Written by Red Arse.
The Annual Accounts for Arsenal have been made public and I thought I would try and write a précis to show what is going on, but without the accountants’ love of a figures fest!
Some task! So, let’s get down to it.
Arsenal made a profit of £37m in the year 2011/2012, which on the face of it is very impressive. Much has been made of our self sustainability model, and these figures bear that out – right? Well, that depends on how you like your sustainability model buttered, because everything comes with a price tag in life, and footie is no different.
This huge profit increase has arisen mainly out of the massive surplus on the sale of two important and, some might say, key players, Cesc and Nasri, however contentious that may be.
I can hear some of you asking why that transfer profit has not been ploughed straight back into purchasing other equally good, if expensive, player replacements. The answer from the Board’s viewpoint is that without those sales bringing in roughly £65m, the club would not have made a profit, but would have incurred a loss of £28m, and that goes against their avowed self sustainability model, and so we go around in a bloody great circle.
Put plainly, Arsenal are punching well above their weight by finishing in the top 4 of the EPL every year, which in turn releases funds for our having qualified for the Champions League. Despite reassurances from the management to the contrary, the loss of that income would make matters very difficult, indeed, in terms of self sustainability.
The careful management of the club’s finances, which are significantly boosted by the shareholders not taking out dividends, are a credit to the club in achieving their self imposed self sustainability target, but in the cold light of day, and leaving aside the slightly unrealistic hopes of some of the more devoted fans, it seems very unlikely that this policy will result in us winning either the EPL or the Champions League trophies in the near future.
The club executives hopes in this respect are leaning heavily on the successful implementation of the European FFP rules, and the agreement of similar rules to govern the EPL clubs, which they hope will bring the big, oily spenders and benefactors to heel. ‘Chance’ and ‘fat’ spring to mind!
What is painfully obvious from the Accounts is that our overall commercial revenue streams are simply not keeping up with those of our main competitors. We recorded income of £53m in this respect, as compared with £118m for the Mancs.
This comparative revenue deficit problem has its origins in the need, at the beginning of the project, to enter into cast iron commercial deals to help fund the Emirates, at what are now seen to be calamitous rates, but was seen, rightly, at the time to be absolutely essential for its success.
To put this commercial revenue problem into proper perspective, at the present time, Bayern Munich, Barca and Real Madrid all gross around £160m and Manure approximately £118m compared with our measly £53m!!!
To begin to see the gap between us and the other clubs close we will have to wait until the end of 2013/14 when new commercial deals will hopefully come on stream. The problem with that hope is that all the above plus City and the Chavs will, no doubt, also significantly increase their commercial revenues too. Damnation!
At the moment, our biggest revenue earner comes from match day sales totalling £95m per annum which is approximately £3m per (home) match. This is the consequence of having one of the highest seat ticket costs in Europe. Any further increase in ticket costs would receive a furious backlash from fans and would be potentially counterproductive so that any further such increase is very unlikely to happen for the foreseeable future.
In addition to the above, there will be a further increase in revenue as a result of the monies flowing from our share of the new £3 billion EPL deal, but that will also be shared out with our rivals, so the gap between us and the other tops teams will remain all too large.
I can hear you say ‘enough with the figures’, but one final glimpse at overall revenues is important to show the gulf between ourselves and our competitors. Our recent ‘total’ turnover amounted to £227m, which sounds pretty good, except Real Madrid’s amounted to £433m; Barca’s to £407m; and manure’s to £331m. That is one hell of a difference!!
I have probably raised more questions than answers in this Post, but hopefully it will put some of the key financial considerations which govern Arsene Wenger and his quest to bring in new quality players into perspective.
All of us want to see trophies. Many of us do not want to see trophies at the expense of the club’s future financial stability. So perhaps financial self-sustainability, at the moment, will eventually lead to financial superiority and successful achievement of trophies in the near future!
Once a Gooner – always a Gooner!
Bergkampesque 
Morning all, a post from Red Arse! How exciting. 2 coffees and I shall study it in detail
Morning Evonne 🙂 Only two coffees?! 😛
Hi TA, no, definitely need a third one 🙂
I am surprised at those figures, I had no idea that for example our turnover was considerably lower than those of other big clubs. Not being an accountant, I give more weight to the profits, which seem very healthy.
