ngland’s most successful club of the last decade said operating
profit rose 14% to 23,6-million pounds (38,35-million euros, $33,6-million dollars) in the six months to January, on turnover also up 14% at 81,8-million pounds.
Television revenues surged 60% to 24,2-million pounds
primarily as a result of a new broadcasting deal with BSkyB for
Premier League clubs. Gate receipts rose 11% to 31,6-million pounds.
Manchester United said it had made a tidy 7.9-million-pound
profit out of trading players, principally because of the sale of
internationals Jaap Stam and Andy Cole.
But wage costs continued to spiral in the period, boosting total
administrative expenses 28,6% to 48,1-million pounds.
This was expected to impact earnings in the second half, which
would also be affected by results on the pitch, chairman Sir Roland
Smith said. Manchester United are in contention to win their fourth
Premiership in a row and are also in the quarter finals of the
lucrative European Champions League.
”The (full-year) results will, as usual, be dependent upon the
performance of the team in the final stages of the season,
especially progressing beyond the quarter final of the European
Champions League,” Smith said.
From August, Manchester United will start to see the benefits of
a partnership deal with Nike that is worth 303-million pounds over 13 years.
Manchester United stock was flat at 124 pence in early trading
here. – Sapa-AFP