Peace reveals the cost of relegation
By Jemma Tappenden
May 19 2009
It is less than 48 hours after Albion’s relegation to the Championship, but already the club are considering the financial cost of dropping out of England’s top flight. What is the cost? So far about £12 million. Gaffer Tony Mowbray has already been told by Chairman Jeremy Peace that the wage pot for next season is £12 million lighter.
Tony Mowbray insists however that this is expected and in-fact had already been planned for. The 2008/09 season will prove to be West Brom’s most expensive ever, with the club splashing out £25 million on wages. That may well sound like a lot, but in-fact West Bromwich Albion had the smallest wage structure in the Premiership, giving top flight new boys Wolves and Blues something to think about for next year.
Next years wage budget has already been set at £13 million, something which was planned months ago in the event of the worse case scenario. Contracts at the Baggies are structured to support this, with staff and players contracts already designed to be reduced anywhere between 25-50% in the event of relegation.
It will not surprise fans to learn that Peace has been number crunching all season. Figures announced last week put the spending for last summer at £24 million on transfers alone, and the club expect to have had a turnover of between £47-48 million by the time the season draws to a close this weekend.
Mowbray looks set to keep his job at the Hawthorns despite the relegation. But the gaffer has already been told that whilst he is under no pressure to sell players the only transfer funds he will receive for next season are those he raises himself.
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