Also, what is that about calamitous rates for the Emirates?
RA – thank you for the post, you’ve done extremely well to write about a boring subject with humour annd flair! Well done MATE 🙂
Do you write for the press or the net? I ask because there is nothing here we don’t already know or can’t research for ourselves.
Hi RA 🙂
Thanks for a good, very clearly written post on an important topic. Top stuff!
I reckon with the title you are hinting at the need to spend the profits on (more or better) players in order to have a realistic chance to win trophies again any time soon.
Both the turnover figures and commercial revenue figures highlight that we are not as big as many are assuming. You wrote:
“To begin to see the gap between us and the other clubs close we will have to wait until the end of 2013/14 when new commercial deals will hopefully come on stream. The problem with that hope is that all the above plus City and the Chavs will, no doubt, also significantly increase their commercial revenues too. Damnation!”
I am write to assume that Arsenal will be able to get similar commercial deals as other top clubs in 2013/14? If so, we should see a major improvement in this area, as long as Gazidis and co do their job right.
Finally, do you know the current amount of remaining stadium debt/loan and are there any other outstanding bank loans that you are aware of?
Hi Evonne, 🙂
This is a dull subject for non accountants I’m afraid, but rather than explore the accounting analyses concerning the profit and loss account and the breakdown of expenses particulalry with regard to the Wages and Salaries; the working capital and particularly our huge cash balances; an examination of the critical ratio analyses or the budget actual comparators so beloved of accountants, I tried to give an indication of those specific areas that affect AW’s ability to buy better (and therefore more expensive) players – or not!
And all with a minimal reference to the figures shown in the balance sheet. Yiikes! 🙂
Hi Colario,
When you say ‘we’ who are you talking for?
If you read the post carefully, you will notice Red Arse has not only provided us with an easy readable overview of the key financial issues, but he is also posing a question to us. Maybe you should share your insights with us rather than trying to score a point.
Hi Colario,
Welcome.
I do not have any writing credentials whatsoever, therefore I do not write for the Press or the Net, I am just a common or garden blogger.
Basically I only write once in a blue moon as a conversation starter for fellow bloggers and all or any of the opinions expressed above are mine, but I am open to others having different views.
Do you have any professional writing skills yourself. Even if you do not you are very welcome to express your views here on ‘Bergkampesque’. 🙂
Hi TA, 🙂
There I was thinking thru your excellent summary of individual players performances, after last night’s game — when whizzo, there it was – gone! 🙂
As a credit manager I spent a great deal of time analysing various companies Balance Sheets with a view to calculating their financial ‘health’. Usually poor profits resulted in poor ‘health’ and the reverse is also true.
There are significant movements in certain expenses in what is known as the P&L account, especially as regards salaries which have increased by almost £20m over the previous year.
In addition, the way in which the cost of buying a player is accounted for is to ‘write off’ or amortize the cost over the life of a players contract. So that a £20m player cost with a 4 year contract would be amortized at a rate of £5m per annum over 4 years.
In the year 2011/12 this amortization and an adjustment to write down a player’s valuation amounted to another £20m.
What must be of concern, and why I concentrated the Post in looking at the need for an increase in commercial revenues, is that the ‘football’ part of Arsenal’s profit has declined quite markedly over the year, and as I said, if it was not for the beneficial residual property sales and the the player sales, we would have made a loss in the year.
Looking at Arsenal’s Balance Sheet though, I can say that the ‘company’ is in rude good health with a nice balance between its assets and liabilities, with a very manageable ‘mortgage’ secured against its property portfolio. What is known as the ‘working capital’ (the liquidity needed to ensure the company can pay its creditors and other charges) is very positive.
In my opinion the money borrowed to pay for the building of the Emirates has reached a plateau and does not need to be, and will not be, repaid any faster than the terms of the mortgage agreement. To repay the debt earlier than the completion date would be punitive and pointless.
We have a very substantial cash balance at the year end. This is in line with the up front payment of season ticket sales, as well as the funds generated by the player sales I mentioned in the Post.
If I gave the impression we are not a ‘big’ club, that is unfortunate. We are!
According to Deloittes we have the 5th largest turnover after Madrid, Barca, Manure and Bayern Munich, it is just that the gap between 4th and 5th in terms of commercial revenue streams is very large and growing, at the moment. We need to up our game with better shirt and kit sponsorship, and our commercial activities in the Far East are of paramount importance.
