So I went through the Villa (#avfc) end of year report and, here's my take on it.
Record revenue of £378.1m — that's a 37% rise, up over £100m from last year.
Highest turnover the club's ever seen, driven hard by the UCL run to the quarter finals plus commercial income exploding 69%> to £70m. Sponsorship alone up 31% to £28.6m. The commercial machine under Heck is chugging along as he intended. Especially from a £89.5m loss the year before, they've swung to a £17m profit after tax.
The owners pumped £69.3m into capex — stadium hospitality upgrades, new retail spots, fan experience tweaks, Bodymoor Heath improvements, and getting The Warehouse over the line.
North Stand redevelopment prep is now underway. Which can only be referred to as a smart money play going into infrastructure.
They've done the internal restructuring play (women's team and Warehouse rights shifted within the NSWE group) — same loophole others have used because the Premier League left the door wide open after Chelsea and City. Like I said earlier "There should be no complaints here; if you want to compete, you use what's available until they close it." PSR-wise, this profit gives real breathing room in the rolling three-year calc. Previous years had heavy losses, but this £17m black number changes the picture. Villa stay fully compliant with the EPL rules. That means no more panic-selling your best players every summer just to balance the books.
What this means for Villa's transfer spending next season? This creates proper legroom. You're talking potential net spend in the £30-80m+ range (before any sales *agreed or obligated* and exact rolling figures), assuming commercial keeps growing. Europa League means some UEFA income drop-off, but the commercial base is now more permanent and the stadium upgrades will keep feeding revenue. Less reliance on one big European run.
NSWE have stuck to the plan: sustainable growth, invest in squad and the club itself, avoid the reckless overspend that kills clubs. They've already sunk hundreds of millions in — this shows the strategy is working.
Bottom line: These are strong accounts. Villa have turned a corner financially. Record top line, first profit in ages, heavy but targeted investment in the future, and actual PSR flexibility heading into the next windows. No more "we must flog Watkins or Rogers" nonsense every close season. The club is in a far healthier spot than 12-18 months ago.
@J_Tanswell@TheAthleticFC Simple, exciting football. Tiki taka pass it round the back to midfield to back to midfield bores the fuckign life and excitement out of football.
I really hate Birmingham City almost as much as Villa fans do, horrible club, so glad we beat them, deluded club that are always going to be in the shadow of Aston Villa #LUFC#MOT#LeedsUnited
My stepdad, Greg, never said 'I love you.' He was a hard man. Worked construction. Came home, ate, slept. He paid for my college. He paid for my car. But he never hugged me. I always thought he resented me. I wasn't his real son. Greg died of a heart attack last week. I was cleaning out his truck. In the glove box, I found a worn-out notebook. It was a diary. Entry 1: Met a woman with a boy today. The boy looks sad. I want to make him smile. Entry 50: The boy needs braces. Picking up extra shifts. Entry 200: He graduated today. I stayed in the back so I wouldn't embarrass him with my dirty work clothes. I've never been prouder. Entry 500: I wish I knew how to talk to him. I just hope he knows I’d die for him. I sat in the driver's seat of his dusty truck and cried until I couldn't breathe. He didn't say it. He did it. Every single day. Love isn't always words. Sometimes, it’s calloused hands and a tired back.
Anonymous
Im up at and work at 6:30am on a Saturday so more than 18,000 families get an extra £14k in benefits - which is more than two thirds of my salary
This is the most unfair budget in my living memory - those who do the right thing are punished, those who do nothing are rewarded