West Bromwich Albion could have made profit without fans
West Bromwich Albion could have played in an empty stadium and still made a profit due to the boom in Premier League TV money, it has been revealed.
The Baggies made a £33 million pre-tax profit after revenue from ticket sales was removed, highlighting how much the reliance on income from tickets has reduced among the top clubs.
The figures relate to the 2016/17 season when Albion finished 10th in their seventh consecutive Premier League season.
Albion were one of 10 Premier League clubs who would have made a profit that season without any money from fans - with profits minus ticket sales higher than any other club. It was the first season after a new eye-watering £8.3 billion TV deal was agreed with the Premier League, bringing more money into the English top flight than ever before.
Matchday income represented less than 20p in every £1 that 18 Premier League clubs earned during that campaign. Burnley made a £21m pre-tax profit, followed by Hull and Southampton with £19m each.
The situation has now changed at The Hawthorns following the club's relegation last season and it is now Black Country rivals Wolves enjoying the riches of the Premier League.
Alan Cleverley, from the Albion Official Supporters Club, said: "If they have got the money they will spend it so it isn't quite true to say the money isn't needed. It all goes to the running of the football club.
"The fact they could live without the money is one way of putting it. But if they have got more income that means they can spend more money on players and improving the ground."
He added: "Clubs could reduce prices but they are going to say grounds are full so we don't need to reduce prices to get fans in."
Football Supporters' Federation chair Malcolm Clarke insisted supporters are one of the most crucial aspects of the modern-day game.
He said: "I'd say (match-going fans) are the most important element.
"Players and managers come and go, but we are always there.
"The reason that they can get lucrative TV deals is because the product shows the crowd, the noise, the away fans and the atmosphere - it is all part of it.
"On one level they don't need the fans because they have got so much money from broadcasters, but at another level they do need fans to keep an attractive product.
"How boring would it be to watch a Premier League game in an empty stadium?"
