Final Results

Arsenal Holdings plc Results for the year ended 31 May 2010 ARSENAL'S PROPERTY BUSINESS DELIVERS SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DEBT * The completion of sale of 362 (2009 - 208) private apartments at Highbury Square and the social housing site at Queensland Road generated £156.9 million of revenue from property (2009 - £88.3 million) and allowed the Group to repay £129.6 million of bank loans. * The Group's property business is now debt free and generating surplus cash for the Group. The overall level of Group net debt had been reduced to £ 135.6 million (2009 - £297.7 million) at the balance sheet date. * Group turnover increased to £379.9 million (2009 - £313.3 million) boosted by the income generated from property sales. * Operating profit (before depreciation and player trading) in the football business was £56.8 million (2009 - £62.7 million) after increased wage costs. * Operating profit in the property business was £15.2 million (2009 - £7.8 million) reflecting the sales activity at Highbury Square. * Profit from player trading of £13.6 million (2009 - £2.9 million). * Group profit before tax was £56.0 million (2009 - £45.5 million) and profit after tax was £61.0 million (2009 - £35.2 million). Commenting on the results for the year, Peter Hill-Wood, non-executive Chairman, said: "The most pleasing aspect of these results is that the returns generated in the property business during the year, particularly at Highbury Square, have allowed us to repay £130 million of bank loans and significantly reduce the Group's overall net debt. We now have a debt free property business which is accumulating surplus cash as further unit sales are made at Highbury Square and which has three further property assets to realise over the next few years." Ivan Gazidis, Chief Executive, said: "The competitive landscape makes it ever tougher to achieve success on the field and standing still is simply not, and never has been, an option for the Club. It is important that we continue to develop a vibrant and robust business with sufficient revenues to sustain success. The Group has made good progress over the last year and I am excited by the opportunities which we have in front of us." Arsenal Holdings plc Chairman's report I am pleased to open my report to shareholders by confirming another excellent set of financial results. Turnover of £379.9 million and profit before taxation of £56.0 million are at new record high levels for the Group. The most pleasing aspect of these results is that the returns generated in the property business during the year, particularly at Highbury Square, have allowed us to repay £130 million of bank loans and reduce the Group's overall net debt to just £135.6 million. We now have a debt free property business which is accumulating surplus cash as further unit sales are made at Highbury Square and which has three further property assets to realise over the next few years. The Group's only remaining debts are the long-term bonds which represent our "mortgage" on the Emirates Stadium and supporter held debentures, which are also long-term. We have also resolved some long-running issues with HM Revenue & Customs such that we now have an agreed and up to date position for the Group across all aspects of our tax affairs. The finances of football have been something of a hot topic over the last year. It is not my intention to enter this debate or to comment on the financial position of other clubs either in the UK or overseas, however, I would once again reiterate our own belief in and commitment to a financially self-sustaining business model and prudent financial management. The accounts show the Club to be in good financial health and well placed: * to continue investing, sensibly, in the team, its supporting staff and training facilities; * to continue investing in Emirates Stadium so that it stays best in class and has a clear identity as Arsenal's home; * to continue our investment in establishing a world class management team capable of building on Arsenal's position as one of the most commercially successful clubs in world football; and * to comply with all aspects of any increased financial regulation introduced either by the Premier League or UEFA. It was pleasing to see a full stadium for all of the Club's home fixtures last season and I would thank our fans for the superb support they give to the team. We have been very pleased with the positive feedback from fans on the work we have undertaken to "Arsenalise" the stadium over the last year. The "Arsenalisation" project, which was one of Ivan Gazidis' first initiatives as Chief Executive, has been a great success and is referred to in more detail in Ivan's own report. Turning to matters on the field, the 2009/10 season had many twists. Although the team at times played some sublime football, there was also some inconsistency and a long injury list which saw several important players sidelined for key fixtures. We finished the Premier League season with an improved 75 points and third in the table, one place higher than in the previous year. The team also reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League. Overall, I think the season's performance showed progression and our young squad's experience is certainly growing with every game. Although it is no substitute for a trophy, the team's qualification straight into the group phase of UEFA Champions League 2010/11 is a significant achievement. During the year we were delighted to hear that Vic Akers, who stepped down as manager of the Arsenal Ladies team at the end of last season, had been awarded an OBE, for his contribution to football, in the Queen's New Year's Honours List. Vic pioneered Arsenal Ladies long before