Sunderland bosses confirm £200m turnover & 'significant investment programme' promised in latest fan meeting
Sunderland bosses confirm £200m turnover & 'significant investment programme' promised in latest fan meeting
Club chiefs at Sunderland AFC have again met with various fan groups and the latest meeting revealed the club now has a ‘£200m turnover with a global reach’.
Sunderland enjoyed a stunning return to the Premier League, finishing seventh under Regis Le Bris and qualifying for the Europa League. And club chiefs have outlined the ownership group, including Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori, are poised for a ‘significant investment programme’ this summer too in club infrastructure.
Improvements will be made to; hospitality boxes are being refitted; any 30-year-old areas refurbished; improvements to the fan experience; an expansion of safe standing provision; ‘wow-factor enhancements’ for fans entering the stadium plus ‘significant academy investment’. Meanwhile, LED upgrades will improve ‘both revenue and the fan experience’ say club bosses.
The following members of staff from Sunderland were present at the Supporters’ Collective Meeting in mid-May; Sunderland interim CEO Tom Burwell, director of football Florent Ghisolfi plus Paul Kingsmore, Georgi Rusev, Steve Wood, Emily Jewitt and Chris Waters. Several fan groups attended including the Branch Liaison Council, Red and White Army, the Senior Supporters Association and individual fans.
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In the finance, governance & commercial section of the fan meeting minutes, the report read: “Recent changes in organisational structure have not been reactive; they have been strategically planned (TB).
“The ownership has consistently looked at what the club will look like in the future, assessing what a successful Sunderland AFC looks like in the Premier League rather than the EFL. The club now has a £200 million turnover with a global reach, compared to a £44 million turnover within a 30-mile radius.
“It is essential to be competitive and commercially successful in a wider market. The business and football side of the club will be prudently scaled this summer and will be a different organisation by then, but with a continued connection with the local community.
“There will be a significant investment programme from the owners, in conjunction with Delaware. Hospitality boxes are being refitted and any 30-year-old areas refurbished. There will be improvements to the fan experience, including an expansion of safe standing provision, wow-factor enhancements for fans entering the stadium, and significant academy investment. LED upgrades will improve both revenue and the fan experience.”
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