Rovers report £16.8m loss

Blackburn Rovers reported a £16.8m pre-tax loss for their 2017-18 League One promotion-winning season.

Match day income was down from £3.3m to £2.8m, while media sales fell from £6.7m to £1.9m. Commercial revenues dropped from £4.5m to £4.3m.

As a result the Ewood Park club reported turnover of £8.97m compared to £14.9m the prior period. Pre-tax losses grew from £3.8m to £16.8m.

According to reports, the club’s wage bill was reduced by £5.2m to £16.7m.

Blackburn’s owners Venky’s are said to be owed £108m in loans, having put another £14m into the club in 2017-18.

Rovers finished second in League One in 2017-18, with manager Tony Mowbray leading them back into the Championship at the first attempt following their relegation the previous season.

In a strategic report accompanying the results, the club said that their ultimate aim for the campaign was to secure promotion back to the Championship.

Blackburn are currently 17th in the Championship table with eight games to play and are 11 points clear of the relegation zone.

Wigan Athletic, last season’s League One champions, last month revealed net losses of £7.7m for the same period.

Meanwhile, fellow championship club Bolton Wanderers appeared in the High Court earlier this week.

The club, which is up for sale, has been given two weeks to settle their debts or risk going into administration.