women's football was an established part of the social landscape and he has made a huge contribution, not only to Arsenal, but to the cause of women's sport. Our congratulations to him on this very well deserved award. Vic was actually the Club's first ever Community Liaison Officer and in February this year we marked the 25th anniversary of Arsenal in the Community. We were very proud of reaching this milestone. The Club recognises that it has many responsibilities which extend far beyond the football arena and Arsenal in the Community, led by Alan Sefton, does some wonderful work across a wide variety of sporting, charitable, educational and social inclusion projects. These projects are established not just in the Club's local community in Islington, but across our home city of London and, in fact, now reach into many other countries. Our commitment to this area will continue in 2010/11 with the opening of a separate office facility for the Community team and the start of the construction of a new sports centre for their use on Queensland Road. There is more information on the work of Arsenal in the Community and its anniversary elsewhere in the Annual Report and a very informative booklet can be downloaded from Arsenal.com/community. I take this opportunity to once again congratulate Alan and his team and indeed everyone involved in Arsenal in the Community, past and present, on all their achievements and on the genuine difference they have made for so many people. A few weeks ago we were delighted to announce that a contract extension had been agreed with Arsène Wenger which will see our most successful manager stay with the Club to the end of the 2013/14 season. Arsène has made an enormous contribution to the Club over the last 14 years and his commitment is as strong and as fresh as ever. The exciting and compelling football which Arsenal teams play under his stewardship is admired the world over and his ability to bring through talented young players is second to none. He also contributes to the responsible management of the Club's financial resources and his conscientious approach is fundamental in the development of the Club for long-term, as well as short-term, success. Not only does Arsène analyse and work within his player budget, but he understands when to extract value - witness these 2009/10 accounts where profits were boosted by some £38 million from the sales of players who were no longer central to his future plans. Over recent years we have pursued a policy of investment in exceptional youth. Arsène is confident that each year this current group of players is progressing and getting closer to achieving their potential. We share his confidence and start the new season with a great sense of excitement and ambition. The Club has the playing resources to compete at the highest level and to win trophies - when that happens, the success will be all the sweeter for having been earned through our own hard work, for it having been achieved the Arsenal way. In closing, I would like to thank my fellow directors, our management team and our entire staff for all of their hard work and dedication over the last year. Finally, thank you for the fantastic support given to the Club by all of our shareholders, supporters, sponsors and commercial partners. I look forward to welcoming you all again to Emirates Stadium over the course of the new season. P D Hill-Wood Chairman 24 September 2010 Arsenal Holdings plc Chief Executive's report The Group has made good progress, both on and off the field, over the last year. Before I consider that progress, I would like to start my report to shareholders by echoing the sentiments expressed by the Chairman in relation to Arsenal in the Community and its 25th anniversary celebrations. Since joining the Club at the start of 2009 I have been hugely impressed by the extraordinary work done by our Community department across a whole range of projects and in support of so many educational, charitable and social objectives. Alan Sefton and his team really do make a difference and we are very proud of their achievements. The financial results for the year, which are covered in more detail in the Financial Review section of this report, are very healthy and show that the Group's self-sustaining business model, despite what was undoubtedly a difficult year for the economy in general, is very much on track. In particular, the results from the property side of the business have been remarkable. Over the last 18 months Highbury Square has moved from being a potential risk for the Group, a project carrying £135 million of bank debt which needed to be renegotiated with a three bank syndicate, to being a debt free and cash generative asset for the Group. The 600th apartment sale was completed in August and we expect to have fully sold all the 655 apartments by the close of the 2010/11 financial year. I'd like to congratulate, once again, everyone involved in the delivery of the Highbury Square project. Our property business is now debt free and ready to deliver some surplus cash back to the rest of the Group over the next couple of years. Part of that cash will be used to support long-term investment in Emirates Stadium, to ensure it remains a best-in-class spectator facility for our fans and reflects and celebrates Arsenal's history and traditions. We'll also look to invest in the player training facilities and there are projects either underway or at the planning stage for new pitches, constructed to the same standard as the pitch at the Emirates, and a new medical / rehabilitation wing at London Colney. The cash from property will also allow us, for a short period, to push our investment in players ahead of where it might be if it was based purely on the