spending it? Laudrup will have the final say on all transfers, with the Dane’s agent recently saying Laudrup will remain at Swansea despite rumours to the contrary
Ins? A striker, to ease the burden on Michu who proved a revelation last season. An ambitious move for Romelu Lukaku has been mooted, as has a return for Scott Sinclair
Outs? Laudrup will hope to recoup a decent fee if Ashley Williams departs, and keeping hold of goalkeeper Michel Vorm will be a priority JR
Tottenham Hotspur
Money to spend? Everything depends on whether Gareth Bale stays or goes. The player’s camp have indicated they would consider an offer from Real Madrid, even if Tottenham have resolved not to. Bale’s sale could be worth around £50m
Who’s spending it? The manager, André Villas-Boas, would like to see the appointment of a technical director to help him and the chairman, Daniel Levy make things happen; ideally, more swiftly than usual
Ins? Leandro Damião of Internacional continues to head a long list of striker targets. There is also interest in the Southampton left-back Luke Shaw; the Wigan midfielder James McCarthy and the Blackpool winger Tom Ince
Outs? Doubt surrounds the future of the left-back Benoît Assou-Ekotto and the midfielders Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone. Assou-Ekotto has made it plain that he wants to stay DH
West Bromwich Albion
Money to spend? The Baggies are often cited within the Premier League as operating an ideal model so expect a sober and parsimonious summer of transfer business
Who’s spending it? On the football side Steve Clarke, the manager; on what can actually be spent Jeremy Peace, the chairman. As Clarke says of the club’s careful policy: “There has been year-on-year improvement for the club over the last few years and that’s all we try to do. We will try to improve again next season. There is no reason to doubt that what we’re doing is correct because year on year it’s working.”
Ins? Congo international Dieumerci Mbokani of Anderlecht and Wigan Athletic’s Franco Di Santo are interesting Clarke
Outs? With Jerome Thomas, Gonzalo Jara already released, there is also surely no future for Peter Odemwingie after his drive down to Queens Park Rangers’s Loftus Road offices to desperately try and force a move in the last window JJ
West Ham United
Money to spend? £15m net. The club continues to cope with large debt
Who’s spending it? The manager, Sam Allardyce, with heavy input from David Sullivan. The co-owner is a keen evaluator of the statistics of a prospective signing
Ins? More creativity, more quality, particularly up front. They have agreed a fee of £15m with Liverpool for Andy Carroll, who was on loan last season, but it is unclear whether he fancies the permanent move. Massimo Ambrosini, the veteran Milan midfielder, is a target while the club have done a deal for the free-agent left-back Razvan Rat
Outs? Carlton Cole will be released. The returning loanee Ravel Morrison faces an uncertain future. The club will fight to keep Mohamed Diamé DH
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Premier League Managerial Changes: Do They Guarantee Success? Stats
The twenty Premier League teams for next season are very close to being finalised, with the final place being decided this weekend in a £120m game between Crystal Palace & Watford. Both clubs have had new managers in the last 10 months and both are (almost) reaping the rewards. This means that 15 of the [...]
Premier League Managerial Changes: Do They Guarantee Success? Stats
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Premier League 2012-13 review: Our writers’ best and worst moments
Brilliant goals, best-forgotten predictions and matches that prompted dramatic late rewrites
Best player
Paul Doyle Luis Suárez. His dazzling turns, incessant mischief-making and much-improved finishing made him a joy to watch.
Dominic Fifield Juan Mata. Of those I watched regularly, he was the most consistently excellent, with his astonishing tally of 12 assists and 12 league goals testament to his impact at Chelsea throughout another tumultuous campaign.
Owen Gibson Hard to see beyond Gareth Bale. Not since Cristiano Ronaldo was in his pomp at Manchester United has a player demonstrated such an ability to seize a game and shape it.
Barry Glendenning A stunningly original choice here: Tottenham game-changer Gareth Bale.
Andy Hunter Robin van Persie. Signed to wrestle the title back from the wealthiest team (though not much of a team) on the planet and delivered under that pressure by February.
David Hytner Dimitar Berbatov. The best player to watch and the best player to write about.
Jamie Jackson Gareth Bale. The Welsh flyer has become the Premier League’s successor to Cristiano Ronaldo as the man who consistently scores and performs superbly.
Stuart James Gareth Bale. Just gets better and better. Almost single-handedly carried the Tottenham team and deserves to be playing Champions League football next season.
Scott Murray A toss-up between Christian Benteke and Adam Le Fondre. Hats off to your Van Persies, Bales and Suárezes (Suari?) but there’s something infinitely more romantic about those calmly pelting them in while all around is panic.
Sachin Nakrani Dimitar Berbatov. A left-field choice but then Berba is a left-field player. Languid, highly-skilled, hilariously ratty and the only man who would dare wear a “Keep calm and pass me the ball” T-shirt. Oh and he got 15 goals in his debut season with Fulham, which ain’t bad.
James Riach Gareth Bale repeatedly scored stunning, match-winning goals and spearheaded Tottenham to their biggest ever Premier League points total.
Barney Ronay Michael Carrick. Often did the job of two men in midfield for the champions. The Roy Keane of the elegant interception.
Jacob Steinberg It feels utterly ridiculous not to be picking Robin van Persie. But that’s Gareth Bale – utterly ridiculous. The quality of his goals and performances for Tottenham have been staggering.
Daniel Taylor Gareth Bale, with an honorary mention for Michu (clearly not playing for a big enough club to get many PFA votes) and Robin van Persie.
Louise Taylor Philippe Coutinho. Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla has been lovely to watch but Coutinho is the midfielder capable of making Liverpool great again.
Paul Wilson Luis Suárez. More watchable and audacious than Robin van Persie or Gareth Bale, if also more annoying and apparently more hungry.
WINNER Gareth Bale.
Best manager
Paul Doyle Michael Laudrup. Took a successful Swansea side and made them even better through smart signings and more effective attacking.
Dominic Fifield David Moyes. Everton finished sixth, above their city rivals for a second successive season, and lost only once at Goodison Park all campaign. Their squad boasts quality but not much depth, so to sustain such a challenge while others spend so heavily felt miraculous. Moyes has earned his opportunity with Manchester United.
Owen Gibson Sir Alex Ferguson. Fittingly in his final season, he marshalled his resources one last time following the bitter disappointment of the last day in 2011-12 to ease to the title.
Barry Glendenning Michael Laudrup. Prior to the start of the season, I idiotically predicted that Swansea City under his management would resemble “a car crash”.
Andy Hunter Sir Alex Ferguson. Another league title lifted by the latest Manchester United team to be spurred on by talent, naturally, but also character. A huge loss to the game.
David Hytner Rafael Benítez. Could not have done much more than win the Europa League and finish third. Moreover, he maintained his dignity at all times in the face of sustained hostility.
Jamie Jackson Michael Laudrup. As a first season in the top flight claiming the first major trophy of Swansea City’s 101-year history and finishing ninth was impressive.
Stuart James Michael Laudrup. There was a feeling Swansea were punching above their weight under Brendan Rodgers. Then Laudrup took over and won the first major trophy in the club’s history and secured a top-10 finish in the Premier League. Oh, and he also traded at a profit in the transfer market. Not bad, all in all.
Scott Murray Rafael Benítez, only the second man to win a European trophy at three different clubs (after Udo Lattek). The snipers – and it’s not just been Chelsea fans, either – can simmer down now.
Sachin Nakrani Michael Laudrup. Had the tough task of replacing Brendan Rodgers and did so with aplomb. Swansea finished two places higher than they did in 2011-12 and have become a more dangerous attacking unit.
James Riach In the face of bitter protests from Chelsea’s supporters, Rafael Benítez remained dignified and won the Europa League title as well as securing third place.
