Kieran Maguire pinpoints key Portsmouth financial figures which should encourage Fratton faithful
The Blues recorded match-day income of £6.88m in their League One promotion season
Pompey last season generated a match-day income higher than 12 of the Championship’s 2023-24 line-up, according to Kieran Maguire.
And the football finance expert believes it reflects the ‘great fanbase’ bolstering Fratton Park ambition.
It is only the second time Pompey have broken the £6m barrier since 2014 - and also their highest over that 10-year period.
According to Maguire, who sources Football League club accounts filed at Companies House for the year ending June 30, 2024, only Derby (£7.6m) recorded better figures in League One that campaign
Compared to the Championship that season, Pompey’s match-day income was also higher than West Brom, Watford, Blackburn, Cardiff, Hull and Birmingham among others.
And Maguire believes the Blues deserve immense credit for such financial results - particularly the Fratton faithful.
Portsmouth generating more than West Brom, Stoke and Watford
He told The News: ‘Pompey were a big fish in League One, they have a great fanbase. In terms of 2023-24, they had the third-highest turnover, behind Derby and Bolton, who have their hotel.
‘With match-day revenue, they were second behind Derby. Compare that to the Championship over the same period and that’s more than Stoke, Watford, West Brom. In my view, their match-day income will be around 12th in the Championship. The numbers don’t lie.
‘There are three ways to make more money from match-day income. Play more matches - I don’t know how you can do that other than playing in the Club World Cup - or put up prices.
‘The third is to increase the capacity of the ground and get people to come on the back of that, which is potentially something which could be addressed in due course.
‘I think anyone having a go at Pompey’s match-day revenue is harsh criticism. Once you start looking at the numbers, you very quickly realise what looks good on Twitter with no investigation falls away once you assess it on a forensic basis.’
Leeds (£30.6m), Leicester (£18.4m) and Southampton (£16.2m) topped the match-day incomes for 2023-24, with Sunderland, Ipswich and Coventry also prominent.
Those mid-range and below were Watford (£6.3m), Cardiff (£6.1m), Stoke (£5.7m), Hull (£5.7m), Plymouth (£5.5m) Blackburn (£4.9m), West Brom (£4.9m), Swansea (£4.3m), Preston (£4.3m), Huddersfield (£3.9m), Birmingham (£3.7m) and Rotherham (£2.9m).
Pompey’s accounts for the 2024-25 season - their first back in the Championship - will likely be posted around Christmas, in keeping with regulations.
Portsmouth’s highest average home league crowds for 57 years
That will reflect match-day income boosted by the Blues’ highest average attendance for home league games in 57 years - 20,263.
Maguire added: ‘Could the ground be increased in terms of capacity? I guess it could, but that’s expensive.
‘Attendance isn’t a huge issue because, let’s face it, Bournemouth survive in the Premier League on 11,200. Brentford is 17,185. Burnley is 19,785.
‘With so much money coming from TV, capacity isn't that much of an issue. Take an extra 1,000 fans paying £400 for a season ticket, then you knock off VAT and the fact a third will be kids and seniors. Suddenly that extra 1,000 fans doesn't bring in that much more money.
‘It doesn’t make much difference’
‘Even in the Championship. If you are getting 20,500 at Pompey, how many clubs are getting a huge number more than that? It doesn't make that much difference.
‘Even with big clubs, you have Manchester United talking about a 100,000 capacity stadium. What they have kept very, very quiet about is how much it’s going to cost and how it is going to be funded.
‘I am almost certain it will be scaled down. There is a reason why they don’t have 100,000-capacity stadiums in the United States - because they simply don’t work.’
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