Blackburn Rovers Missed the Play-Offs by a Point. Their Accounts Show Why They Couldn't Afford to Push Further

In the 2024-25 season covered by these accounts, Blackburn Rovers finished 7th in the Championship under John Eustace, missing out on a play-off place by a narrow margin in his first full season in charge, a respectable follow-up to the disappointing campaign that preceded his appointment.

Turnover rose by around 11% to close to £24m, modest by the standards of the clubs immediately above them in the table, and Blackburn posted a pre-tax loss of around £10m, a manageable figure that reflects a club operating well within its means rather than gambling on promotion.

Net assets remain heavily in deficit at around £130m, a legacy of Indian owners Venky's long tenure and the accumulated losses that have built up over more than a decade, a debt position that continues to shape what Eustace can spend in the transfer market.

Staff costs of around £28m against turnover of £24m show a wage bill still running ahead of income, though the gap is narrower than at several promotion-chasing rivals who spent far more aggressively to reach the top six.

Eustace's first full season restored some stability at Ewood Park. Whether the club's finances allow him to close the gap on the play-off places is the question this set of accounts leaves hanging.