Barney Ronay Rafa Benítez. Perhaps not the obvious choice but still: a European trophy and third place in the Premier League. And all without the full support of the club’s fans or – it would seem – board.
Jacob Steinberg Michael Laudrup won Swansea their first major trophy in his first season in England, made some shrewd signings and ensured their football remained easy on the eye.
Daniel Taylor Steve Clarke. Well, probably Sir Alex Ferguson. But I owe Clarke an apology for having him to win the sack race last August.
Louise Taylor Paolo Di Canio. Not content with saving Sunderland from relegation he speaks a lot of good sense. And makes the Premier League infinitely more colourful.
Paul Wilson David Moyes. After years of not winning anything, he walks off with the top prize. Tremendous first seasons from Steve Clarke and Michael Laudrup, solid progress by Sam Allardyce and Brendan Rodgers.
WINNER Michael Laudrup.
Best goal
Paul Doyle José Enrique for Liverpool v Swansea. Great move in which every touch was a trick.
Dominic Fifield Matthew Lowton’s volley from distance beyond Asmir Begovic, Stoke’s fine goalkeeper. It was a goal that breathed life into Aston Villa’s pursuit of survival.
Owen Gibson Van Persie v Aston Villa. Wayne Rooney’s raking 70-yard pass and the Dutchman’s skill in watching the ball drop on to his boot before volleying home was a fitting way for United to clinch the title.
Barry Glendenning Luis Suárez for Liverpool against Newcastle. Sprinting at full speed, he controlled a long ball to the edge of the penalty area with his shoulder while under pressure from Fabricio Coloccini, before taking it around Tim Krul and prodding home. In little more than a couple of seconds and with just three touches he made two very good players look like chumps.
Andy Hunter Robin van Persie v Aston Villa. From the pass by Wayne Rooney to the movement, awareness and sublime technique of Van Persie’s volley; a glorious goal and a true jaw-dropping moment.
David Hytner Luis Suárez v Newcastle Utd. Speed, strength, sumptuous chest control, balance, feint, touch, finish. Genius.
Jamie Jackson Robin van Persie’s second v Aston Villa. Wayne Rooney’s sublime arcing pass placed into the path of the on-rushing Dutchman was complemented by a left-foot volley struck oh so sweetly in a game that sealed Manchester United’s 20th championship.
Stuart James A close call between Matthew Lowton’s wonderful volley for Aston Villa against Stoke and Robin van Persie’s brilliant strike against Villa. Van Persie gets the nod on the basis that he was hitting a ball dropping over his shoulder.
Scott Murray Shinji Kagawa’s cerebral sidefoot against Norwich City.
Sachin Nakrani Matthew Lowton against Stoke. A stunning chest-and-first-time-hit volley that ultimately won a important game for Villa, lifting them out of the relegation zone.
James Riach Robin van Persie’s fine volley against Aston Villa oozed quality. He timed his run perfectly and made the finish look ridiculously easy.
Barney Ronay Romelu Lukaku versus Sunderland. Essentially a series of high-speed crash tackles, but still a rare joy to watch. The kind of goal the Hulk would score. Or a runaway cement mixer.
Jacob Steinberg I didn’t think Bale’s stabbed finish against Swansea in March really got the recognition it deserved. It was Messi-esque in its speed and inventiveness.
Daniel Taylor Luis Suárez v Newcastle. It’s the control, running, looking over his shoulder, then trapping a 40-yard pass on his chest and shimmying past Newcastle’s goalkeeper. The finish was simple; what preceded it was sublime.
Louise Taylor Fernando Torres in Chelsea’s 3-1 win at Sunderland. Torres met Eden Hazard’s cross with a perfectly cushioned volley expertly directed beyond Simon Mignolet. Not bad for a striker supposedly “finished”.
Paul Wilson Van Persie’s volley from Wayne Rooney’s sumptuous pass against Aston Villa. Otherwise anything from the Bale collection.
WINNER Robin van Persie v Aston Villa.
Best match
Paul Doyle Southampton 3-1 Man City. It is always good to see hungry young slicksters batter a team of glamorous slackers.
Dominic Fifield Chelsea 2-3 Manchester United in October, a game that saw the hosts reduced to nine, retrieve a two-goal deficit, then succumb to an offside winner. It was subsequently tainted with controversy after allegations were made against Mark Clattenburg by home players. Just as significantly, it proved to be the beginning of the end for Roberto Di Matteo.
Owen Gibson Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United. Just as the previous year had been defined by City’s 6-1 humbling of their neighbours, so Van Persie’s last-gasp winner seemed to symbolise this season’s revenge.
Barry Glendenning Reading 3-2 West Brom will live long in my memory. I was reporting on it and three Reading goals in the final eight minutes meant a panic-stricken rewrite. It was great fun, mind.
Andy Hunter Selecting only from games attended, Liverpool 2-2 Chelsea. The Benítez sub-plot, a commanding Chelsea display, a rousing Liverpool recovery and, of course, the best and ridiculous worst of Luis Suárez. The moment it dawned he had bitten Branislav Ivanovic, and that a week of inquests and accusations of a media witch-hunt was sure to follow, was not a highlight, however.
David Hytner Chelsea 2-3 Manchester United. Great goals, a stirring fightback, red cards, contention, pulsating from start to finish. The subsequent, unproven allegations about Mark Clattenburg ought not to overshadow the memory.
Jamie Jackson Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United. In the closing moments Van Persie’s free-kick deflected off Samir Nasri, who had turned his back, to beat Joe Hart and all three points were heading to Old Trafford.
Stuart James The first 5-5 draw in the history of the Premier League, at The Hawthorns on the final day of the season, must take some beating.
Scott Murray West Bromwich Albion 5-5 Manchester United, the nearest football’s ever got to DG Bradman, b Hollies, 0. Sport always has the last word, leaving even the geniuses wondering exactly what the hell just happened.
Sachin Nakrani Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United. Not a title decider but the moment it felt power had shifted back across Manchester. A pretty dramatic contest, too.
James Riach Newcastle United 0-3 Sunderland. This was the turning point in Sunderland’s survival bid, a gutsy performance that included three excellent goals and some incredible celebrations from Paolo Di Canio.
Barney Ronay Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United. Decided which way the seasonal Manchester momentum was heading – plus a lovely bit of soap opera in Van Persie’s free-kick and Nasri’s flinch.
Jacob Steinberg A personal highlight was West Ham’s comeback against Chelsea in December. Chelsea murdered West Ham in the first half and should have been two or three goals up at half-time. But the introduction of Mohamed Diamé changed the game and Upton Park was a very loud and enjoyable place to be by the time Modibo Maïga made it 3-1 to West Ham.
Daniel Taylor Southampton 2-3 Manchester United. The kind of match for which Sir Alex Ferguson will be remembered: losing 2-1 until the last three minutes and then a quick one-two from Robin van Persie and some frantic rewrites in the press box.
Louise Taylor Newcastle United 3-2 Chelsea. A fantastic game filled with fabulous counter-attacking football and settled by Moussa Sissoko’s 90th-minute winner for Newcastle.
Paul Wilson Newcastle 3-2 Chelsea was a real humdinger, the one where Demba Ba took a boot to the face and got his nose splattered.
WINNER Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United.
Best signing
Paul Doyle Christian Benteke – £7m for the young striker who kept Aston Villa in the Premier League in his first season in England. A bargain.
Dominic Fifield Robin van Persie. Michu was the bargain of the season, but Van Persie ensured Manchester United eclipsed Manchester City in the title race. A player who made a difference.
Owen Gibson The still improving Christian Benteke narrowly edges Van Persie for value. He scored on his debut and didn’t stop, keeping Villa up despite his misfiring colleagues.
Barry Glendenning Michu’s transfer to Swansea City from Real Vallecano for £2.2m was an astonishing, astute bit of business … for Swansea.
