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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Fri 27 Feb 15:39
The latest accounts are available to view on COWS. The loss for the year was £1.7m, met by shareholding funding and interest-free unsecured loans, with no external debt.
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Topic Originator: Hunter78
Date: Fri 27 Feb 15:59
Quote:
wee eck, Fri 27 Feb 15:39
The latest accounts are available to view on COWS. The loss for the year was £1.7m, met by shareholding funding and interest-free unsecured loans, with no external debt.
Anybody not concerned with these level of losses is crazy. Owner loans cover the loss fine but if the business is operating at these level of losses then somebody needs to be prepared to pick the club up and fund them. This year will be a lot more as well I’m sure.
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Fri 27 Feb 16:08
Remember though that the £1.7m would have included paying off a few managers and assistants. I would expect a loss again for the 25/26 year and hopefully getting closer to being sustainable by 27/28.
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Topic Originator: Sacktheref69
Date: Fri 27 Feb 16:10
Quote:
jake89, Fri 27 Feb 16:08
Remember though that the £1.7m would have included paying off a few managers and assistants. I would expect a loss again for the 25/26 year and hopefully getting closer to being sustainable by 27/28.
Maybe worth showing this to the Lennon out bregade.
This is Andy Tod`s world and we are lucky to live in it.
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Topic Originator: onandupthepars
Date: Fri 27 Feb 16:15
The abovementioned payoffs, plus possibly including money going out on Rosyth?,transfer fees for C. Young & K. Bray, higher wages for the likes of NL, Wanyama, and mainly a spectacularly dreich season?
Post Edited (Fri 27 Feb 16:24)
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Topic Originator: PARrot
Date: Fri 27 Feb 16:29
Quote:
jake89, Fri 27 Feb 16:08
Remember though that the £1.7m would have included paying off a few managers and assistants. I would expect a loss again for the 25/26 year and hopefully getting closer to being sustainable by 27/28.
Unless we sack another manager ;)
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Topic Originator: Hunter78
Date: Fri 27 Feb 16:34
Quote:
onandupthepars, Fri 27 Feb 16:15
The abovementioned payoffs, plus possibly including money going out on Rosyth?,transfer fees for C. Young & K. Bray, higher wages for the likes of NL, Wanyama, and mainly a spectacularly dreich season?
All owner decisions.
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Fri 27 Feb 16:35
Of course they are owner decisions. That`s how private companies work.
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Fri 27 Feb 16:42
Isn`t everything an owner decision at the end of the day?
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Topic Originator: Zoltan
Date: Fri 27 Feb 17:10
Those figures are genuinely diabolical.
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Topic Originator: Kdy Par
Date: Fri 27 Feb 17:21
Quote:
Hunter78, Fri 27 Feb 16:34
Quote:
onandupthepars, Fri 27 Feb 16:15
The abovementioned payoffs, plus possibly including money going out on Rosyth?,transfer fees for C. Young & K. Bray, higher wages for the likes of NL, Wanyama, and mainly a spectacularly dreich season?
All owner decisions.
So you are blaming the new owners for the full loss when they were only in charge for 5 months of the accounts?
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Topic Originator: Sacktheref69
Date: Fri 27 Feb 17:37
Rosyth and the complete disaster it has become was the brain work of the previous consortium.
This is Andy Tod`s world and we are lucky to live in it.
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Fri 27 Feb 18:11
Nobody seems to be bothered about the financial results when they`re calling for better/more experienced signings during the transfer windows. We`re not going to get promotion without losing money, unless we unearth a real gem.
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Topic Originator: Dave_1885
Date: Fri 27 Feb 18:13
Losing £1.7m in a year is the exact reason we should be striving to get promoted, because that sort of money is available in the top league but not this league.
