West Brom promotion to Premier League is not critical this season – Finance Expert
We’re delighted to welcome football finance expert Dr Daniel Plumley as our exclusive West Brom columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns...
Dan Plumley has insisted that West Brom securing promotion to the Premier League this season is not critical despite their financial issues.
The expert admitted that it would be “huge” with £120million instantly added back onto the revenue if clubs can get back into the top-flight.
With parachute payments running out though soon and poor financial results at the club, Plumley did admit that the target is always to get to the Premier League as soon as possible.
“I think that pressure for West Brom has always been there since promotion because they’ve been a club that have predominantly been in the Premier League,” he exclusively told West Brom News.
“The pressure was always there to get back almost immediately and all the research I’ve been involved with on parachute payments and looking at relegated clubs, the stats say you are more likely to go back up with those payments and that is the window.
“West Brom know that and they’ve known it since day one, as a club you need to get back up in those three years and if you don’t, it becomes harder. It’s not impossible, but that’s the statistical stuff so clubs are trying to do that. I think you can see that in the finances as you look at the recent accounts and you can see the revenue drop, you have another drop in the second year of parachute payments and another drop in revenue in the third year.
“West Brom are in the position now where that money is going to go and with the ownership issues, and with other financial issues at the club, it’s not in a good place financially. I wouldn’t say if promotion is critical to the survival of the club, but it is going to put £120million back on the revenue which would be huge.
“The target is always to get back up and quickly.”
Every fan deserves one last positive run to the Championship play-offs given everything they have been put through by the club and the boardroom over recent years.
With the financial picture also looking bleak right now, getting back to the glory revenue of the Premier League would be huge for the development of the club.
In other West Brom news, the Albion would love to re-sign their £6m former player, but would need to secure promotion to the Premier League to do so