This is all very achievable, but we have a lot of ground to make up! 🙂
Nil desperandum.
[And I still haven’t mentioned too many of those pesky figures] 🙂
Hi again RA,
Thanks for a comprehensive answer. So if we can make progress with this year’s squad, we should be ready to make the final push towards trophies in the next couple of years as with more revenue coming in (commercial) and our debt in a healthy, manageable state. There should be a better chance for us to hold on to players and buy additional/better players. Or do you reckon that the need to make a (reasonable) profit might scupper my simple reasoning?
RA – the problem I have with Arsenal maintaining the self sustainability model (not sure how to spell it), is the fact that we, the Arsenal fans, are becoming increasingly bitter. From being called ‘Boring, boring Arsenal’ we are now ‘Bitter, bitter Arsenal’.
It is a bit like your next door neighbour who drives a spanking clean family saloon, spends his money carefully and as a result has a healthy bank balance, which he likes to look at every now and then. But he hates the man across the road who always drives a fancy 4×4, sports a Rolex watch and Selfridges laminated carriers. Your next door neighbour is jealous and bitter.
And that’s us now. We hate Chavs because they are, like it or lump it, the European Champions. We cannot stand Man Shiity because they are the EPL winners, ManYoo because they can afford our best striker’s wages and anybody else who is not bottom of the table (except for Stoke of course).
We need a trophy, badly, now. Personally I don’t give two hoots about trophies, but even less about the self-sustainability model. But to increase the turnover and profits the Club needs to sell more shirts/ buy more fans yes the glory hunters who fill in the tills. Success sells very well indeed and most people would rather buy from the man accross the road with a fancy 4×4 and who oozes success, than from your next door neighbour in a shiny family saloon.
Blimey Evonne, that is a fine multi-faceted analogy! 🙂
Would I like my club to be run by the show-off risk-taker neighbour, or the conservative (small c) champion of sustainability neighbour? It all depends how much you value safeguarding the mid-to-long term future of the club and the principle of winning something fairly on one hand, and winning something as soon as possible and at any cost on the other. With the ‘4×4 success oozer’ the club is always just a car-crash, a scorpion-bite, or a lethal injection away from entering the realms of oblivion.
If I was managing the club in a conscious rather than an ego-enhancing sort of way, I would never risk jeopardising the future, but would try absolutely everything to maximise my legitimate means. I would therefore lean towards mr Family-Saloon who happens to pack a half-decent punch when pushed. In the end, it is not about cars or swanky watches – it is about the magic of our feet (and other limbs 😉 ).
Thanks for a great comment, Evonne. Top stuff. 🙂
Evonne,
I understand the dichotomy between those who have ‘sugar daddies’ and those who don’t.
I am sure you would agree, that whoever bought Arsenal should Kroenke want to sell or be forced to sell, could simply go on with a successful and well run club.
On the other hand, if Putin decided to shoot his lackey, Abramovich, Chelsea would be in the sugars, unless yet another oily baron came out from under the floor boards.
Think of it this way. I personally know a couple of very beautiful women who have married guys who, shall we say, make bull frogs look cuddly, warts and all. They have everything money can buy — the drawback is they have all the material wealth, but none of the love and friendship all humans need —– and they have to sleep with these slobs!!
Most women, I suspect, would not want to prostitute themselves in that way, and would prefer to be comfortably well off with a nice, loving husband and friends in the same position as themselves.
That is the same difference between Arsenal and the Chavs. Yuk!! 😦
Make bull frogs look cuddly – hahaha.
Hi RA, your post had a relatively good number of views but it really was worthy of NewsNow exposure. With the less used ‘Arsenal news search engines’ of ‘Arsenal News’ and ‘Just Arsenal Blogs’ a post, however good, only gets limited exposure.
Hope you don’t mind and thanks for writing it for Bergkampesque! 🙂
TA,
I omitted to clarify the debt position at Arsenal when you asked.
Well, Arsenal have prudently paid off most of their property debt and this has helped to reduce its (gross) debt to £253 million according to the accounts.
As I mentioned above, this only leaves the long term fixed bonds secured on our property portfolio (the Emirates) at £225m and the shareholders debentures amounting to £28m.
