Club looking into business rates and policing costs.



It's hard to see what they can do to get the policing costs down, short of selling the land around the ground (particularly the car park) to the council. Business rates are another matter as the turnover will be well down from PL days (though nothing like as low as the £17m the Chronicle claims). Against this, the very high valuation of the SoL as an investment property will count against us.
 
For those who don't want to read the chronicle. tldr etc.

Sunderland's new owners believe the club is paying over the odds for policing and business rates, and it could hamper their promotion bid next season

Sunderland football club say they will hold talks with Northumbria Police over the size of their policing bill.

Figures revealed this week show that Sunderland paid more than twice as much as Newcastle United last season despite the average crowd at the Stadium of Light being almost half that at St James’ Park.

The Black Cats have also launched an appeal against their £2m business rates bill claiming it must reflect the club’s drastically reduced income caused by back-to-back relegations.

The club’s business rate bills, covering the Stadium of Light and Academy of Light, are the largest outside the Premier League, and the figure is far in excess of those of their League One rivals who on average pay less than £80,000 per year.

Sunderland’s bill is way out of kilter with other clubs in their division and is also much higher than the vast majority of clubs in the Championship, with only Aston Villa paying anywhere near the same amount.

The rateable value of business properties are set by the Valuation Office Agency, part of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, and were reassessed in 2015 for the first time since 2010, and will not be looked at again until 2021.

The latest valuations - which take into account turnover - came into force in April last year when the club was still in the Premier League and enjoyed a turnover of more than £123m.

But since then the Wearsiders have dropped two divisions to League One, and the club’s turnover next season is likely to be somewhere in the region of £17m.

hat means the club’s business rates as a proportion of turnover have increased more than seven-fold, rocketing from just 1.6 percent in 2017 to around 12 percent next season.

And the imbalance between Sunderland’s rates and those of other clubs in the third tier will put the Black Cats at a significant financial disadvantage as new owner Stewart Donald attempts to plot a way back to the Championship at the first attempt.

In addition to the club’s high business rates, Sunderland’s policing bill from Northumbria Police last season was £347,618 - more than double the figure that Newcastle paid.

The Black Cats played one home game more than Newcastle last season in all competitions, but the average league gate at the Stadium of Light was 27,635 compared to 51,992 at St James’ Park.

Sunderland executive director Charlie Methven said: “When we came to the club it became clear to us pretty quickly that other clubs have come to view Sunderland as a portable gravy train over a long period of time.

“It may be that the day-to-day absence of the owner led to a rather complacent ‘take-take’ attitude.

“It is time for the club to start fighting for what is fair and a lot of time over the last two months has been taken up with talks with various stakeholders in the club and other interested parties with a view to starting that process.

“But it has also become apparent that the public sector regards the club as easy pickings, with very high business rates and also policing costs.

“We are very happy to pay our way and pay our share, but the amounts we pay must be fair.

“By way of comparison, next season we would be paying around ten times the business rates of many clubs in the Championship and 25 times the business rates of some clubs in League One.

“To that end, we have started an appeal against our business rates bill and we will also seek discussions with Northumbria Police regarding the cost of policing games at the Stadium of Light.”

Money collected from business rates is split equally between central government and local councils, who use it to fund services.

Businesses are entitled to ask the VOA to review their business rates if their circumstances change, and if they are unsuccessful they can make a formal challenge, and ultimately ask tribunal to make a decision.

Sunderland are not the first club to challenge the rateable value assigned to their ground.

Wigan Athletic have been relegated three times in six years and are heading to court to argue that the taxman should take into account the loss of revenue caused by relegation when setting business rates.
 
Forrest Gump said:
I wish you’d spend some money and fuck off to the moon!
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Secret Visage said:
For those who don't want to read the chronicle. tldr etc.

Sunderland's new owners believe the club is paying over the odds for policing and business rates, and it could hamper their promotion bid next season

Sunderland football club say they will hold talks with Northumbria Police over the size of their policing bill.

