Here's everything James Taylor, the club's Chief Financial Officer, had to say in an interview with RangersTV.
How would you assess the club's financial position?
First of all, this is a really positive set of financial statements with the revenue once again being north of £80million which is a consolidation of the improvements made in recent years across all four pillars. That's something that as a club, we should be really proud of. Ultimately this has led to the second successive year of operating profit post-player trading and again, that's increasingly important within the footballing environment as we look at things such as UEFA club monitoring and licencing, ensuring we continue to evolve, work with new partners and invest around facilities that allow us to drive those incremental revenues. Again that's something we've consolidated on, in terms of the recent revenue growth and it's important to consolidate on that, it's equally important to look to move that forward as well, as we move into the forthcoming cycle. From a European and domestic revenue perspective, year on year we've been relatively consistent with the Europa League. While we got into the Champions League, given the performance [it was relative] to the run to the Europa League final. No material increase in relation to the Champions League. Again, it's something we're looking to evolve and develop. Indeed, the performance in Europe and recently the other night, continues to enhance our standing in European football which ultimately enhances our prize money moving forward to forthcoming seasons. Something we should all be really focused on and in recent years be really proud of. Looking at ticketing there has been a small reduction year on year in relation to ticketing and hospitality. That's primarily driven by the differential between the run to the Europa League final in 2022 versus the 2023 impact of the Champions League group stage. Small reduction there but something we're conscious of and is not structural, but merely performance-related. It's something we're confident we can rectify going forward. The fourth pillar is player trading. From that perspective, we've had some successes in recent years. Nathan Patterson in the prior year accounts, Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo going through this year's accounts. It's important to note that from a strategic perspective, the club will continue to focus on player trading as that delivers a net benefit. Ensuring that delivers a net benefit to the P&L allows us to operate sustainability within the regulatory environment.
Chief Financial Officer James Taylor spoke with RangersTV following the release of the club's annual accounts. pic.twitter.com/vhAnCrzXq6
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) November 13, 2023
Supporters might notice a higher spend, can you explain why?
In the prior year, we had the Champions League and as we qualified for the Champions League there are associated bonuses with that and that ultimately drives a change in the cost base. This a flexible number and it is not something that is structural in terms of moving forward into the forthcoming cycle. As we are in the Europa League this year, we should see a reduction compared to the prior year and that is something that the club are very focused on given the challenge of operating a club this size in the relatively small Scottish market of domestic revenues. Therefore, any European impact has a much larger impact on someone like Rangers than a team down south.
Can you touch on the benefits of investments over the last year and give details on any other investments going forward?
First of all, we have to note that we have a very supportive board here at Rangers and we are very fortunate in that regard. The investors continue to support the executive team in terms of where investments are made on and off the pitch. This has allowed us to increase commercial revenue streams through the delivery of world-class venues such as Ediminson House, such as the museum which has gone down fantastically well and from the Blue Sky Lounge. There have been a number of investments that have been made across the estate and we will continue to make those investments to enhance the experience for our supporters. Equally, I think it is important to note that in order to make sure we have these opportunities for commercial revenues, we have to make sure that the team on the park are a winning side. That is the history and heritage of this club, and it is important we continue to do all we can to continue to support the manager, backroom staff and team on the park by ensuring we have the best possible team on the pitch.
What does sustainability look like for Rangers going forward?
That is a very good question, and it is one that a number of clubs have been looking at and looking to find the answer to over the last few years. Increasingly, there is UEFA aspects of the environment in terms of UEFA licencing and club monitoring and for us as a club moving forward, it is important that we work within these parameters. I mentioned some of the challenges we have earlier on in terms of the challenges we have in terms of European competition to domestic competition and the revenue differences that come with that. It is about making sure the level of investment in the first-team squad and the club is commercial with the level of revenue we generate. That is why it is so important for us to continue to deliver that revenue and to continue to deliver new partners into the ecosystem as the more we do that than the more we can drive those revenue numbers higher and higher and invest in the team on the park. Financial sustainability to me is a path we are on and one we will continue to focus on, and I have every confidence we will succeed.
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