[labaggies]

I suggest that you all read this article, to me it gives a fair and accurate report on where our club is financially, it highlights the problems and benefits of our Chairman's tenure.

I am sure that it will create a lot of intelligent debate.

http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2011/07/west-bromwich-albions-risk-averse.html

[bednarsboingboing balls]

yes totally agree was then going to post it, 

[wba1968-Tim]

Ditto 

The best insight into West Broms finances I have ever read.

Jeremy "Prudent" Peace - not that I am complaining tbh.

[Bednar-9]

Fantastic article and one of the best I have read in a long, long time (well apart from Vickery's or Wilson's usual stuff).

Especially as what I think is an outsider looking in, it hits the nail on the head.

[monkey nuts]

top notch report that

[bangkokbaggie]

One part that was intriguing is the suggestion of excessive write downs in the value of the players’ registrations each time the club is relegated which lowers the profit figure with the suspicion that this accounting treatment is more about lowering fans’ expectations in the transfer market rather than a reflection of reality.

[Savvas78]

Excellent! - I really enjoyed reading that and learned a couple of things in the process.

[Regis Rocket]

Very good read, from an unbiased (I believe) point of view. Gives food for thought on what may well be really happening, without accusations flying about. I think that's what made reading this article different.

[Greenock Baggie]

The last 2 lines of the article reflect what I've been saying for years but then get shouted down by the "Sheff Wed/Bradford/Derby" brigade !!

[BB74]

I am certain I have read a version of that a few months ago prior to the updates re bodog.

[davestat]

A slightly different take on the excessive writing down of player values is that it depresses the profits figures reducing corporation tax liability.  This was also a factor in JP's approach on player sales, where the receipt of transfer fees was delayed to shift it into a different tax year to reduce liability.

[tremtastic]

One part that was intriguing is the suggestion of excessive write downs in the value of the players’ registrations each time the club is relegated which lowers the profit figure with the suspicion that this accounting treatment is more about lowering fans’ expectations in the transfer market rather than a reflection of reality.

More likely so that we pay less to the taxman I think.

Edit: Beaten to it by Davestat.

[rockyoc]

Excellent Article from a great writer.  Id recommend reading his articles on other clubs like Udinese and Lille.

[baggieboyjop]

Dont have time to read it all yet but from what i read it seems like a very good, accurate and honest read.

Good post mate.

[KnaveofAlbion]

Swiss ramble is a very good site. Have read a fair few things on it (there's an old article about chelsea and Man City havign little chance of making it into euopr under "fair financial play" rules unless some creative accountancy is undertaken.

I don't follow all of the figures fully, but the crux is we're well run, we could  maybe be a little more adventuous without it being damaging, we're "clever" with how we value our players to avoid tax issues and JP probably pays himself a bit too much for a "company" of our size (approx a 1/3rd of the guy running Arsenal, but we're like 1/15th of the size).

Well worth the read. 

[Baggies]

Ive been waiting for Swiss Ramble to get onto us for about a year but never expected him to due to him usually doing articles on in debt clubs.

Some points I found interesting were the Match day profit's falling over the last 7 years. Is this down to the recession or decreasing the capacity hear on year. Id imagine it's a mix of both - shows why we need the 30 thousand seater stadium for those games where we could sell it out. The writing down of player values  also shows the club spin, although his argument that this was purely club spin for the fans may not be fully accurate. Surely it's more down to tax or something like that?

Wolves commercial profits being double ours really needs to be looked at as well. I know they are ever so slightly "bigger" but it's hardly a mammoth gap - it's just like Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield Utd to me. We could certainly do better.

Apart from that though, it does show how well we have done to run at a profit in many ways for so long while staying around the Premier league and hopefully now as part of it. The future could be bright if we can get it right this year. Hopefully ours years of waiting are going to pay off.

[elmo147]

Wolves commercial profits being double ours really needs to be looked at as well. I know they are ever so slightly "bigger" but it's hardly a mammoth gap - it's just like Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield Utd to me. We could certainly do better.

its always amazed me that the club will not sell our shirts and merchandise through high street outlets and im convinced this is why our merchandise sales are so low compared to other similar sized clubs

i know we control the profits better through our own outlets but surely the mass market selling would more than compensate for the lower margin per item   

[royhan]

A superb insight into our Club's finances, written in layman's terms which will help most fans to understand. It demonstrates how well JP is running the club.

[Baggies]

A superb insight into our Club's finances, written in layman's terms which will help most fans to understand. It demonstrates how well JP is running the club.

It does in many ways, although it also tells you some things the club try to say to the fans which aren't true such as the fact he values things officially much lower than they would sell for and that the wage he takes, as we expected, is much better than he could expect to get elsewhere.

We are though a well run club in many ways and you have to hope our prudence is now going to be rewarded.

[costa blanca baggie]

It does in many ways, although it also tells you some things the club try to say to the fans which aren't true such as the fact he values things officially much lower than they would sell for and that the wage he takes, as we expected, is much better than he could expect to get elsewhere.

We are though a well run club in many ways and you have to hope our prudence is now going to be rewarded.

Dare I ask...as long as JP´s wedge is assured?