Andy Hunter Michu. His form may have tailed off after the Capital One Cup final but Swansea are unlikely to hold that against him. A steal at £2m, he epitomised the style and class of Michael Laudrup’s team and the club’s historic cup win in their centenary year.
David Hytner Robin Van Persie. Took the No20 shirt at Manchester United. Made the difference in the club’s 20th title.
Jamie Jackson Van Persie. “If” is a questionable concept in sport but had the Dutchman signed instead for City would United be champions?
Stuart James Michu was an absolute bargain at £2m but Christian Benteke was also an incredible piece of business. Without Benteke’s goals (of every description) Villa would surely have been relegated.
Scott Murray Philippe Coutinho. A pocket Molby, or a Beardsley-sized Beardsley?
Sachin Nakrani Michu. Strikers who score 18 goals in their debut season for a new club in a new country are not meant to cost £2m. An incredible piece of business.
James Riach Michu is the clear choice after scoring 18 goals for Swansea City at a cost of £2m from Rayo Vallecano. An absolute bargain.
Barney Ronay Christian Benteke. A £7m signing who kept Villa up and will now probably leave for much more. In short bursts looked like the perfect centre-forward in the making.
Jacob Steinberg Swansea paid £2m Michu and got more than their money’s worth.
Daniel Taylor Michu, and if we can ignore Steve Clarke (see above) I did predict this last August.
Louise Taylor Robin van Persie. He did not come cheap but, by their standards, an arguably limited, non-vintage, Manchester United would not have won the title without the Dutch striker.
Paul Wilson Has to be Van Persie, if he really made the difference between United and City.
WINNER Michu.
Worst flop
Paul Doyle Roberto Mancini. There are professors who got PhDs from a slot machine in Blackpool who could mount better defences of their title than Manchester City managed.
Dominic Fifield Alou Diarra at West Ham, if only because I suggested back in August that he would prove to be the bargain of the campaign. He may have been free but he arrived an experienced France international, the kind of player who could take the Premier League by the scruff of the neck, but five appearances in all competitions and a loan to Rennes rather sums up his impact. Then came the allegations that he had been lured to Upton Park by “false promises”.
Owen Gibson It seems unfair to single him out amid myriad overpaid failures at Loftus Road. But at £12.5m and £100,000 a week, Christopher Samba’s admission that he wasn’t prepared for the Premier League when he arrived in January couldn’t help but grate as Queens Park Rangers went down with a whimper.
Barry Glendenning Considering the high standards he set for himself last season, the decline of Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tioté has been particularly notable.
Andy Hunter Queens Park Rangers. Every signing made last summer and in January and their two managers, Mark Hughes and Harry Redknapp. Abysmal.
David Hytner José Bosingwa. A European champion with Chelsea last May, he was tempted to QPR by the big wages and did little to justify them. Refused to take his place as a substitute against Fulham. Jeered by fans on his last appearance against Newcastle.
Jamie Jackson Chelsea fans who failed to back Rafael Benítez. What, exactly, did the Blues supporters want by not getting behind the manager? Failure? Having returned the Europa League and third place Benítez has shown the kind of manager he is.
Stuart James Hard to look beyond the Queens Park Rangers team, headed up by José Bosingwa. Probably won’t happen but would be great to see him running out at Yeovil.
Scott Murray David Moyes and Everton, after yet another craven capitulation in the Cup. Roberto Martínez and Wigan showed them how to play the glory game.
Sachin Nakrani Christopher Samba. The personification of QPR’s ill-thought-out, irresponsible and bloated transfer strategy.
James Riach Chris Samba arrived at QPR in January for a club record £12.5m. Having not played since November, the centre-half was in poor shape and has admitted he was unprepared for a Premier League return.
Barney Ronay Emmanuel Adebayor. Came to life a little towards the end of the season, but it took until May for Spurs to win their second match in which he actually scored.
Jacob Steinberg It has not quite worked out for Scott Sinclair, has it?
Daniel Taylor Queens Park Rangers, the A to Z of how not to run a coherent football club.
Louise Taylor James McClean, Sunderland. The once so promising left winger regressed alarmingly. Desperately requires the “revolution in the brain” prescribed by Paolo Di Canio.
Paul Wilson Not blaming Harry Redknapp in particular, but everyone involved at QPR must view the season as a bit of a fiasco. Wigan’s defence coach, if they actually had one, also had a season to forget.
WINNER Queens Park Rangers (particularly Christopher Samba and José Bosingwa).
Biggest gripe
Paul Doyle Lack of innovation at set-pieces: most are very predictable. Players are getting their priorities wrong when they put more thought into their goalscoring celebrations than how to actually score in the first place.
Dominic Fifield The mess that was Queens Park Rangers. Their survival last season had been celebrated but what followed was pathetic. Their stay in the top flight was a missed opportunity.
Owen Gibson Hardly original, but in a season when low level grumbling about ticket prices became loud protests, the urgency of more clubs addressing the issue can’t be overstated.
Barry Glendenning The paranoia and seething rage of some fans is tedious. Relax, it’s just football.
Andy Hunter Extortionate ticket prices that have turned some football stadiums into tourist destinations and homes for a precious, middle-aged, middle-class audience.
David Hytner Sky sources. Just because the TV channel invented the game does not give them the licence seemingly to take other outlets’ stories and information and present them as their own.
Jamie Jackson Prominent footballers who shun the media when playing, then take up jobs in the media on retirement.
Stuart James The ruthless sackings of Brian McDermott at Reading and Nigel Adkins at Southampton. Both victims of their own success.
Scott Murray Faux moral outrage, 25 hours a day, eight days a week. Life’s too short to be this annoyed.
Sachin Nakrani The FA’s disciplinary decisions. A four-match ban for racism (John Terry), a 10-match ban for biting (Luis Suárez) and no ban at all for nearly snapping someone’s leg (Callum Mcmanaman). Madness.
James Riach Giving players a voice by reporting their nonsensical comments on Twitter, particularly one converted Francophile.
Barney Ronay Get rid of the “the ref saw it so we can’t do anything” law – thereby destroying at a single stroke the gist of roughly 50% of all angry football talk radio content.
Jacob Steinberg The FA Cup final (with Budweiser; mustn’t forget the sponsors) was great entertainment but it still shouldn’t kick off at 5.15pm or be played on the same weekend as league games.
Daniel Taylor 1) goal music, 2) Brendan Rodgers never told us who were in the envelopes.
Louise Taylor Those Chelsea fans who persistently undermined Rafael Benítez and demanded his dismissal after he, quite reasonably, gave them a measured ticking off following an FA Cup win at Middlesbrough. Benítez performed splendidly; is José Mourinho really going to do better?
Paul Wilson The Premier League is tilting towards the south, even south Wales. From a position of strength a few years ago, there are only the four core north-west clubs left. Lancashire is becoming an outpost, rather than a sensible location for a football writer to base themselves.
WINNER The FA’s disciplinary process.
Change for next season
Paul Doyle Play-offs for last Champions League spot and last relegation spot. There is an obvious antidote to anti-climaxes, as followers of the Championship, League One and League Two know full well. And why should the lower leagues have better endings than the top flight?
Dominic Fifield Transfer windows for managerial changes. Chelsea can have their own one, if necessary, in late February/early March. November is far too early.
Owen Gibson They have more need than most, but it would be nice to see others follow Arsenal’s lead in introducing special cut-price areas for teenagers.
Barry Glendenning Cheaper ticket prices would be nice.
Andy Hunter Same as last season: retrospective punishment for diving.
David Hytner Sir Alex Ferguson to hold regular press conferences in his new role as a Manchester United director.
Jamie Jackson Cameras in changing rooms, please.
Stuart James That the Manchester United manager attends post-match press conferences.
