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Do we rent the stadium?



Robot Chicken

Seriously?
Jul 5, 2003
13,154
Chicken World
I was having a discussion with someone online and they told me the Albion rent the stadium. I wasn't sure he was right and he posted the following. So what's the situation? Do we pay rent to Tony? Do we pay rent to the council?

windows 7 print screen
 




Guy Fawkes

The voice of treason
Sep 29, 2007
8,195
If i've got this right, we do to a holdings (?) company (one of several that control / oversee various parts of the clubs operations) The club is split into several different companies, it's designed to prevent the ground being lost if another part fails and goes bust, limiting risk
 


















I was having a discussion with someone online and they told me the Albion rent the stadium. I wasn't sure he was right and he posted the following. So what's the situation? Do we pay rent to Tony? Do we pay rent to the council?

windows 7 print screen

Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club Ltd (Regd Company No 00081077) is the legal entity incorporated in 1904. The nature of its business (as listed at Companies House) is "Activities of Sports Clubs" so essentially BHAFC Ltd is the football club. It is also the member of the Football League so therefore it is BHAFC Ltd that has to comply with the rules of the FL, eg FFP.

Your contact is correct; BHAFC Ltd rents the Amex Stadium and the Lancing Training Ground for £1M and £333,333pa respectively (as per the BHAFC Ltd 2014/15 Accounts snapshot) and from The Community Stadium Ltd (Regd Company No 04612364). CSL was set up in 2002 and the nature of its business (as listed at Companies House) is "Operation of Sports Facilities"; the company accounts for 2014/15 state CSL's turnover to be £1,333,333. In the notes to these accounts (under Tangible Fixed Assets - Note 8) it is stated: "Land and Buildings includes the cost of a premium of £5,300,000 payable for the lease of the stadium land. This lease is for a 125 year period from 29 August 2009." Presumably this is the amount that was paid to B&H City Council for the land and it is being depreciated through the CSL accounts at £106,000pa over a 50 year period (like the stadium build costs).

Both BHAFC Ltd and CSL are wholly owned by Brighton and Hove Albion Holdings Ltd (Regd Company No 02649319) in which the majority shareholder is Tony Bloom, with 90%+ of the equity. It is the accounts of this holding company (ie not the football club entity) that are normally published on the club website.
 


Robot Chicken

Seriously?
Jul 5, 2003
13,154
Chicken World
So if the Albion go to the wall, the stadium can't be touched? If Tony Bloom goes bankrupt then the stadium can't also be touched? So it would be available to any phoenix club that might be formed afterwards? Far thinking.
 


So if the Albion go to the wall, the stadium can't be touched? If Tony Bloom goes bankrupt then the stadium can't also be touched? So it would be available to any phoenix club that might be formed afterwards? Far thinking.

What do you think would happen to his personal shareholding in BHA Holdings Ltd under this scenario?
 




Lenny Rider

Well-known member
Sep 15, 2010
5,421
Rightly put in place to stop any chance of a Falmer Retail Park, I think the phrase once bitten twice shy springs to mind.
 


El Presidente

The ONLY Gay in Brighton
Helpful Moderator
Jul 5, 2003
39,701
Pattknull med Haksprut
The Stadium is owned by The Community Stadium Company Ltd, which has the same directors as the Albion. All of TCSC Ltd's income comes from renting out the stadium & Lancing to the Albion.

Should the hotel be approved at Falmer I would imagine that it too may be owned by TCSC Ltd, or another subsidiary created.

Community Stadium PL 2015.PNG

Brighton & Hove Albion Holdings owns 100% of the shares of Brighton & Hove Albion Ltd and TCSC Ltd.

Holding co subsidiaries.PNG

In the holding company accounts the rental income of TCSC Ltd and the rent paid by B&HA Ltd are offset against each other, so nothing appears in those accounts.

Holding Co operating expenses 2015.PNG
 


Seagulltonian

C'mon the Albion!
Oct 2, 2003
2,773
Still Somewhere in Sussex!
It's all very clever, and hopefully all protected.
Although losing £18 Mill a year isn't the best thing, but it can come off the profit when we reach the promised land of the Premier League in 2017 :albion2:
 




Mr Putdown

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2004
2,899
Christchurch
If Tony Bloom goes bankrupt then the stadium can't also be touched? So it would be available to any phoenix club that might be formed afterwards? Far thinking.

Far thinking? If Tony Bloom were to go bankrupt then the stadium would almost certainly be sold off to the highest bidder seeing as he owns around 90% of the shares in the holding company.
 


El Presidente

The ONLY Gay in Brighton
Helpful Moderator
Jul 5, 2003
39,701
Pattknull med Haksprut
So if the Albion go to the wall, the stadium can't be touched? If Tony Bloom goes bankrupt then the stadium can't also be touched? So it would be available to any phoenix club that might be formed afterwards? Far thinking.

I recently did some advisory work for a consortium buying an English football club. When asked about my football allegiance I of course mentioned the Albion, and was told that TB is worth 'more than Bet 365'. I can't see him going bust any time soon if that is the case.
 


Boy Blue

Banned
Mar 14, 2016
766
I recently did some advisory work for a consortium buying an English football club. When asked about my football allegiance I of course mentioned the Albion, and was told that TB is worth 'more than Bet 365'. I can't see him going bust any time soon if that is the case.

How much is Bet 365 worth ???
 










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