Blackpool FC's 11/12 Accounts Reviewed

Eagerly-awaited they may have been, but the annual release of accounts for Blackpool Football Club Ltd and Segesta Ltd (the properties side of the club) proved to be a much more low-key affair this time around. Absent from the contents was any mention of huge director remuneration like last year, but if one scratches beneath the surface, there remains a story to be told.

A Response To The Response

Keen followers of the blog - I'm led to believe there are one or two of you out there - may have noticed a distinct lack of activity in recent weeks. My last post was a response to the publication of the club's most recent set of annual accounts, where I outlined 10 questions that should be answered by the Oyston family. 

My inactivity since then has been for a variety of reasons. Posting about the football side has been limited by time, missing the odd game here and there, and to be honest more than a little apathy in the aftermath of the financial revelations. Results had done little to inspire either, with just one win in the last six including some very poor performances.

Away from the football, I had been reluctant to post more about the financial situation. There was still plenty more to say, but there was a feeling emerging that off-the-field disruption was starting to affect performances and results. How true that is remains unclear - players are after all highly-paid professionals who should be able to put paper talk to the back of their minds once crossing the white line. However, I was willing to let this case lie until our season is over, one way or the other.

Until now we had only heard brief snippets from Karl Oyston in reply to the stories that arose in the national and local press. Yet this Monday, the BBC broadcast an interview with the Blackpool chairman as part of their regional Late Kick Off programme, hosted by Tony Livesey. An extended version of this interview was then broadcast by Radio Lancashire on Tuesday evening.

Needless to say I was far from impressed with comments made by Karl Oyston, and therefore I would like to respond to his response. Quotes displayed are accurate transcriptions from that interview, which can still be listened to until next Tuesday (3rd April).

10 questions that should be answered...

...but probably won't be. At least not satisfactorily.

Since the club's 2010/11 accounts were published last week it has been a topic that has dominated  debate in the usual outlets, and even making national headlines with a double page spread in the Mail on Sunday (and later coverage in the Guardian). Last year this blog sought to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the 2009/10 accounts, although in truth that wasn't entirely successful.

Rather than take a similar approach by dissecting the numbers in detail - much of which is already now publicly available anyway - we'll take a look at the fallout from the figures and the questions arising. It's unlikely Blackpool fans will get the answers they want to these questions, but if the club's owners are determined to build bridges and make amends for this PR disaster, then as much disclosure as possible based on these 10 questions would certainly help.

Financially Speaking (Part Two)

In the second of this two-part look at Blackpool FC's finances from the financial year ending May 31 2010 we'll examine more of how the club has conducted its business, and how the influx of Premier League money will impact the club in the future. Last time out we focused on:

• Ownership
• Losses and Negative Net Worth
• Increasing Turnover
• Stadium Development

Before continuing with this article, I would advise that you first read part one, which can be found here. This time round I'd like to examine the following:

• Player Wages
• Debt
• Influx of Premier League Money
• The Future

Financially Speaking (Part One)

On 22nd February Blackpool FC submitted their accounts to Companies House for the financial year ending 31st May 2010. While these accounts don't factor in the riches bestowed upon the club upon promotion to the Premier League, I'd like to examine the financial standing of the club in recent seasons, and how its new found wealth will affect its future. With this being such a meaty topic, I have decided to tackle this in two separate posts, the second of which will follow at some point later this week.