revenues generated from football. Of course, the profits from property are temporary and we need to make sure that in the longer term costs remain at a level which can be paid from our football revenues. During the year I have been actively involved in the European Club Association's consultation with UEFA in relation to new financial licensing rules to be introduced for UEFA competitions. These new regulations under the banner of Financial Fair Play will introduce a requirement, to be phased in by 2014/15, for clubs to operate on a break-even basis over a rolling three year period. The Premier League has also recently tightened some of its own rules in the area of financial compliance. Financial Fair Play aims to introduce more discipline and rationality in clubs' finances in order to protect the long-term viability of the game across Europe. These objectives clearly make a lot of sense and our self-sustaining business model means that Arsenal is well placed to comply with the new rules. However, it remains to be seen what actual impact the new financial regulations will have on the transfer market and the levels of player wages in general. On the Field The 2009/10 season was something of a roller-coaster ride which saw the first-team challenge strongly for the Premier League title over long periods of the season. Ultimately, hampered by a long list of injuries to important players at key moments of the season, that challenge fell short and we had to settle for a respectable third place. The reward was a qualification straight into the group phase of a 13th consecutive UEFA Champions League for 2010/11 and all of the exciting competitive challenges and financial benefits which come with participation in that competition. The team's positive football and disciplinary record meant the Club received the Premier League Fair Play Award for the 2009/10 season. In the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League the team campaigned through to the quarter-final stage where, unfortunately, it came up against one of the world's best players on inspired form. Four goals from Lionel Messi in the Nou Camp was something that few teams would have been able to resist and, while losing is never easy, this was exactly the type of historic game that we want to be involved in - in front of a global audience, on a great stage, in a great competition - and the experience for the players will have been invaluable. We made some good additions to the squad for the 2009/10 season - with Thomas Vermaelen, in particular, standing out across a very good first term with the Club. We also saw a number of young players, such as Alex Song, come through to secure regular and deserved positions within the first team set-up. Aaron Ramsey was also one of the young players to make a positive impact prior to his unfortunate, serious injury. I'm pleased to say that Aaron is recovering well and that we've recently extended his contract with the Club. Away from the first team the season did see some silverware for the Club. Our Under-18 side, managed by Steve Bould, retained its FA Premier Academy League title with a thrilling 5-3 win over Nottingham Forest - a game played in front of a big crowd at Emirates Stadium. The Arsenal Ladies continued their dominance of the women's game by winning a 12th Women's Premier League; remarkably, this was the Ladies seventh title in a row. Players During the close season the Club has secured the signing of some exciting new players. Moroccan international Marouane Chamakh has joined Arsenal on a long-term contract from French side Bordeaux. The 26 year-old striker made a total of 293 appearances, scoring 79 goals, during his eight years with Les Girondins. He will wear the number 29 shirt for Arsenal. During the 2008/09 league campaign Chamakh scored 14 goals, helping Bordeaux win the French League title. His good form continued into last season as he helped Bordeaux reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, having finished above both Bayern Munich and Juventus in the Group Stage. Born and raised in France, but playing international football for Morocco through his parentage, Chamakh has made 53 appearances for the North African country, scoring 27 goals, and he was part of the side which reached the Final of the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations. Laurent Koscielny has joined us from French Ligue 1 side Lorient. Koscielny is a central defender who has made progress very quickly. The 24 year-old made 40 appearances in all competitions during the 2009/10 season, which was his first with Lorient, helping them to 7th place in Ligue 1. Currently uncapped, he was born in France but would also qualify to represent the Poland national team as a result of his family roots. We believe that Laurent will prove to be a great addition to our squad. Our third signing of the summer was French international defender, Sebastian Squillaci who was purchased from Sevilla. Part of the France 2010 World Cup squad, Squillaci is a strong and vastly experienced central defender with a competitive edge to his game. He has made 36 appearances in the Champions League and so far has 21 caps for his country. Prior to his time in Spain, Squillaci enjoyed a successful spell in France with Lyon where he was part of the team which achieved back-to-back Ligue 1 titles in 2007 and 2008. He was also part of AS Monaco's impressive Champions League campaign in 2004, helping the side reach the Final and beating Real Madrid and Chelsea en route. The summer window saw the departure of a number of first team squad players. Croatian international Eduardo left the Club to join the Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk. Eduardo made a total of 67 appearances for the