If you deduct the mighty cash balances mentioned above (£153m) that would reduce the debt of £253m to a net debt of £100m, easily managed by a club of Arsenal’s size.
And NO, you are not over-simplifying things — I have already pointed out, that an increase in our commercial revenues as well as our share of the EPL TV deal plus our continued presence in Europe would really change the state of play in the next 3 years, to the extent we could compete financially on an even playing field with the other ‘big four’.
There is one big IF — and that is UEFA must get serious about applying the FFP rules. That is the potential fly in the ointment.
TA,
I only wrote it for you (Bergkampesque) and for no other reason, as a gesture of support. Also, you are being too kind about its merits. It really is not very good and the majority of casual readers could not give a toss.
My advice? Put your Post from this morning back up. I really enjoyed that! 🙂
Thanks RA 🙂
A net debt of £100m seems very reasonable to me, and let’s hope FFP really has a bite to it.
Your post is exactly the sort of post that has a home here, and over time, I hope to build up a good ‘knowledge bank’ of posts re the subject of finance/ownership. 🙂
Good Post Redders, You said to me the other day sometimes I accept our financial handicap and sometimes I don’t. I always take our finances into consideration, because it is a constant, and has to be factored in when discussing the club’s chances of success. But personally I feel citing finances alone is too simplistic and gives certain people a ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ card. A good example of this is Tottenham. They are not as big as us and have a significantly lower wage-bill than either Arsenal or Chelsea, and yet they were a Marton Fulop mistake away from finishing third. Sure we finished above Chelsea, but I’d have gladly swapped seasons with them last year.
We have the 4th highest wage-bill in the PL, and that’s largely where we finish.
As I said in reply to GliC yesterday, Arsenal’s Board could be cited for holding the club back, and failing to meet their full potential. It is only my personal belief, but I honestly feel that had either Bobby Robson, Brian Clough or Alex Ferguson managed Arsenal we’d have more than one European Cup sitting in our cabinet, and as a result of such, today we’d be discussing a club that is as revered and celebrated as much as a Real Madrid or Barcelona. That isn’t preposterous fantasy, that’s a very real scenario that a club of our stature should have on its CV.
Are we the best we can be given the whole picture? Not for me. I accept we are at a huge financial disadvantage, but we haven’t utilised our own resources intelligently enough, and that holds Arsenal back just as much as the short-fall in cash.
Well well well… I see a blue moon in the sky!
Excellent summary of our financial position Redders 🙂
May I make a couple of observations?
Our turnover is a LONG way behind the two Spanish clubs, but that is in large part due to the rigged TV market they have in the Scottish Premier League (Southern Division). We are also a long way behind ManUre but that will change when we can renegotiate our commercial deals.
The biggest risk for Arsenal now would be to fall off the pace over the next two seasons: if we are not challenging for the CL and the EPL when it’s time to renegotiate the commercial deals, it will cost us tens and tens of millions. So maybe, over the next few transfer windows, we might see a bit more of a tendency to “speculate to accumulate”.
Finally, the positive ‘elephant in the room’ lurking behind every word of your Post is the sheer brilliance of Arsene Wenger. To have remained so competitive (even if falling short of the big prizes) while having a net player spend of effectively zero is a level of genius and ability that is breathtaking to comprehend.
Punching above our weight indeed!
Hi Herb, 🙂
That’s what I love about you! 🙂 I am never too sure which Herb is going to present himself.
I remember when you first started to comment on the AA blog you said very much the same. Then some months later you had modified your stance and now the old Herb is back!! 🙂
I cannot gainsay you because these feelings we all have at some stage are based on gut feelings and may well be right, but it is only a conjecture that can never be proved for all that.
If it might have happened previously that Arsenal could have been on a pedestal with Real and Barca, then I am happy to think it will be so in the near future! 🙂
Rocky, 🙂
I trust the blue moon that you are seeing is not the result of you going Manc City? Oh, you mean my crap effort at explaining the Arsenal Accounts without mentioning too many figures.
It is a bit like getting drunk on non-alcoholic beer! TA has been very kind at allowing me to indulge myself. 🙂
TA,
If I can revert back to your summation of some relevant points from the game last night, can I say that my residual fears about our young keeper, Mannone, has resurfaced lately.