Scott Murray Pitchside bats, for smashing goalline cameras into pieces so small they can be sieved through a sock. Perfection is a pipe dream and, anyway, bemoaning the occasional incorrect decision is all part of the fun.
Sachin Nakrani £20 away tickets. In January the Football Supporters’ Federation launched its “Twenty’s Plenty for Away Tickets” campaign in a bid to establish an across-the-board, affordable pricing structure for travelling fans. Its introduction would show football at the highest level retains a soul.
James Riach Retrospective punishment even if a match official has seen the incident during the game. Some blatant and ugly fouls have escaped proper scrutiny this season.
Barney Ronay Relegate five teams.
Jacob Steinberg It is understandable that the FA doesn’t want to undermine referees but it is slightly farcical that retrospective action can’t be taken over incidents – Callum McManaman’s tackle on Massadio Haïdara, say – which the officials decided not to punish during games.
Daniel Taylor Maybe the Premier League, with its £5.5bn television revenue, could give Kick It Out more than £100,000 a year operating costs (roughly the same as someone who earns £50,000 a year chucking 25p into a collection tin).
Louise Taylor Journalists reporting on Premier League teams being invited, as happens at certain European clubs, to eat training ground lunches with players as part of an obligatory extension of current weekly press conferences. With increased trust unlikely to be abused it could only erase paranoia, increase understanding and enhance coverage.
Paul Wilson Players attending finals in a suit should be made to stay in a suit, and frisked if necessary to make sure they are not carrying spare kit, boots and shin-pads.
WINNER Cheaper tickets.
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Premier League final day – in pictures
As the 2012-13 Premier League season draws to a close, we bring you the best images from the last 10 games
The Premier League Shockers – How common are the shocking upsets?
Ok, so Landry was talking about the ‘other’ type of football, however the sentiment remains true for ‘real’ football. One of the most beautiful things about the beautiful game is the potential for a freak, unexpected result. An incredible, unbelievable result. There’s nothing that neutral football fans enjoy more than seeing an underdog grabbing a [...]
The Premier League Shockers – How common are the shocking upsets?
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Premier League Team of the Week: Record-breaking Lampard and hat-trick hero Sturridge star
The Chelsea midfielder features alongside Santi Cazorla after beating Bobby Tambling’s goalscoring feats, while Theo Walcott partners the Liverpool striker in attack
‘How has football lived without it?’ – The impact of technology on tennis, baseball & other sports
The introduction of Hawk-Eye in the English Premier League is not the first example of sports using technology to make on-field decisions, with positive and negative impacts
The Premier League’s injury & suspension list
Goal.com keeps you up to date with all the missing men from England’s top-flight – from what’s keeping your favourite player out, to when they will return to action
The Premier League’s injury & suspension list
Goal.com keeps you up to date with all the missing men from England’s top-flight – from what’s keeping your favourite player out, to when they will return to action
The Premier League’s injury & suspension list
Goal.com keeps you up to date with all the missing men from England’s top-flight – from what’s keeping your favourite player out, to when they will return to action
Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Frank Lampard continues quest to be Chelsea’s record scorer, Paul Lambert returns to Carrow Road for a relegation six-pointer and Wigan need to get their Great Escape going again
1) Coloccini back for Newcastle
Sam Allardyce’s smuggest smug face. The West Ham United manager won’t even have to twitch a muscle; no matter how careful he is with that visage, he will welcome his old side to Upton Park having seen his new one to safety ahead of schedule – “we are far better than where we expected to be”, he said this week – and enjoying an Andy Carroll mauve patch. The Newcastle United manager, Alan Pardew, will step off the bus being careful to corral his own features as best he can after a week in which he has had to defend his job and his players have had to issue a statement insisting that they’re all getting along famously. The worrying thought for Newcastle supporters is that if there isn’t friction between the French and English players in the squad, then there’s a more complicated (less fixable) reason for their terrible results in recent fixtures. They will have to hope that the return of Fabricio Coloccini, recovered from a broken back, is as influential as Pardew predicts; the centre-half will wear the captain’s armband on Saturday afternoon. The Opta stats show Newcastle win 31 per cent of the matches Coloccini plays, compared with 25 per cent when he is absent. More importantly, while there’s little difference to how many goals Newcastle concede with Coloccini on the pitch, they score twice as many, suggesting that his ability to play the ball out with a bit of nous makes a real impact. Georgina Turner
2) Mourinho’s first signing?
There will be no Bobby Tambling on the sidelines at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon to see it happen, but against Manchester United Frank Lampard will nonetheless continue to chase down the Chelsea record goalscorer’s tally of 202. Lampard has not been a regular starter this season but it will surely take an especially devastating performance from either side to keep him out of the action entirely. Coming on to replace Ramires in the first half against Swansea City last time out, he brought an instantaneousness of thought and action without which the match might have been allowed to drift. Chelsea’s claim, earlier in the year, that Lampard would “under no circumstances” be granted a contract extension seemed at the time to be unnecessarily decisive, and his chances of changing the club’s stance have probably been growing by increments ever since. Against Swansea he set up the game’s first goal and scored the second – his 13th of the season and his 201st in Chelsea colours. But what the heck, it’s Friday: let’s put two and two together and say José Mourinho’s had a word. GT
3) Hell-Benteke
At least Norwich City’s home form is better than their toils away from Carrow Road. That’s the crumb of comfort that the manager, Chris Hughton, has to nibble on as he awaits Aston Villa, possibly the last side he would have asked to play at this stage. Paul Lambert’s side are a point behind Norwich in that tight bunch of clubs just keeping their shirt tails clear of the flames, but Villa arrive having just walloped Sunderland 6-1, while Norwich are still coming to terms with their failure to direct a single shot on target against Stoke City. The fitness of Hughton’s two best central defenders, Sébastien Bassong (surely a contender for the club’s player of the season title) and Michael Turner, is in doubt; the form of Lambert’s best striker, Christian Benteke, is not. In Europe’s top leagues only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more than Benteke (13) in 2013, and though Sunderland haplessness played a part in his hat-trick on Monday night, the leap for his second was incredible. “I think his head was above the crossbar,” said Fabian Delph. “Every centre-back who has tried [to rough him up] has failed.” GT
4) Can Wigan keep the season interesting?
The title has been decided, while the battle for the top four has become a provincial battle, inevitably obsessing the ‘London-centric national media’. The only thing of any real import left to be decided is who fills the final relegation berth. And with Wigan v Aston Villa brilliantly scheduled for the last day of the season, neutrals are praying for it to provide some much-needed final-day drama. So the Latics really need to start winning. Five points from safety, things aren’t looking too rosy at the DW Stadium. There’s the distraction of an FA Cup Final on the horizon, and their manager was rather too enamoured of performances against Tottenham and Manchester City that only garnered a solitary point. A trip to a West Brom side with nothing to play for is eminently winnable, as is their midweek match against Swansea, so if Roberto Martínez is going to perform The Great Escape: Part IV this weekend would be a good time to start picking up maximum points. Toby Moses
5) Make or break for Spurs
After a poor performance in their draw against Wigan, Tottenham look all set to perform their now traditional end-of-season tumble down the table. They face a season-defining week, with tough trips to Chelsea and Stoke following hot on the heels of Saturday’s clash with Southampton – come out with maximum points from these three and Arsenal fans will really start sweating. This weekend’s match might look the easiest on paper, especially after Southampton’s capitulation at home to West Brom last week, but the Saints have put in some excellent performances against the big boys this year. Mauricio Pochettino’s high-tempo pressing game proved too much for Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City – while the champions eked out a 2-1 win despite having fewer shots and less possession than the south coast side. Spurs could be forgiven for having one eye on Stamford Bridge, but they’ll come a cropper if they don’t turn up at White Hart Lane ready to take Southampton deadly seriously. TM
6) Can Sunderland break their Monday night hoodoo?