Club in all competitions, scoring 20 times. His recovery from a horrific leg injury, sustained at Birmingham City in February 2008, was testament to his strength as a human being - his character and determination will be missed by everyone at Arsenal. French international William Gallas left Arsenal at the end of June; the expiry of his contract ending the centre back's association with the Club he joined from Chelsea in August 2006. A defensive stalwart and captain for nearly half of his time with the Gunners, Gallas made 142 appearances scoring 17 goals in his four seasons. Quick, tough and an excellent reader of the game, William added experience and influence to the heart of Arsenal's back four. Sadly, his final season was cut short due to a calf injury and his comeback match, against Barcelona, proved to be his last for the Club when he aggravated the injury. Sol Campbell, who rejoined Arsenal on a short-term contract in January to add some invaluable experience in the dressing room for the closing stages of the season, has moved on to Newcastle United. In total, over his two spells with the Club, Campbell made 211 appearances, scoring a dozen goals. The other first team squad players to leave were Phillipe Senderos, Mikael Silvestre and Fran Merida, who moved on at the end of their contracts with the Club, and Jay Simpson who was transferred to Hull City. We wish all of these departing players well for their future careers and thank them all for the contribution they made to Arsenal Football Club. Charity of the Season Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity became Arsenal's nominated Charity of the Season for 2009/10, taking over from Teenage Cancer Trust. The partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, which is the fundraising arm behind one of the world's leading children's hospitals, added to the successes achieved in recent years under Arsenal's charitable campaign banner of "Be a Gooner. Be a Giver". At the start of the season we set ourselves a fundraising target of £500,000 with the aim of funding a brand new Arsenal Lung Function Unit for children who have difficulty breathing or sleeping. Thanks to the outstanding work of everyone involved in the campaign over the course of the season and the generosity of very many supporters, players and members of the Club's staff the final total raised exceeded £800,000. Arsenalisation This Club exists for its fans and we have a clear imperative of ensuring that all of our fans feel they belong and that their experience is the best that it can be, whatever their level of engagement with the Club. I want the service we provide to our fans to be consistently excellent across all touch points with the Club. In order for this to happen we've invested in our people resource in the personnel and human resources area and this new team has recently launched a unique Arsenal training academy which, in due course, will work with all of our forward facing staff. The Club's fans must always be central to our thinking and it was with this in mind that in 2009 we started a programme of works to "Arsenalise" Emirates Stadium. The objective of this programme was to bring the Club's rich heritage to life within Emirates Stadium and to make it feel more like home to all our supporters. We wanted to achieve a very visible stronghold of all things Arsenal and to provide the environment that our fans were asking for. Developments in 2009/10 included the introduction of giant murals on the outside of the stadium, the spectacular "Spirit of Highbury" monument and the Arsenalisation of the lower tier concourses, as well as various developments within the stadium bowl. The continuation of this project into 2010 has included: * the return of the Clock on the roof at the south of the stadium and the renaming of the stands to bring back the famous Clock End and North Bank. The Clock was ceremonially started and celebrated at our first home game of the new season against Blackpool; * the Arsenalisation of the upper tier concourses - following the themes that were so well received in the lower tier concourses; * an incredible 13,000 supporters immortalising their names and messages in commemorative granite within Armoury Square, thus providing a new landmark at the stadium; and * introducing an option for Season Ticket Holders and Club Level members to personalise and name their seat. The feedback from fans has been strong and positive and we will continue to look for more innovative ways to listen and respond to our fans in evolving our home and its immediate surrounds. It is vitally important that we continue to invest in Emirates Stadium - ensuring that it remains one of the leading venues in world football. This will not only help to maximise the experience of our fans but will also provide the best opportunity to grow the revenues we can derive from the stadium. Over summer 2010 we started what will be a rolling programme of stadium development works. The first phase of this programme addressed a quarter of Club Level delivering: * a full refurbishment of the Woolwich restaurant themed around the achievements of Herbert Chapman and Arsène Wenger, including two 20 foot chainmail portraits suspended from the ceiling; * The WM Club; a new members a la carte restaurant named after the formation Herbert Chapman made famous. The luxurious space, including bar and lounge will accommodate 248 members; * The Foundry; a members buffet seating 148 covers, overlooking the Woolwich and celebrating the story of David Danskin and our founding fathers; * Legends corner bar; developed into a sports bar, with new seating and diner style food offering; and * 120 additional high definition plasma screens throughout the Club Level space. The response