The Political Economy of Football V2

The authoritative Swiss Ramble reviews the finances of the Women's Super League,   Overall the WSL reported a £7.2m pre-tax loss for the division, an improvement on the previous season’s £8.9m. WSL clubs invariably operate at a loss with their parent companies covering the shortfall. Only four clubs made (small profits), led by Manchester United £101k, but eight of the 12 lost money – four above a million: Brighton £1.9m, Chelsea £1.8m, Tottenham £1.3m and Reading £1.2m. Chelsea £3.849m had the highest reported revenue, just ahead of Arsenal £3.763m followed by Manchester City £2.8m, Manchester United £1.7m, Everton £1.7m and Liverpool £1.7m. WSL revenue partly depends on how much income is shared from the parent company in the commercial area. Similar to revenue, Chelsea have the highest expenses in WSL with £5.7m, well ahead of Arsenal and Manchester City, both £3.8m, followed by Brighton £2.2m and Manchester United £2.0m. Relegated Liverpool lagged behind with a budge...

Interviews with two leading football finance experts: A need to think outside the box The FA has effectively asked clubs to run their business at a loss in the short term in the hope of trying to achieve growth further down the line. WSL attendances were down by 11 per cent last season.