With Paolo Di Canio’s honeymoon period having lasted considerably less time than most honeymoons, the threat of relegation remains very real for Sunderland, who could find themselves in all sorts of bother by the time they entertain Stoke City on Monday night, depending on results elsewhere over the weekend. In an omen that will make grim reading for Sunderland, still reeling from the spanking administered to their team by Aston Villa, it has been noted that Sunderland have failed to win on a Monday night in their last 17 attempts, seven managers ago when Peter Reid was in charge and Claudio Reyna scored a brace against Leicester. With Stéphane Sessègnon suspended for the Premier League run-in, it’s difficult to see from where the goals required to end this bizarre hoodoo will come. Barry Glendenning
7) A relegation scrap with added needle
A relegation dogfight with the added needle of visiting manager Paul Lambert, arguably the world’s least controversial man, returning to an old stamping ground he left under a contractual cloud – who’d think a match between Norwich and Aston Villa could be so mouth-watering? After the hammering they gave Sunderland earlier this week, Villa will arrive at Carrow Road full of confidence, but only five teams have won at Norwich this season. Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Luton Town have all beaten the Canaries in their own cage. The other team to knock them off their Carrow Rod perch were Aston Villa, who stuffed them 4-1 in the Capital One Cup. BG
8) Light the torches
After Twitter went berserk on Sunday evening, rounding up a virtual lynch mob to rival the one in Young Mr Lincoln to punish QPR’s José Bosingwa for the heinous crime of laughing even though he knew the club had been relegated, watch out for any Rangers player not dressed entirely in funereal black, weeping profusely as if they were hoping to be cast in a re-make of Terms of Endearment and sombrely bowing his head on remorse when taking the field to the sounds of Panis Angelicus. And once you have spotted them, malign them for their characters rather than for their inability to prosper in incoherent sides cobbled together in slapdash fashion which, had you not been assured was not the case, would seem to have been done without any regard whatsoever for the consequences. Tony Fernandes, the principal owner, doesn’t require any summer reading but he could do far worse than listen to the greatest of all west London bands, The Who, and Pete Townshend’s Won’t Get Fooled Again until the title, at least, gives him pause for thought. Rob Bagchi
9) Crossing the divide
Sunday’s derby should be the 30th and last of Jamie Carragher’s career and his captain, Steven Gerrard, says Liverpool must send him off “with a nice derby win for Carra to remember”. For the centre-half, a boyhood Evertonian who admits he only switched wholeheartedly from Blue to Red 14 years ago at the age of 21, a victory would be his 18th in the fixture but he will be put under greater scrutiny by Everton than the derelict side masquerading as Newcastle United managed last week. Everyone knows his pace has gone but if you listen to Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger they feel Carragher more than makes up for it with his organisation, strength and experience. It may benefit Everton to push Leon Osman further forward to play off Victor Anichebe and try to buzz about and drive through the inside-forward channels to test their verdict. RB
10) It’s nearly all to play for in the Championship
OK, so strictly speaking under the Trade Descriptions Act the Championship is not the Premier League, but it features teams that’ll be playing in the top flight next season and that’s good enough to warrant us crowbarring a mention of it in here. The final round of fixtures in the English second division kick off at 12:45pm this Saturday and it is a measure of just how competitive a league it is that the outcomes of just two of the 12 fixtures – Burnley v Ipswich and Charlton v Bristol City – are of no consequence. Admittedly, the chances of Blackburn getting relegated are slimmer than a willowy bloke posing with an over-sized pair of trousers on a Weight Watchers website, but if you had to bet on any team engineering relegation from such preposterously unlikely circumstances, you’d lump on the Venky’s owned circus.
With Hull and Watford fighting over the remaining automatic promotion place, Crystal Palace, Bolton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester vying for two remaining play-off spots and – deep breath – Wolves, Barnsley, Peterborough, Sheffield Wednesday, Millwall, Huddersfield and Rovers all battling to avoid the drop, fans of all 13 clubs will be forced to endure a horrifically tense denouement. That’s with the possible exception of all but the most hopelessly optimistic Wolves fans, who have probably reconciled themselves to the fact that, for a second traumatic season in succession, the survival jig is very much up. BG
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Top Counter Attacking Teams This Season | Opta Stats Analysis
Teams that can hit you on the counter attack at any moment are incredibly hard to defend against, especially when speed merchants such as Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott are running at your defence. So which teams have impressed in the counter attack and …
The Premier League’s injury & suspension list
Goal.com keeps you up to date with all the missing men from England’s top-flight – from what’s keeping your favourite player out, to when they will return to action
Premier League Team of the Week: Hat-trick hero Van Persie stars
The striker’s league-winning performance earns his seventh appearance this season, while Gareth Bale’s display for Tottenham sees him included in our side for the eighth time
The Premier League’s injury & suspension list
Goal.com keeps you up to date with all the missing men from England’s top-flight – from what’s keeping your favourite player out, to when they will return to action
The Premier League’s injury & suspension list
Goal.com keeps you up to date with all the missing men from England’s top-flight – from what’s keeping your favourite player out, to when they will return to action
Premier League turnover, wages, debt and performance?
The Premier League clubs collectively made a loss of £206m in 2011-12 despite a £2.4bn income. How did they make the money, how much went on wages, and which is in most debt?
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The Premier League accounts are in and it’s time to turn our attention to money. How are the clubs operating financially? In 2011/12, despite the 20 top-flight clubs generating a record income of £2.4bn, collectively the Premier League clubs made a loss of £206m.
Of the clubs which were in the Premier League in 2011‑12, the year of most clubs’ latest published accounts, eight made a profit, of £82m in total. The largest profit was recorded by Arsenal (£37m profit before tax) followed by Swansea City with £17m profit before tax. Manchester City made the biggest loss, £99m before tax. David Conn writes today: “The Guardian’s annual special report of Premier League clubs’ finances shows they spent £1.6bn on wages last season, most of it to players. The wage bill accounted for 67% of clubs’ turnover, a similar level to the two previous years – wages were 68% of income in 2009-10, and 69% in 2010-11.“
Manchester United recorded the highest turnover of any of the Premier League clubs in 2011/12 at £320m, while Wigan had the lowest turnover. Chelsea had the second highest turnover, with £261m.
Click on the chart above to explore turnover by club and use the drop down menu to sort by wages as a proportion of turnover.
The accounts show that Norwich City, Swansea City and Wolverhampton Wanderers were the only clubs without any debt. Roman Abramovich’s club however were the most indebted with a net debt of £878m.
You can see the net debt by club in the Datawrapper chart above. Net debt is as stated in the annual accounts of each club; debts minus cash held at the bank.
In terms of value for money, Swansea’s players could be seen as punching above their weight – despite having the lowest wage bill, they managed to finish 11th in their first season in the Premier League. Aston Villa, on the other hand, underperformed somewhat. They had the seventh highest wage bill, but only finished 16th. Manchester City justified having the highest wage expenditure of £202m by winning the Premier League.
You can find the financial figures for 2011-12 for the 20 clubs in the downloadable spreadsheet below. The final column in the second table below is a calculation of Premier League position 2011-12 minus wage bill 2011-12 (as ranked in the second column, from highest to lowest).
All details are from the most recently published annual reports at Companies House. The separate categories of turnover are rounded down or up, so added together do not always tally with the total turnover figure.
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Premier League finances: the full club-by-club breakdown and verdict | David Conn
A detailed study of the accounts of all 20 top flight clubs and what the figures say about their health
• Report reveals £1.6bn spent on Premier League wages
• Datablog: compare the clubs’ turnover, wages and debt
Financial figures for 2011-12, for the 20 clubs which were in the Premier League during 2010-11. All details from most the published annual reports at Companies House. Net debt is as stated in the accounts; debts minus cash held at the bank. The separate categories of turnover are rounded down or up, so added together do not always tally with the total turnover figure.