He just does enough, I suppose, but each time I keep expecting him to bugger something up and give away a goal.
Maybe it is just me — but I cannot wait for Evonne’s favourite Pole dancer to get back in goal.
The more I ‘chatted’ with people on ‘AA’ Redders, the more I wanted Arsene Wenger to be a success. He is an honourable man with all the right values, and is statesman-like in speech and posture. He has an ideology of football that meets with the rapturous approval of us all, but within that analytical philosophy are glaring flaws and idiosyncrasies that undoubtedly holds Arsenal back.
His 2004 team is the stuff of footballing Gods and will go down in football folk-lore, but the fulcrum of that was Dennis Bergkamp and that we attacked with real pace. The change of formation as much as anything else has considerably weakened us as a unit because since letting Robert Pires go we haven’t invested in a real winger. He uses strikers out wide for which we slate and sympathise with them in equal measure because they’re not good enough, but they’re being played out of position.Our manager has an attacking philosophy but plays one up top instead of two, and defensively the formation continues to concede too many goals.
I have doubts about Szczesny’s long-term ability, and this is another area that hasn’t been addressed since Jens Lehmann left (the first time).
If you get too many minor details wrong the overall picture looks like something you or I might have drawn rather than the Rembrandt or Van Gogh it is meant to be.
Evening guys, thanks for the comments. I have just arrived in Holland. Catch up with you later/tomorrow. 🙂
Great stuff Redders.
The 2 spanish giants turnover is frightening stuff. Like you say, new PL TV deals and sponsership deals should narrow the gap, but there martetability means we will be behind them for quite a while.
I just wonder Redders, that if FFP works, and i think to a large degree it will. Will it then herald the beggining of the big English Clubs seeking there own individual TV deals in the chase for increased turnover? Barca and Real have that advantage in Spain.
If it does, it will change the nature of the PL dramaticly. Small clubs like stoke (hehehe) will just become canon fodder for the big boys. It could make our league uncompetitive.
A ravishing Redders post ! 🙂
I`m glad that the two accountants I trust ( although Stretches fascination for wardrobes is alarming hahaha ) are Pro FFP. I`m not too worried about Bayern, Real and Barca as they are not our domestic rivals, we only encounter them usually in a knockout format and we all know anything can happen there with a slice of luck ( just look at them slimy cheesy lucky chavs ) . In the not too distant future, it will be back to a two horse race between us and ManU R Kidding me !. I like the odds in a two horse race !. Even better is a one horse race like when i chase myself around the bedroom !. hahaha
Sorry I could not be around last night, guys.
I actually do understand what you are saying Herb, but there are contributory reasons for that. Maybe we can pick up on this later.
Terry Stretcher, 🙂
You are quite right about the work that needs to be done to close the commercial ‘gap’, but I genuinely think we are at last getting to a position where that becomes a realistic proposition in the fairly near future.
My lovely, Glicster, 🙂
You are far more perceptive on all matters footie, including the financial ramifications than you are sometimes given credit for.
I hope you never lose your enthusiasm and dedication, and you never know, one day you might even catch yourself – mirror or no mirror!! 🙂
Terry,
I do not think there will ever be a TV deal between individual clubs in the UK. It does give Madrid and Barca a totally unjustifiable financial advantage, but when the idea was floated in the UK the other ‘loser’ clubs said they would refuse to play if any such deal was allowed in the premier League.
And quite right too, in my opinion. As you say, it would cripple many clubs and the competition would be as valueless as the two horse race in Spain.
Red Arse…..GLiC is far too slow to catch himself. Besides, it’s a good job he is sluggish cos he wouldn’t know what to do if he managed to succeed.
Hi VCC, 🙂
Yup. He probably would blow it by turning himself off with his rubbish chat up line! 🙂
When I say ‘blow it’ I don’t mean ……………………….
Fact is VCC, I have read a little ditty by that great poet, Glic! 🙂
He said;
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I’m a schizo
And so am I
Red Arse. How right you are with that poem. Lol
Do my eyes deceive me or is that RA the writer? Looking forward to reading it.
Sites looking great TA, very impressed
Great article RA, I really enjoy these sorts from yourself, GiE, Terry and the rest of the number crunchers. Simply because i have no idea otherwise so I’m glad it’s all explained in black and white.
