EPL Side Stoke City Ends Another Year In Black, Nears $151M Turnover

Premier League side Stoke City, based in Midlands and controlled by bet365, "reported a second consecutive annual profit," according to David Owen of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. The club "posted a pre-tax profit" of £5.7M for the year to May 31, up from £3.8M a year earlier. This was achieved on turnover a fraction short of £100M ($151M), the "vast majority derived from broadcasting rights." With staff costs climbing about 10% to £66.6M ($101M), "what enabled the club to keep making bottom-line progress was its player-trading record," which generated a profit of £1.7M ($2.6M), against a £1.2M loss the previous year. There "looks to be more good news on this score ahead" in '15-16: a note to the accounts indicated that post year-end, the club had raised £14.9M ($22.6M) "from the sale of players such as goalkeeper Asmir Begović to Chelsea" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 12/3).