ARSENAL
Accounts for the year to 31 May 2012
Ownership: Arsenal Holdings PLC major shareholders are: Kroenke Sports Enterprises UK (registered in Delaware, owned by US resident Stan Kroenke) 62%, Red and White Securities Limited (registered in Jersey, owned by Russian resident Alisher Usmanov and Farhad Moshiri) 27%
Turnover: 3rd highest in league, £245m (down from £258m in 2011)
… Gate and matchday income: £95m
… TV and broadcasting: £85m
… Retail: £18m
… Commercial: £34m
… Property Development: £8m
… Player Trading: £3m
Wage bill: 4th highest, £143m (up from £124m)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 58%
Profit before tax: £37m (up from £15m)
Net debt: £98m
Interest payable: £15m
Highest Paid Director: Ivan Gazidis, £2.05m
State it’s in:
The year fans voiced discontent with what they receive for their £95m matchday outlay. Arsenal were until very recently hailed as an ideal club, their policy of US owner Stan Kroenke putting no money in lauded as a “self-sustaining model.” Many supporters now view that that as meaning they fund the club, to bank profits at the expense of football success. The £3m player trading figure within Arsenal’s turnover is an accountancy device which does not reflect the £65m profit made selling stars including Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy. Arsenal’s “model” has not been hailed much since.
ASTON VILLA
Accounts for the year to 31 May 2012
Ownership: Owned by Randy Lerner, via Reform Acquisitions LLC, a USA company
Turnover: 9th in league, £80m (down from £92m in 2011)
… Gate and matchday: £20m
… TV and broadcasting: £47m
… Commercial: £14m
Wage bill: 7th, £70m (down from £83m)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 87.5%
Loss before tax: £18m (following £54m loss last year)
Net debt: £122m
Interest payable: £7m
Highest paid director: £256,000 to unnamed director (Paul Faulkner is the chief executive)
State it’s in:
Exceptional among the US buyers, Randy Lerner has spent hugely on Villa – in equity and loans, now at £107m – yet his initially promising tenure has declined. Lerner has been financially hit by the banking crisis, having sold his MBNA company in return for Bank of America shares, and he is trying to cut back on overspending and losses. Ashley Young, Gareth Barry, James Milner and Stewart Downing, four England internationals, are now memories; Villa’s accounts state Paul Lambert’s “youthful, highly motivated first team squad … will prove eminently sustainable in the long term.” That remains to be seen, and is not a statement of grand ambition.
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Accounts for the year to 30 June 2012
Ownership: Owned by Venkateshwara Hatcheries (Venky’s) of Pune, in India
Turnover: 19th in league, £54m (down from £58m in 2011)
… Gate and Matchday: £6m
… TV and Broadcasting: £42m
… Commercial: £9m
Wage bill: 15th, £50m (same as 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 93%
Profit before Tax: £4m (following loss of £19m in 2011)
Net debt: £25m
Interest payable: £0.2m
Highest paid director: Unnamed, £135,000
State it’s in:
One figure encapsulates the puzzle about why Venky’s, a large chicken concern in India, have so scrambled Blackburn Rovers’ fortunes. The accounts show the owners have loaned the club £21m, interest free. That is the policy of a benefactor owner, and considerably exceeds the small amounts the trustees of Jack Walker’s estate parted with over the previous decade. So Venky’s have spent millions on Blackburn, only to undermine the club with inexplicable managerial decisions and the needless loss of excellent directors they inherited. Rovers recorded a profit in 2011-12 due to player trading, principally selling Christopher Samba, but relegation will have been financially hideous.
BOLTON WANDERERS
Accounts for the year to 30 June 2012
Ownership: 95% owned by Edwin Davies, resident in the Isle of Man, a tax haven, via his private trust, Fildraw, registered in Bermuda
Turnover: 15th in league, £65m (down from £68m in 2011)
… Gate and matchday: £8m
… Hotel: £6m
… TV and broadcasting: £43m
… Corporate hospitality: £2m
… Merchandising: £2m
… Sponsorship \ advertising: £4m
Wage bill: 13th, £55m (down from £56m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 85%
Loss before Tax: £22m (reduced from £26m in 2011)
Net debt: £137m
Interest payable: £6m
Highest paid director: £858,000, presumed to be Allan Duckworth, includes £397,000 pay-off
State it’s in:
Bolton ended eleven years of Premier League earnings heavily in debt, seriously loss-making and stating they were seeking still further borrowing “to meet liabilities as they fall due. While other smaller clubs have accepted the possibility of yo-yoing down then back up from the Championship, Bolton put those years behind them and paid out the Premier League’s 13th highest wage bill. The accounts reveal the extent of backing from Isle of Man resident Edwin Davies, one of the lowest profile football owners. His loans are now up to £137m – and he charges interest, £5.5m in the year, a decent earner for him, in current economic conditions.
CHELSEA
Accounts (of the holding company, Fordstam) for the year to 30 June 2012
Ownership: Wholly owned by Roman Abramovich, registered at Companies House as a Russian resident
Turnover: 2nd in league, £261m (up from £229m in 2011)
… Broadcasting: £113m
… Matchday: £78m
… Commercial: £70m
Wage bill: 2nd, £173m (down from £190m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 66%
Loss before tax: £4m (following £78m in 2011)
Net debt: £878m
Interest payable: £Nil
Highest paid director: Unnamed, £911,000 (Ron Gourlay is the chief executive)
State it’s in:
Roman Abramovich has taken the burden of his loans away from Chelsea football club itself, but these accounts for the holding company show the Russian oligarch’s loans increased substantially in the year. Abramovich lent a further £79m to the Chelsea operation, increasing the total to a staggering £896m, poured into Chelsea since he bought the club in 2003. Some restraint is evident even in the year Chelsea’s players were able to win the Champions League trophy for their paymaster. The wage bill came down and £29m was made selling fringe players. The loss of £4m would have been higher, though, without an exceptional £18m noted from two share dealings.
EVERTON
Accounts for the year to 31 May 2012
Ownership: Shares in the Everton Football Club Company Limited are owned by: Bill Kenwright 25%, Jon Woods 19%, Robert Earl (resident of Florida) 23%
Turnover: 8th in league, £81m (down from £82m in 2011)
… Gate and programme sales: £17m
… TV and broadcasting: £53m
… Other commercial activities: £11m
Wage bill: 10th, £63m (up from £58m)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 78%
Loss before tax: £9m (increased from £5m)
Net debt: £46m
Interest payable: £4m
Highest paid director: No directors were paid; chief executive Robert Elstone is not a director
State it’s in:
The money situation reflect the impression David Moyes and his team give on the field, that Everton is pushing to the limit of its current potential. A spirited seventh place was won with only the tenth highest wage bill, but with no funding from owners, no buyer or stadium expansion, Everton are stretched inexorably into losses. Current lending arrangements from Barclays bank expire on July 31 this year, so chairman Bill Kenwright is seeking renewal at the same level, while also borrowing against future TV revenues. A football club still in its grand old ground, determined to compete in a league of sheikhs, oligarchs and US-owned corporations.
