Town profit from their success in League One

It took a final day win over Crewe Alexandra to ensure Town’s League One status last season but they have gone from strength to strength on the pitch this term.

Despite the results on the pitch in the 2015/16 campaign with Graham Alexander paying the price for a poor start and Steven Pressley eventually steering Town to 19th spot it was a good season off it with accounts for Fleetwood Wanderers Ltd, trading as Fleetwood Town, revealing the club posted pre-tax profits of £4.5m in the year to 30 June 2016 compared with pre-tax losses of £2.5m a year earlier.

Town chairman and owner Andy Pilley wrote: “This year was the club’s second year in the Sky Bet League One, the third tier of English football.

“On the pitch, fortunes were mixed and after a poor start to the campaign, the club parted ways with manager Graham Alexander and appointed Steven Pressley as his successor who steered the club away from relegation.”

The latest set of accounts show Town had an average of 117 employees in 2015/16 as opposed to 119 staff in 2014/15.

The total cost of wages and salaries at the club also dropped 11 per cent to £3.9m.

This season Town are challenging for promotion to the Championship after Pressley resigned in the summer with Rosler taking over before the 2016/17 season kicked-off.

The club’s finances were boosted by £7m listed from other operating income.

Despite the healthy profit the club are still in debt though the amount due to creditors has dropped from almost £18m to just under £13m.

And in the strategic report the club outlined the principal risks and uncertainties.

Pilley wrote: The principal risk to the business is poor on-field performance which could result in relegation that would potentially damage the income levels.

“Management are aware of this and are working towards a restructuring of the business model to mitigate such risk.”