Sunderland AFC saw turnover drop by almost £60million after relegation from Premier League

Relegation from the Premier League left a £46million-plus TV revenue black hole in Sunderland AFC's finances, the latest financial results reveal.
Sunderland AFC's latest accounts have been releasedSunderland AFC's latest accounts have been released
Sunderland AFC's latest accounts have been released

The accounts, which cover the financial year to July 31, 2018 - a period which saw the club suffer its second successive relegation, the sale to a consortium headed by Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven, and the sacking of manager Chris Coleman - show turnover collapse by almost half, from £123,504,000 to £63,691,000, a drop of £59,813,000.

The results lay bare the huge financial impact of the club’s relegation from the top flight of English football a year earlier.

Sunderland AFC's latest accounts have been releasedSunderland AFC's latest accounts have been released
Sunderland AFC's latest accounts have been released
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While income from gate receipts, sponsorship and royalties, and conferences and banqueting were all down, the loss of the colossal Premier League TV payments dwarfed them all and as the amount the club received in television and media payments fall by almost £47million.

Despite finishing rock bottom in the Premier League in 2017, the Black Cats still received £95,626,000 in TV and media income. A season in the Championship, however, saw that figure slashed to £48,849,000.

Gate receipts were down from £8,943,000 to £6,559,000, while sponsorship and royalties dropped sharply, from £9,7776,000 in 2017 to £1,901,000 last year, and conference and banqueting fell from £4,440,000 to £2724,000.

Retail and merchandising income was down from £3,586,000 to £2,307,000 but other income was up slightly, from £1,133,000 to £1,351,000.

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The club slashed its wage bill in the year following relegation from the Premier League, down by almost half from £82,691,000 to £46,834,000.

Loss before taxation almost doubled over the period, up from £10,248,000 to £19,912,000.

The accounts cover payments made to directors in the period, and show the highest-paid, understood to be former chief executive Martin Bain, received £1,881,478, including £1,064,498 in compensation for loss of office and £67,924 in pension contributions.

A club spokesperson said: "The accounts relate almost entirely to a period where the club was under its previous ownership.

"It, therefore, wouldn’t be appropriate for the current owners to offer commentary on them."