FULHAM
Accounts for the year to 30 June 2012
Ownership: Owned by Mafco Holdings Limited, a Bermuda (tax haven) company, which is owned by Mohamed Al Fayed and his family
Turnover: 10th in league, £79m (up from £76m in 2011)
… Gate and matchday: £11m
… Europa League: £3m
… TV and broadcasting: £51m
… Sponsorship and commercial: £12m
… Compensation: £1m
Wage Bill: 11th, £62m (up from £58m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 78%
Loss before tax: £18m (down from £5m profit in 2011)
Net debt: £4m
Interest payable: £0.3m
Highest paid director: Unnamed, £704,000 (Alastair Mackintosh is the chief executive)
State it’s in:
One of football’s most surprising love affairs, Mohamed Al Fayed’s 16 year commitment to Fulham, was formalised with his cancellation of £212m loans. The money loaned from Fayed’s tax haven base to fund Fulham’s rise was converted to equity on June 15 2012. The 2011 net debt of £193m was wiped away to stand at just £4m. Fulham are becoming regarded as an example of how, after initial investment, a smaller club can build its crowd and playing success in the Premier League and become gradually sustainable. However, largely due to making less from selling players, a £5m profit in 2011 turned to an £18m loss.
LIVERPOOL
Accounts for the 10 months to 31 July 2012
Ownership: Fenway Sports Group, registered in the USA, of which John W Henry is the principal shareholder
Turnover: 5th in league, £169m (down from £184m in 2011)
… Gate and matchday income: £42m
… TV and broadcasting: £63m
… Commercial activities: £64m
Wage Bill: 5th, £119m
Wages as proportion of turnover: 70%
Loss before Tax: £41m (following £49m in 2011)
Net debt: £87m
Interest payable: £4m
Highest paid director: Unnamed, £657,000 (Ian Ayre is the managing director)
State it’s in:
Not where John Henry envisaged Liverpool would be when he and his Fenway Sports Group co-investors bought the club in 2010. The £169m turnover, fifth highest in the Premier League, illustrates the big club status and potential earnings which attracted the Americans to Liverpool, and why Henry believes financial fair play will benefit them. Under Kenny Dalglish Liverpool under-achieved, finishing eighth with the fifth highest wage bill. They made a £41m loss, debt is high, and the most telling figure is the £47m FSG loaned themselves in August last year. That is not what FSG saw themselves doing when they bought into the Premier League money machine.
MANCHESTER CITY
Accounts for the year to 31 May 2012
Ownership: Wholly owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, via the Abu Dhabi United Group, registered in the United Arab Emirates
Turnover: 4th in league, £231m (up from £153m in 2011)
… Gate and matchday: £22m
… TV and broadcasting: £88m
… Commercial activities: £121m
Wage bill: 1st, £202m (up from £174m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 87%
Loss before tax: £99m (following £197m in 2011)
Net debt: £58m
Interest payable: £3m
Highest paid director: Unnamed, £1.1m (John MacBeath was the acting chief executive)
State it’s in:
The most spectacular example ever of an individual from the global super rich buying an English football club and funding it to success. Courtesy of Sheikh Mansour’s oil-based fortune, ran a wage bill £40m higher than Manchester United’s, from income £90m lower, and won the Premier League with the 94th minute goal by £38m Sergio Aguero. The accounts show a striking contrast between modest matchday income, £22m, with ticket prices lower than London prices, and £121m commercial income, substantially via sponsorships from Abu Dhabi companies. City say the £99m loss will come down, and given exemptions in the rules, they will comply with Uefa’s financial fair play next season.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Accounts for Red Football Shareholder Ltd, the largest parent company in the Glazers’ structure for owning United, for the year to 30 June 2011
Ownership: Owned by Malcolm Glazer’s six children via Red Football LLC a company registered registered in the low tax state of Nevada, USA
Turnover: 1st in league, £320m (down from £331m in 2011)
… Gate and matchday income: £99m
… TV and broadcasting: £104m
… Commercial activities: £118m
Wage bill: 3rd, £162m (up from £153m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 51%
Loss before tax: £5m (following a £12m profit in 2011)
Net debts: £366m
Interest and other finance costs: £50m
Highest paid director: £2,593,000 unnamed (David Gill is the chief executive)
State it’s in:
The staggering business of the Glazer family and their leveraged buyout of United, now registered in the Cayman Islands tax haven and floated on the New York stock exchange. Pages of the annual report are devoted to the global sponsorships, which pushed commercial income to £118m. United remain burdened with £420m debt from the Glazers’ 2005 takeover, at approximately 8.5% interest, which cost the club £50m last year. The takeover has cost United around £550m altogether. Last year the club paid a £10m dividend to the owners, a £3m management fee to the Glazers, and £558,484 interest was payable to Kevin Glazer.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Accounts for the year to 30 June 2012
Ownership: Mike Ashley owns Newcastle United via his company, MASH Holdings Limited
Turnover: 7th in league, £93m (up from £89m in 2011)
… Gate and matchday: £24m
… TV and broadcasting: £56m
… Commercial activities: £14m
Wage bill: 8th, £64m (up from £54m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 69%
Profit before tax: £1m (down from £33m in 2011)
Net debt: £129m
Interest payable: £0.07m
Highest paid director: Unnamed, £266,000 (Derek Llambias is managing director)
State it’s in:
Newcastle’s surprise season, Alan Pardew’s shrewd recruits achieving a fifth place finish and transforming views of Mike Ashley’s ability to run a football club. Ashley himself has cleared all the club’s debt and loaned in £129m himself as financial ballast, before charging Derek Llambias with running affairs commercially. Football remains an unpredictable business, however, and the wage bill climbed, and profit fell, before this season’s dip in performance and £27m spent on new players. The effort to keep costs down while competing is now obsessive, hence no apology for announcing a sponsorship deal with Wonga, from the barely respectable payday loan industry.
NORWICH CITY
Accounts for the year to 31 May 2012
Ownership: Majority owned by Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn Jones
Turnover: 12th in league, £75m (up from £23m in 2011)
… Gate receipts: £11m
… TV and media: £50m
… Commercial activities: £14m
Wage bill: 19th, £37m (up from £18m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 49%
Profit before Tax: £16m (from £7m loss in 2011)
Net Debt: Nil; £1m net cash in the bank
Interest payable: £2m
Highest paid director: 1,533,000 paid to unnamed director (David McNally is the chief executive)
State it’s in:
The happy state of a club properly enjoying the first year of promotion to the Premier League. Norwich used the massive TV and commercial windfall, with income up £52m, to pay off all debt while keeping wages under control. Recorded a loss of £7m to win promotion in 2011, as many Championship clubs do, then competed well, finishing 12th on the Premier League’s second to lowest wage bill. Made a £16m profit, but Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn Jones, the 53% owners, still had a £2m interest free loan to the club outstanding at the end of the year.
QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Accounts for the year to 31 May 2012
Ownership: 66% by Tune QPR , registered in Malaysia, owned by Tony Fernandes and partners Kamarudin Meranun and Ruben Gnanalingam. 33% by Sea Dream Ltd, family holding of Lakshmi Mittal
Turnover: 17th in league, £64m (up from £16m in 2011)
… QPR’s turnover is not broken down into TV and other activities.
Wage bill: 12th, £58m (up from £30m in 2011)
Wages as Proportion of Turnover: 91%
Loss before tax: £23m (reduced from £25m loss in 2011)
Net debt: £89m
Interest payable: £0.038m
Highest paid director: Directors of the holding company were not paid
State it’s in:
Surprisingly under the Air Malaysia entrepreneur Fernandes, will be lucky to avoid a crash. Rather than banking the Premier League bonanza at a club with just 18,000 capacity at Loftus Road, supported Neil Warnock to sign eleven new players, sacked him in January 2012 then backed Mark Hughes to sign Nedum Onuoha, Djibril Cisse and Bobby Zamora. With wages 91% of turnover, narrowly survived, then backed Hughes to sign ten more players, before sacking him, and giving Harry Redknapp £20.5m to spend in January. For the owners, who have loaned in £92.5m and now borrowed £15m from Barclays, relegation will not be pretty.