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Topic Originator: Indiapar1
Date: Fri 27 Feb 18:27
Obvuously to May 2025. Hopefully with the improvements in performances and if we can get into the playoffs and cup semi finals it will eat into that loss. It demonstrates the importance of financial sustainability and building the club in stages in a sensible manner
G Wardrope
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Topic Originator: Raymie the Legend
Date: Fri 27 Feb 18:28
2022 losses - £532K
Headcount - 72
2023 losses - £1,039K
Headcount - 84
2024 losses - £929K
Headcount - 97
2025 losses - £1,736K
Headcount - 114
Variables/One offs -
We did have to pay off two managers, although James McPake maybe didn`t have too long to go on his contract?
The Euro fan zone recouped around £150K on tickets alone. Not sure what the club made from food and drink
We had record breaking sales of the Black and Gold strips
It`s bloody tough being a legend
Ron Atkinson - 1983
Post Edited (Fri 27 Feb 18:56)
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Topic Originator: red-star-par
Date: Fri 27 Feb 19:13
I`m no financial expert so loaded the Accounts into CHAT GPT and asked it to have a butchers. This is what it came back with......
"Here’s a plain-English breakdown of the latest accounts for Dunfermline Athletic Football Club for the year ended 31 May 2025 — and whether there’s anything to worry about.
1️⃣ The Big Picture
Loss for the year: £1.74 million
Last year’s loss: £0.93 million
Total accumulated losses over time: £12.2 million
Net liabilities (what they owe more than what they own): £460k
(Improved from £838k last year)
So yes — they are still losing money. But the balance sheet has actually improved compared to 2024.
2️⃣ Why the Loss Is So Big
The CEO statement explains most of it:
Managerial changes (paying off staff)
January transfer window spending
Investment in backroom staff
Poor league finish → lower prize/SPFL money
Early cup exits
This is fairly typical of a club that struggled on the pitch and then tried to “fix it” mid-season.
3️⃣ The Important Bit – Is the Club in Trouble?
Short answer: Not immediately — because the owners are funding it.
Key points:
✅ No external bank debt
The club has:
No bank loans
No overdue emergency borrowing
✅ Owners converted debt into shares
About £1.3m of loans were converted into shares, which:
Reduces pressure
Strengthens the balance sheet
Shows commitment from ownership
✅ New loan from owners (£2.5m gross)
There is a loan from Park Bench SFC LLC (the new owners):
£2.5m total
Interest-free
Not due within a year
This is effectively soft funding from the owners.
4️⃣ Cash Position
Cash at bank: £142k
That’s not huge for a football club. They rely on:
Season ticket income
Ongoing owner funding
Careful cash management
Without owner backing, this would be tight. With backing, it’s manageable.
5️⃣ Net Current Position (Short-Term Bills)
Last year:
Net current liabilities were £2.29m
This year:
Only £166k negative
That’s a massive improvement.
It suggests:
Old debts were cleared or converted
The financial clean-up has begun
6️⃣ What Would Worry Me?
Here’s what a cautious fan should keep an eye on:
⚠️ They are still structurally loss-making
Championship clubs in Scotland rarely make profits. If promotion doesn’t happen, losses likely continue.
⚠️ They depend on the owners
The accounts explicitly say:
The company’s liquidity position relies on continued support from Park Bench.
That’s honest — but it means: If owners walked away, there’d be a problem.
⚠️ Operating lease commitments
They have over £2m in future lease commitments.
Not dangerous — but it’s fixed cost pressure.
7️⃣ What’s Actually Positive?
Ownership appears committed
Debt converted to equity (good sign)
No aggressive external lenders
Going concern confirmed by auditors
Balance sheet improving
This looks like:
“Owners funding losses to stabilise and try to grow the club.”
That’s common in modern football.
Layman’s Summary
Think of it like this:
The club:
Spent more than it earned (again)
Is being bankrolled by wealthy owners
Has cleaned up old debts
Is not in immediate financial crisis
Would struggle without owner support
So the real question is: Do you trust the new owners to keep funding it until it becomes more sustainable (or gets promoted)?"
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Fri 27 Feb 19:26
I`d say that`s a pretty good summary!
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Fri 27 Feb 19:52
The last bit is key. It`s sustainable as long as someone is happy covering the losses. As soon as they aren`t, the club has big overheads and no ability to quickly reduce them.
