Total transfer income of £843,000 offset operating losses of £626,000 to create the profit, which came after a loss of £760,000 in season 1999-00. There appears to be some ambiguity though between the reported transfer fees the club received and the amount stated in the accounts. The club sold Paul Reid to Rangers for a total package worth £700,000 - but only a small fraction of that money was received up front and the rest has yet to come. Reid has yet to make his first-team debut at Ibrox. The club also sold Peter Clark and Richard Prokas, although the sum of these two moves is thought to have netted them less than £100,000. Additionally, they received a £100,000 windfall for Rory Delap from Derby, since sold to Southampton. Directors Andrea Whittaker and Mark Knighton received a basic combined salary of some £60,000 and one of them owed the club £19,800 at the end of the accounting year. It is not known whether this money has been repaid yet, or whether the two directors also drew a salary as directors of the holding company, CUFC Holdings. Sponsorship income fell sharply as local business deserted the club that in some cases, they had supported for many years. However the club did see a rise of over 500 on their average home gates, which helped to yield an increased sum of £966,000 in gate receipts. The total would have been boosted by United's share of the gate money from the FA Cup tie at home to Arsenal. This still failed to cover the wage bill of some £1.12 million, which was down £200,000 on the previous season. The only money shelled out during the accounting period was £10,000 to Northwich Victoria for defender Mark Birch. Despite the profit, the club still attempted to sack four high-earning players a few weeks before the start of the new season. Steve Soley, Lee Maddison, Stephen Halliday and Carl Heggs were all called in to see Andrea Whittaker who told them their contracts were being terminated. Following an outcry from supporters and meetings with the PFA and Football League, the decisions were reversed. Sponsors quit as commercial manager is axed United have sacked their commercial manager Steven Barker as the drastic cost-cutting programme goes on at Brunton Park. Mr Barker took over the position during the 2000-01 season but failed to ignite the sponsorship side of the club, which has suffered a further blow with the news this week that pitch sponsors Rickerby have pulled out. They have also taken back a tractor and mower that were on hire to the club. An angry Barker took a swipe at United's management after the decision was made public. "I am quite pleased to be away from it because I have never worked with a bunch of more unprofessional and unqualified people in my life. This was very unexpected. Basically they said they couldn't afford to keep me on. I think with the work I have done I have got a lot of respect back for the club from businesses. It is unfair to make me a scapegoat," he said. Knighton meets his match in Radio showdown Discredited owner Michael Knighton will be grilled by fans and former ownership contender John Courtenay today on BBC Radio Cumbria. A special phone-in show which starts at 2.30pm will feature Knighton, Courtenay, supporters trust secretary Alan Steel and News & Star journalist Vic Gibson. Fans can ring in on 01228 592592 with their questions to the panel. The discussion will be chaired by Paul Newton. Green and Rogers all fixed up Two ex-United stars have managed to get themselves new clubs for next season. Young midfield prospect Stu Green, who spent three months on loan at Brunton Park and helped spark the improvement in the second half of the season has gone on a year's loan to Third Division rivals Hull City. Meanwhile central defender Dave Rogers, who was one of the sixteen out-of-contract players released earlier this month, has signed a two-year deal with Dutch First Division club Cambuur. The move is subject to a medical. Cambuur, now managed by Englishman Rob McDonald, are the favourites for promotion to the Dutch Premier League next season. Picture from News & Star |