STOKE CITY
Accounts for the year to 31 May 2012
Ownership: Owned by bet365 Group, the online gambling company controlled by Denise Coates, daughter of chairman, Peter, and family
Turnover: 13th in league, £71m (up from £68m in 2011)
… Gate Receipts: £8m
… Sponsorship and advertising: £6m
… Europa League: £5m
… TV and media: £46m
… Conferencing and hospitality: £3m
… Other: £0.6m
… Retail and merchandising: £3m
Wage Bill: 14th, £53m (up from £47m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 75%
Loss before tax: £10m (following £6m loss in 2011)
Net debt: £14m
Interest payable: Nil
Highest paid director: Unnamed, £517,000
State it’s in:
Looking fairly solid financially in this fourth year since promotion to the Premier League in 2008. Backed by the bet365 online gambling fortune of Stoke native Peter Coates and family, whose loan was up to £24m in the year. Stoke are at that awkward stage where Premier League status has been consolidated, some bigger names have been signed, and the wage bill has climbed up to 75% of income. So despite staying in the top league as they intended, the club still makes a substantial loss, hence Coates’ support for financial fair play and the effort to staunch players wage inflation.
SUNDERLAND
Accounts for the year to 31 July 2012
Ownership: Owned by the American Ellis Short via Drumaville, a company registered in Jersey
Turnover: 11th in league, £78m (up from £79m in 2011)
… Gate receipts: £14m
… TV and media: £47m
… Sponsorship and royalties: £9m
… Conference and commercial: £8m
Wage bill: 8th, £64m (up from £61m In 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 82%
Loss before tax: £32m (increased from £8m in 2011)
Net debt: £84m
Interest payable: £2m
Highest paid director: Niall Quinn, £2,432,702 (includes £2m compensation for resigning)
State it’s in:
Already making losses on this scale and with the owner, Ellis Short, having loaned in £41m, could not countenance the threat of relegation, hence the sacking of Martin O’Neill. Short’s experience has similarities to that of his fellow American billionaire Randy Lerner: buying a big old club in the most lucrative league in the world, then finding it costing him millions to pay players wages. The urgent focus on ensuring Sunderland did not endure the shock of relegation perhaps led Short to ask too few questions about the fascist baggage Paolo di Canio brings with him.
SWANSEA CITY
Accounts for the year to 31 May 2012
Ownership: Martin Morgan, 22.5%; Brian Katzen, 20%; Swansea City Supporters Society Limited (supporters trust) 20%; chairman Huw Jenkins 12.5%; Robert Davies 10%
Turnover: 15th in league, £65m (up from £12m in 2011)
… All football income: £61m
… Commercial: £4m
Wage bill: 20th, £35m (up from £17m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 54%
Profit before tax: £17m (after £11m loss in 2011)
Net debt: Nil; £5m cash in the bank
Interest payable: £0.3m
Highest paid director: Huw Jenkins, £200,000
State it’s in:
Identified by the Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, as “probably the ideal ownership model,” among the mostly overseas owners and tax exiles. Supporters trust owns 20%, and elects a director, alongside the businessman shareholders, who are also fans. Won friends with their elegant football, finished eleventh with the league’s lowest wage bill. Banked £5m from Liverpool hiring Brendan Rodgers, then recruited Michael Laudrup and achieved more success. Just paid a £2m dividend to the shareholders, the first money they have taken out, which risks changing perceptions if it continues, particularly with the club advertising for interns to work unpaid in player performance analysis.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Accounts for the year to 30 June 2012
Ownership: Enic International Limited, registered in the Bahamas, owns 85% of Spurs. Joe Lewis, resident in the Bahamas, has the controlling, 70.6% ownership of Enic, with chairman Daniel Levy and family owning the other 29.4%
Turnover: 6th in league, £144m (down from £163m in 2011)
… Gate receipts, Premier League: £21m
… Europa League and cups income: £11m
… TV and broadcasting: £59m
… Sponsorship and corporate hospitality: £35m
… Merchandising: £9m
… Commercial activities: £9m
Wage Bill: 6th, £90m (down from £91m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 63%
Loss before tax: £7m (down from £0.4m profit in 2011)
Net debt: £70m
Interest payable: £6m
Highest paid director: £2.2m paid to Daniel Levy
State it’s in:
Well run, but the figures illustrate Spurs’ frustrations with where they are stuck. Considering themselves the rightful north London equals of Arsenal and historically superior to Chelsea, Spurs can only get this far until they have built their long mooted new stadium. Matchday income is around one third of the cash Arsenal squeeze from the Emirates, but London prices still mean Spurs make the sixth most money in the league. Daniel Levy, one of the best paid in the boardrooms, maintains the sixth highest wage bill, so the fourth place finish under Harry Redknapp can be considered an over-achievement.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Accounts for the year to 30 June 2012
Ownership: Majority owned by the chairman, Jeremy Peace
Turnover: 14th in league, £67m (up from £59m in 2011)
… Gate receipts: £8m
… Merchandising: £3m
… TV and media: £50m
… Other commercial income: £9m
Wage bill: 15th, £50m (up from £39m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 75%
Profit before tax: £1m (down from £9m in 2011)
Net debt: £0.5m
Interest payable: Nil
Highest paid director: Unnamed, £1,133,000 (Jeremy Peace is the executive chairman)
State it’s in:
Eminently well-run. Accepted yo-yoing between Championship and Premier League for a decade, with chairman Jeremy Peace determined not to splurge into debt in either league. Now recognised for minting a style of play, with a director of football-type structure, which has survived changes of manager including Roy Hodgson’s departure to become England coach. Finished 10th with the 15th highest wage bill, which was still, at £50m, 75% of turnover. Peace opposed financial fair play’s introduction in the Premier League – West Brom have gained an advantage from breaking even while other clubs of a similar size have been run badly.
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Accounts for the year to 31 May 2012
Ownership: Owned by Dave Whelan and family, registered in the UK
Turnover: 20th in league, £53m (up from £51m in 2011)
… Premier League TV and other: £46m
… Gate and matchday: £4m
… Sponsorship and commercial: £2m
… Other: £1m
Wage bill: 17th, £38m (down from £40m in 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 72%
Profit before tax: £4m (up from £7m loss made in 2011)
Net debts: £12m
Interest payable: £0.5m
Highest paid director: Not disclosed
State it’s in:
Owner Dave Whelan wrote off £48m of loans he had made to the club, converting them to equity. The loan and overdraft from Barclays Bank has also been significantly reduced, from £21m to £13m. Whelan’s chairman’s statement says: “Financially we are in a sustainable position that allows us to significantly invest both on and off the field.” Still, £8.5m further loans are outstanding to Whelan, who continues to support the club financially, and the profit was due to an £8m surplus from selling players. Whelan, however, insists the club will not continue to sell players, and is looking to create “a lasting legacy.”
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Accounts for the year to 31 May 2012
Ownership: Ultimately owned by Steve Morgan’s company Bridgemere Investments, registered in Guernsey
Turnover: 18th in league, £60m (down from £64m in 2011)
… Gate receipts: £8m
… Sponsorship and advertising: £5m
… Premier League and broadcasting: £42m
… Commercial activities: £5m
Wage Bill: 17th, £38m (same as 2011)
Wages as proportion of turnover: 63%
Profit before tax: £2m
Net debt: Nil – Wolves had £13m cash in the bank
Interest payable: Nil
Highest paid director: £1.2m paid to unnamed director
State it’s in:
Figures from Wolves’ relegation season: admirable, respectable, made a profit, had no debt at all, were living within their means, just as Steve Morgan always insisted football clubs should. Yet he has been undone by the iron law that the success of a club springs from progress in the football itself. Black country rivals West Bromwich Albion, and Swansea City, have shown this can be achieved even if managers change, but Wolves had no similar system in place. Morgan’s sacking of Mick McCarthy and appointment by default of Terry Connor started a miserable spiral, which can undo even the soundest of bookkeeping.
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