Football clubs 'prove resilient'

Premier League matches are still 90% full, says the report

As the global economy starts to recover, the leading European football clubs are continuing to prove their resilience, a report has claimed.

Average attendances in the first two rounds of this season's Uefa Champions League were 5% higher than a year ago, said Deloitte's Sports Business Group.

At the same time, England's Premier League matches remain 90% full.

The report added that the continuing strength of top clubs was indicated by Liverpool's new shirt sponsorship deal.

The strong attendances achieved at the start of the season will provide a welcome degree of comfort Dan Jones, partner at Deloitte's Sports Business Group

Announced last month, the new Liverpool contract will see banking group Standard Chartered become its new shirt sponsor from next July in a four-year deal worth an estimated £80m.

The deal will replace Liverpool's 17-year association with Danish brewer Carlsberg.

'Cautious optimism'

The Deloitte report also highlighted the strength of Arsenal FC's latest financial report, which showed that the club's annual profits had risen by almost a quarter to £45.5m.

"When the economic downturn hit, we expressed cautious optimism for football clubs that the strong and loyal supporter base and the security of long-term broadcast and commercial deals would provide some degree of buffer against the worst effects of recession," said Dan Jones, partner at Deloitte's Sports Business Group.

"Clubs were acutely aware that the real effects would start to be felt in the 2009/10 season, and the strong attendances achieved at the start of the season would provide a welcome degree of comfort."

The report added that while the situation was tougher for the smaller teams in the English Premier League, this was being eased "by the distribution mechanism of Premier League broadcast monies".

The Sports Business Group is the specialist sports industry division of accountancy group Deloitte.