Why has the headcount gone up so much? Is this from replacing volunteers with permanent staff? If so, are those permanent roles earning their keep, or would it be more frugal to go back to utilising volunteers?
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Topic Originator: Bertie Paton
Date: Fri 27 Feb 20:27
I know it`s A.I but good post Red Star.
Pretty much tells us what we knew when Bord came in. He has been as good as his word. Said that they would fund initial losses
We need success. We need to be in the top division soon, as they won`t fund this for 5-10 years without success.
Football matters need to start improving with the money being thrown at them
Post Edited (Fri 27 Feb 20:28)
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Topic Originator: Jilted John
Date: Fri 27 Feb 20:49
Loans, even if it’s owed to the owners, still need to be repaid. As mentioned earlier, that won’t include this year and you’d have to imagine that’ll be another huge loss. At what point do things become unsustainable for Bord and Co?
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Topic Originator: Hay Fever
Date: Fri 27 Feb 20:56
At the end of the day, owners do not come in make a profit. The majority of English premier league clubs make a loss every year FFS.
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Topic Originator: Sacktheref69
Date: Fri 27 Feb 21:07
But they also won`t fancy losing £1m+ a year every year either.
This is Andy Tod`s world and we are lucky to live in it.
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Topic Originator: AdamAntsParsStripe
Date: Fri 27 Feb 21:14
I think wages will have a high factor in this and they aren’t only from the current regime.
Zwei Pints Bier und ein Päckchen Chips bitte
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Topic Originator: Bertie Paton
Date: Fri 27 Feb 21:19
``Topic Originator: Jilted John
Date: Fri 27 Feb 20:49
Loans, even if it’s owed to the owners, still need to be repaid.``
To himself? It`s his club.
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Topic Originator: Parsfangaz
Date: Sat 28 Feb 00:29
Quote:
jake89, Fri 27 Feb 16:08
Remember though that the £1.7m would have included paying off a few managers and assistants. I would expect a loss again for the 25/26 year and hopefully getting closer to being sustainable by 27/28.
so your guessing
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Topic Originator: OzPar
Date: Sat 28 Feb 03:18
On the positive side of the ledger, there are two or three players who, if nurtured properly, could be sold for more than our current debt. I doubt the directors will be panicking at this point.
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Topic Originator: ubisanman
Date: Sat 28 Feb 07:13
Quote:
OzPar, Sat 28 Feb 03:18
On the positive side of the ledger, there are two or three players who, if nurtured properly, could be sold for more than our current debt. I doubt the directors will be panicking at this point.
This also crossed my mind.
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Sat 28 Feb 08:36
Quote:
Parsfangaz, Sat 28 Feb 00:29
Quote:
jake89, Fri 27 Feb 16:08
Remember though that the £1.7m would have included paying off a few managers and assistants. I would expect a loss again for the 25/26 year and hopefully getting closer to being sustainable by 27/28.
so your guessing
No, I`m the Pars board.
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Topic Originator: nick_dafc1
Date: Sat 28 Feb 09:56
Quote:
ubisanman, Sat 28 Feb 07:13
Quote:
OzPar, Sat 28 Feb 03:18
On the positive side of the ledger, there are two or three players who, if nurtured properly, could be sold for more than our current debt. I doubt the directors will be panicking at this point.
This also crossed my mind.
The last time we took in even 650k for a player was 30 years ago so I doubt we`ll be making over 1.7m
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Topic Originator: OzPar
Date: Sat 28 Feb 10:18
Promotion would have a huge impact on our finances, especially in terms of transfer fees.
Also, I think you are wrong about 30 years. We made a fairly sizeable income from the sale of Kevin Nesbit (including his resale from Hibs), and I would expect more from the three current players I have in mind in terms of transfer potential.
I am not saying individually they will exceed £1.7m, though that is not impossible if we are in the SPL, but collectively, certainly yes.
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Topic Originator: shellypar
Date: Sat 28 Feb 10:50
Quote:
OzPar, Sat 28 Feb 10:18
Promotion would have a huge impact on our finances, especially in terms of transfer fees.