I think we are moving forward in a positive direction, but the sponsorship deals can’t come soon enough. I often get disillusioned with this FFP stuff (until I read a TMHT comment telling me otherwise) because I don’t see how Chelsea and Co are still spending ridiculous amounts when it’s supposed to be digging it’s claws in. Then you see Arsene grab a player like Jenks, and I think back to City’s best player (Kompany) who cost them only 6 million. Does money play as big of a part as we think? Pod vs Nasri, Kozzer vs Lescott, the list goes on.
Also look what Montpelier achieved with little money compared to PSG. We outplayed City at there home ground…we can do it to anyone. I think the board/Arsene are very switched on.
As they say “it’s always darkest before the dawn” and I think we are heading into a brand new day!
Can i make a suggestion TA, is it position to have the time the comments were written? Just because of the massive time difference I don’t know how long ago someone was on-line, or when someone responded.
Hi Oz, 🙂
TA is in Holland for a short break, and no doubt will get back to you on that.
I agree that if it is possible I would like the date/time on the comments too.
I have to be honest about the figures Oz, I did not want to burden everyone with the usual accounting bumph, but in truth it does lose some sharpness without those details.
But bollix to that, because if it helps to give some idea of the financial state of play without giving you and others a headache, it is worth it! 🙂
Hi Redders,I look forward to your synopsis in reference to my opinions. Maybe I was just born to doom.
Hi Oz, hope you’re keeping well.
OZ, I have looked into getting time added to the comments, but without much luck. I am not an IT-expert, as you can tell. 😦
Hi Ta. Hope your having a great time visiting your homeland. Hope you don’t miss the West Ham game.
Take care
Hi Herb, 🙂
The way I see it, in brief, is that there are distinct similarities between the two men/managers.
However, there are also significant factors affecting each of their respective ‘reigns’.
Similarities:
– Both SUCCESSFUL.
– Both upright and very honourable, respectful men, and highly regarded within the societies of their times.
– Both footballing intellectuals and innovators
– Both joined Arsenal at a low point in the fortunes of the club, and dramatically improved matters.
– Both played professional football, but neither were particularly good.
– Both managed previous clubs successfully, and were/are seen as modernisers in their respective eras, and also great motivators.
– I am sure this is not exhaustive, but you get my drift.
Differences:
– Herb played for Tottenham — BOO 🙂
– AW did not!! 🙂
– Herb won Arsenal’s first major honour.
– Herb introduced novel playing strategies including the W formation.
– Herb won 1 FA Cup and 2 League titles over 9 years before his untimely death.
– AW has so far managed the club for 16 years, and always qualified for Europe.
– AW led Arsenal to the Premier title in 2003/04, without losing a single game – Unique
– AW awarded France’s highest honour the Legion d’Honneur.
– AW awarded the Queen’s Birthday Honours Award of the OBE.
– AW has won 3 Premiership titles, 1998, 2002, 2004, including the Double.
– AW has won 4 FA Cups 2005, 2003, 2002, 1998, including the Double.
– AW has overseen the complete overhaul of Arsenal, including the move from Highbury into a new purpose built stadium and the construction of a huge modern training facility.
Whereas I think Herbert Chapman deserves great respect and credit for what he achieved in changing the fortunes of a struggling Arsenal, and he has my admiration, I simply cannot accept that he has in any respect outshone AW who has almost single handedly brought Arsenal the most fantastic and sustained era in their history.
It is impossible to compare people from different eras, and frankly I think it is pointless, Herb, but I am doing it for you!! 🙂
(for example who can say whether [1930’s] Jesse Owens was a better athlete than [2010/12] Usain Bolt?)
I think it better to agree they were/are both great men and leave it at that. 🙂
@ Herb
All is well Herb. I hope all is good with you too. Haven’t seen you around in ages.
@ TA
enjoy your holiday, make sure you tell them to cook the onions, none of that raw junk haha
@ RA
You describe it really well, you and the accountants around always do. Always a good read because in oz we don’t hear the behind the scenes stuff so always keen to hear
Hi TA, 🙂
Have you thought of asking the Vid Kid, Chas for his help? He claims not to be an IT expert but he is pretty damn good anyway!! 🙂
TA,
With regard to the date/time issue: I have noticed that your blog is using a different ‘Theme’ from some other blog sites.
