Fears that cost of living crisis hitting EFL attendances

Premier League clubs have bounced back from the pandemic according to a new industry survey – though lower legal clubs are still struggling.

A new report by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO suggests 71 per cent of top flight clubs reported their finances to be “very healthy”.

At the same time more than half of all Championship clubs and a quarter of clubs in Leagues One and Two said their finances were “in need of attention”.

The biggest concern for clubs right now will be the impact of the cost of living crisis on match attendance – particularly in lower leagues.

Derby County, which has been relegated to League One after having points deducted for financial difficulties, was one of the most high profile clubs to get into trouble in recent months.

Administrators were called in last autumn and the club almost went under before local business Clowes Developments stepped in to take on the club and stadium.

Many Premiership clubs have spent big in the transfer window while some – such as Leicester City and Nottingham Forest – are pushing on with big stadium investment plans.

Earlier this year Leicester revealed that they made a pre-tax loss of £33 million in the 2020-21 season when the pandemic was in full flow and games were played behind closed doors. The club’s Thai owners said they were as committed as ever.

BDO’s survey of club finance directors from the top four leagues found that most in the Premier League said that their financial position was “very healthy”, compared to just 29 per cent this time last year.

That compares to just 18 per cent for Championship clubs and a third of clubs in Leagues One and Two.

Finance bosses in the Championship and Leagues One and Two said their biggest concern would