Tottenham ‘set for naughty step’ as financial deadline quickly approaches
Tottenham and several other Premier League clubs are expected to file their financial details for the 2023-24 season by the end of Monday.
While the financial details are of public record, a number of Premier League clubs choose to release it at the very last moment with Tottenham yet to release theirs.
A deadline of midnight on 31 March has been set by the Premier League for clubs to release their income and expenditure statements for last season, but with a few hours to go, Spurs have not yet released their financial statements.
Tottenham’s decision to leave it late has received some backlash as financial results are eagerly awaited.
Tottenham could invite fines from the Premier League
The clubs that miss out on the deadline set by the Premier League are handed punishment and hefty fines for not obliging to the rules.
Tottenham are not the only club to withhold the release of their financial results. Aston Villa, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United and Luton Town have not yet released their 2023-24 financial figures.
There is a reason behind clubs leaving the declaration of the financial results till the very last moment. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire took to X (31 March) to explain the reason behind it.
| Opposition | Home/Away |
| Chelsea | Away |
| Southampton | Home |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | Home |
| Wolves | Away |
In reference to Tottenham and other Premier League clubs, he tweeted: “The naughty step awaits.
“Clubs use a variety of delaying tactics to push back the submission date. Some just pay the fine as hold fans in contempt from a transparency perspective.”
The ‘delaying tactics’ have been criticised and Maguire has indicated ‘the naughty step’ could backfire. Spurs along with other aforementioned clubs do not mind paying the fine but would rather release the results at a later date.
What to expect from Spurs’ finance books
Supporters expect their clubs to be extremely transparent when it comes to finances, leaving no area of ambiguity. However, that is not always the case.
For the 2023-24 season, the key headlines will be the total income and expenditure and whether Spurs managed to turn their loss to profit.
In the 2022-23 season, the North London club reported a 24 per cent increase in revenue but still recorded a loss of £87million.
The revenue is once again expected to surpass the £500m mark given Tottenham’s sponsorship income, ticket sales, brand revenue and player sales.
The revenue statement will also include player sales, contract details and the amortisation costs. The wage costs are expected to occupy a large chunk of the club expenditures, while broadcast and commercial revenue will be seen as the biggest income sources for the Lilywhites.