Theme: Customized Titan by The Theme Foundry.
Blog at WordPress.com.
Theme: Customized Contempt by Vault9.
Blog at WordPress.com.
This is shown at the bottom of the respective pages.
Can you change your theme?
Would Rasp help? He is a bit of a whizz too, and a decent guy.
Good point RA – I will have a look at the ”theme” next week.
Thanks guys, I am at my dad for his 70th birthday. We are not watching the CL-review together. Both mad about football.
New Post!
TA,
I pinched this from ‘Dummies’ Word Press:
How to Set the Date and Time in Your WordPress.com Blog
On the WordPress.com General Settings page, you can control the way the date and time is displayed.
To set up your date and time, or to make changes to date and time settings on your WordPress blog, follow these steps:
1 Click the General link in the Settings menu to load the General Settings page in your WordPress.com Dashboard.
Use the last sections of the General Settings page to set your local time, so that your blog posts are published with a time stamp in your own time zone no matter where in the world you are.
2 Scroll down to the date and time options.
Set a time zone, and choose your date and time formats.
3 Click the Time zone section.
Choose your UTC time from the drop-down menu. This setting refers to the number of hours that your local time differs from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This setting ensures that all your blog posts and comments left on your blog are time-stamped with the correct time.
For example, if you’re lucky enough to live on the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, which is in the Central time zone (CST), you would choose –6 from the drop-down menu because that time zone is 6 hours off UTC.
If you’re unsure what your UTC time is, you can find it at the Greenwich Mean Time Web site. GMT is essentially the same thing as UTC. The Timezone option doesn’t update automatically for daylight saving time (DST). If you live in an area of the world that practices DST, you have to update the Timezone option manually when it occurs.
4 Click the Date Format section.
Select how you want to display the date.
WordPress.com gives you four basic date formats to choose from, and also provides you with a way to customize the display of the date on your website by entering custom date formats.
For example, The date format of F j, Y (F = the full month name; j = the two-digit day; Y = the four-digit year), gives you the output of January 1, 2008.
Select a different format by clicking the circle to the left of the option.
5 Click the Time Format section.
Select how you want to display the time.
WordPress.com gives you three basic time formats to choose from, and also provides you with a way to customize the display of the time on your web site by entering custom time formats.
For example, the time format of g:i a (g = the two-digit hour; i = the two-digit minute; a = lowercase ante meridiem and post meridiem, or a.m. or p.m.), gives you the output of 12:00 a.m.
Select a different format by clicking the circle to the left of the option.
You can also customize the date display by selecting the Custom option and entering your preferred format in the text box provided.
6 Click the Week Starts On drop-down arrow.
From the drop-down menu, choose the day the week starts in your calendar.
The display of the calendar in the sidebar of your blog is optional.
If you choose to display the calendar, you can select the day of the week you want your calendar to start with.
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Might help! 🙂
Cheers RA – great stuff. 🙂
Wow!! So sorry Redders, I didn’t mean for you to visit old ground and try to compare Chapman and Wenger, a truly impossible task. My previous comment was aimed at the discussion leading from your post, regarding the intelligent use of our resources. Millions of peoples moods depend on one mans decisions, which is a huge responsibility for any individual to undertake.
I think glass half-full capitalists think he’s an absolute legend, and glass half-empty socialists are more vocal in their angst and vitriol towards him and the current model.
I’m not demanding trophies and I never have. These days we go into a new season realistically knowing we’re not in the title race, or in the shake-up to win the CL, and we don’t take the domestic Cups seriously anymore because finishing top four has become all-consuming, and that is currently what we’re supporting. One of the biggest clubs in the world, and we shirk from the battle because our owner has bought Arsenal to make money.
People take the moral high ground over Chelsea and Manchester City, but at least their owners care. They want a winning product to show off to the world, and they attend most matches to make sure they are getting it. Aston Villa have American owners who allowed Martin O’Neill to spend over £100m, Liverpool have American owners who let Dalglish waste over £100m, MU have American owners who may have saddled the club with debt, but Fergie has still been allowed significant funds to spend, including taking our best player.
If I were being particularly critical, I might even refer to our stance as cowardly.