Figures revealed this week show that Sunderland paid more than twice as much as Newcastle United last season despite the average crowd at the Stadium of Light being almost half that at St James’ Park.

The Black Cats have also launched an appeal against their £2m business rates bill claiming it must reflect the club’s drastically reduced income caused by back-to-back relegations.

The club’s business rate bills, covering the Stadium of Light and Academy of Light, are the largest outside the Premier League, and the figure is far in excess of those of their League One rivals who on average pay less than £80,000 per year.

Sunderland’s bill is way out of kilter with other clubs in their division and is also much higher than the vast majority of clubs in the Championship, with only Aston Villa paying anywhere near the same amount.

The rateable value of business properties are set by the Valuation Office Agency, part of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, and were reassessed in 2015 for the first time since 2010, and will not be looked at again until 2021.

The latest valuations - which take into account turnover - came into force in April last year when the club was still in the Premier League and enjoyed a turnover of more than £123m.

But since then the Wearsiders have dropped two divisions to League One, and the club’s turnover next season is likely to be somewhere in the region of £17m.

hat means the club’s business rates as a proportion of turnover have increased more than seven-fold, rocketing from just 1.6 percent in 2017 to around 12 percent next season.

And the imbalance between Sunderland’s rates and those of other clubs in the third tier will put the Black Cats at a significant financial disadvantage as new owner Stewart Donald attempts to plot a way back to the Championship at the first attempt.

In addition to the club’s high business rates, Sunderland’s policing bill from Northumbria Police last season was £347,618 - more than double the figure that Newcastle paid.

The Black Cats played one home game more than Newcastle last season in all competitions, but the average league gate at the Stadium of Light was 27,635 compared to 51,992 at St James’ Park.

Sunderland executive director Charlie Methven said: “When we came to the club it became clear to us pretty quickly that other clubs have come to view Sunderland as a portable gravy train over a long period of time.

“It may be that the day-to-day absence of the owner led to a rather complacent ‘take-take’ attitude.

“It is time for the club to start fighting for what is fair and a lot of time over the last two months has been taken up with talks with various stakeholders in the club and other interested parties with a view to starting that process.

“But it has also become apparent that the public sector regards the club as easy pickings, with very high business rates and also policing costs.

“We are very happy to pay our way and pay our share, but the amounts we pay must be fair.

“By way of comparison, next season we would be paying around ten times the business rates of many clubs in the Championship and 25 times the business rates of some clubs in League One.

“To that end, we have started an appeal against our business rates bill and we will also seek discussions with Northumbria Police regarding the cost of policing games at the Stadium of Light.”

Money collected from business rates is split equally between central government and local councils, who use it to fund services.

Businesses are entitled to ask the VOA to review their business rates if their circumstances change, and if they are unsuccessful they can make a formal challenge, and ultimately ask tribunal to make a decision.

Sunderland are not the first club to challenge the rateable value assigned to their ground.

Wigan Athletic have been relegated three times in six years and are heading to court to argue that the taxman should take into account the loss of revenue caused by relegation when setting business rates.
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Fuck me, War and Peace was shorter.
 
Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Sarah Pitt said:
“The cost of policing is based upon rates set by the Home Office and not by Northumbria Police."
“All bills relating to policing football matches are then agreed with the football clubs."

Those 2 sentences are contradictory.
 
PTR said:
Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Sarah Pitt said:
“The cost of policing is based upon rates set by the Home Office and not by Northumbria Police."
“All bills relating to policing football matches are then agreed with the football clubs."

Those 2 sentences are contradictory.
Click to expand...

No they're not.

Rates are set by the Home Office
Football club agrees price (level of policing based on rates)
 
PTR said:
Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Sarah Pitt said:
“The cost of policing is based upon rates set by the Home Office and not by Northumbria Police."
“All bills relating to policing football matches are then agreed with the football clubs."

Those 2 sentences are contradictory.
Click to expand...

The Police contradicting themselves? Never in gods creation.
 

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