Also, I think you are wrong about 30 years. We made a fairly sizeable income from the sale of Kevin Nesbit (including his resale from Hibs), and I would expect more from the three current players I have in mind in terms of transfer potential.
I am not saying individually they will exceed £1.7m, though that is not impossible if we are in the SPL, but collectively, certainly yes.
Add in a possible sell on clause aswell
COYP
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Topic Originator: Bannockburn Par
Date: Sat 28 Feb 12:03
This level of debt would have no doubt been expected given the situation we were in. Let’s see were we are this time next year.
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Topic Originator: ubisanman
Date: Sun 1 Mar 17:38
When i win the Euromillions, all of these problems will disappear. Need to find a space nearby for my heli-pad though.
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Topic Originator: PARrot
Date: Sun 1 Mar 18:07
Quote:
ubisanman, Sun 1 Mar 17:38
When i win the Euromillions, all of these problems will disappear. Need to find a space nearby for my heli-pad though.
You can park it in my garden near the stadium. Stop for a swally before the match while I have a wee spin.
Post Edited (Sun 01 Mar 18:07)
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Topic Originator: parsmad68
Date: Sun 1 Mar 20:00
In the English league I suspect the football is a potential loss leader for owners who have a large client list outside of football. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of football for that client list. I do scratch my head what client list would wish to be involved with the largest supported Championship club or what makes DAFC attractive. I say this because of where we are in our minds, but when you consider it, why are we not as large as Motherwell or Dundee, etc. and why can we not be one of the biggest clubs in Scotland.
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Topic Originator: Hoolie
Date: Sun 1 Mar 20:19
Well we are in the top 4 and Scottish cup quarter final next weekend so something is going in the right direction at EEP…Then we have the stadium renovations and bought the blankets for the pitch..a bigger playing squad plus management wages but it’s not doom and gloom so beat Aberdeen next weekend..extra 250-300k and win all games we could get 2nd/3rd…another 350k so we’re only down to 1 million loss😅
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Topic Originator: Indiapar1
Date: Sun 1 Mar 21:32
Its the long game here. 3 or 4 year investment. Bringing in young players, developing them and providing a route for progression for them and sell on fees for us is the most likely strategy. Couple that with sponsorship and other spin off income and possible progression into the premiership in 2 years, means that there is potential to recover that loss. In comparison to owning a sports club in the US, a couple of millions is small beer.
G Wardrope
Post Edited (Sun 01 Mar 21:39)
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Topic Originator: BouncyPar
Date: Sun 1 Mar 21:39
Don`t forget our owner is a gambler by nature. He made his money gambling, and it`s the only mindset he knows/is comfortable with.
He is gambling on what will happen to us over the next 3-5 years. He is happy bankrolling a few loses if it leads to promotion, and more permanent financial stability.
He isn`t pumping his money into us for nothing, he wants a return and is willing to play the long game.
If he keeps bankrolling us, then it`s because he keeps seeing us as a worthy backer. I`ll take that.
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Topic Originator: ubisanman
Date: Mon 2 Mar 22:10
Quote:
PARrot, Sun 1 Mar 18:07
Quote:
ubisanman, Sun 1 Mar 17:38
When i win the Euromillions, all of these problems will disappear. Need to find a space nearby for my heli-pad though.
You can park it in my garden near the stadium. Stop for a swally before the match while I have a wee spin.
You`re on!
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Topic Originator: buffy
Date: Mon 2 Mar 22:18
Quote:
ubisanman, Mon 2 Mar 22:10
Quote:
PARrot, Sun 1 Mar 18:07
Quote:
ubisanman, Sun 1 Mar 17:38
When i win the Euromillions, all of these problems will disappear. Need to find a space nearby for my heli-pad though.
You can park it in my garden near the stadium. Stop for a swally before the match while I have a wee spin.
You`re on!
That’s the pre-nup agreement all sorted Ubi! 😘
”Buffy’s Buns are the finest in Fife”, J. Spence 2019”
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