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Big losses at Birmingham City

Birmingham City have published their financial results for 2017/18. The club lost £746,000 a week in 2017/18 as the Harry Redknapp spending spree impacted upon player costs.

Birmingham City paid out £202 in wages for every £100 of revenue in 2017/18, factor in transfer fees too and this increases to £243 of player costs for every £100 of income. Even by the standards of the Championship, where on average clubs pay out £103 in wages for every £100 of income, Birmingham's wage control level tops the table by a huge margin.

Birmingham City had to borrow just under £40m from the owners in 2017/18 to keep the club afloat. Birmingham City small print to the accounts confirms that club are hoping to hear the financial fair play (FFP) verdict in February.

Kieran Maguire of the PriceofFootball estimates, after adding back allowables on 'good' spending for FFP purposes such as infrastructure, academy, community and women's football spending, is that Birmingham exceeded the FFP limit by about £11 million, all due to the Redknapp impact.

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