Burton Albion lost over £1.1 million throughout the financial year ending on June 30, 2023, but offset these losses with player sales, it has been revealed in the club’s accounts.
The Brewers have had a disappointing campaign so far and are currently locked in a gruelling battle for survival in League One. Martin Paterson’s men sit one point above the drop zone but Port Vale and Cheltenham Town below them still have games in hand.
Back in December, following a run of five defeats from six matches, Burton’s board decided it was time to part ways with head coach Dino Maamria, who had been in charge at the Pirelli Stadium for 14 months, originally joining the club back in January 2021 as an assistant manager to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Paterson was chosen as the Tunisian’s permanent successor in the dugout, having had experience as an assistant coach under Michael Duff at Barnsley and later Swansea City. However, the former Northern Ireland international had never managed a club before.
The 36-year-old has had a difficult time as manager of Burton Albion. His side have managed just three victories in his 14 games in charge while suffering eight defeats. Burton hold a points-per-game record of merely 0.85 under the young coach and are now at risk of returning to League Two for the first time in almost a decade.
VIDEO INTERVIEW 📹
Martin Paterson's pre-Wigan iFollow interview,
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— Burton Albion FC (@burtonalbionfc) March 28, 2024
Albion were much stronger last season under Maamria as the side finished 15th in England’s third tier, 11 points above the bottom four. Nevertheless, Burton parted ways with several key players during the summer window, including Terry Taylor, who moved to Charlton Athletic, and Conor Shaughnessy, who left for league leaders Portsmouth.
In the club’s latest accounts for 2022/23, it has been revealed that these player sales, which came to £973,750, helped counteract £1,107,573 in operating losses. As a result of this income, the Brewers lost £133,823 in total.
Writer’s View
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has described Burton Albion as “one of the most sustainable clubs in the pyramid”. While supporters may be disappointed with the team’s regression over the past few seasons from being in the Championship to fighting for survival in League One, the board have still managed to make the club profitable over the last couple of years which is a positive in itself.
Ultimately, losing over £1 million isn’t ideal and neither is the sale of players to offset this loss as it diminishes the side’s chances of climbing back up the table in the near future. However, if Burton can survive this term, the owners will certainly see it as a positive year.