from supporters indicates these summer works have been extremely well received. The build up to the 2010/11 season saw us stage another very successful Emirates Cup. With a cumulative two day attendance of 115,000 supporters, the Emirates Cup is firmly established as Europe's pre-eminent pre-season tournament. An important part of the success of the Emirates Cup and of our pre-season Members Day is their unique atmosphere as days for the fans. Listening to our fans, we have introduced from the start of the 2010/11 season a more professional and co-ordinated game presentation for all home matches. In another recent initiative, we have commissioned the most extensive piece of research work in the Club's history and will be using the output to further improve our service levels and add value to the Club's interaction with its fans. Finally, with our supporter groups, we have already started making plans for season 2011/12 which will see the Club celebrate its 125th anniversary. Commercial Partners In order for the Club to continue to compete at the very highest levels of the game, it is important that we continue to develop as a vibrant and robust business with sufficient revenues to sustain success. There is no doubt that the areas of commercial activity and sponsorship provide the greatest opportunity for the Group to generate significant incremental revenues in the medium to long term. It is vitally important that we have the right people on our commercial team to ensure that we make the most of this opportunity. Tom Fox, who joined as Chief Commercial Officer in September 2009, has led a reorganisation and significant strengthening of the commercial team with some very talented senior level hires in the areas of partnerships, marketing, retail and strategy / business development. We now have a first class commercial team in place which is well placed to leverage the domestic and international power of the Arsenal name. The Club has developed its commercial programme over the course of last season by improving and extending a number of existing deals, as well as attracting new partners, despite a difficult and challenging economic climate. In late 2009 the Club confirmed the extension of its agreement with its kit partner, Nike, for a further three seasons to 2014. This extension was anticipated in the original sponsorship agreement and it delivers an improvement in the commercial terms for the remainder of the term. As part of its broader partnership with Nike the Club will look to leverage Nike's global scale to develop its business internationally. In addition, the Club has recently extended its agreement with Lucozade Sport and we look forward to working closely with the UK's leading sports drink brand for a further three seasons. The Club is also pleased to welcome Thomson Sport as a new commercial partner. As well as utilising the strength of the Arsenal brand to build its position as one of Europe's leading travel companies, Thomson Sport will provide travel services to our players, fans and executives. Travel offerings for Arsenal fans will include home and away game packages and discounted holidays. Arsenal Broadband, which operates the Arsenal.com site, has entered a long-term media partnership with MP & Silva with the strategic objective of developing new, exclusive and entertaining high-definition broadcast programming that will appeal to an international audience. MP & Silva is a leading international sports media company that owns, manages and distributes television and media rights for some of the most prestigious sporting events including the English Premier League, in selected markets, and Italy's top professional football league, Serie A, on a global basis. Our Soccer School programme continues to flourish. In partnership with Emirates Airlines, several thousand children in Dubai attended `Play the Arsenal Way' courses and our partnership with IBG has been extended to open another ten schools across Middle East and Africa. The first of these schools was opened in Casablanca by Moroccan International and new signing, Marouane Chamakh. Prospects On the field the new season has got off to an encouraging start with some good results in the Premier League. Participation in the Group Stage of the UEFA Champions for a 13th consecutive season is important both from a football and financial perspective. In Arsène Wenger, we have a great manager with a long-term commitment to the Club. We also have a very talented, young squad. There is every reason to be both optimistic and ambitious as we look forward to supporting the team in its challenge for trophies over the course of the season. I have outlined above the progress the Group has made, over the course of the last year, against three key goals which I have set across the organisation, namely: * to support and fund on field success; * to develop significant additional revenues; and * to enhance the fan experience. These objectives are likely to remain the focus for the next few years and their delivery will be supported by investment in our physical assets, particularly our stadium, and investment in our people capability together with the work we're doing to finalise an ambitious strategic business plan across all aspects of our operations. All of these goals will be achieved showing the fullest respect to, and driven by, the special values of this great Club including the extraordinary work we do in our local community and beyond. The competitive landscape makes it ever tougher to achieve success on the field and standing still is simply not, and never has been, an option for the Club. From its earliest roots, now nearly 125 years ago, and the use of "Forward" as the Club's first ever motto, Arsenal has always been renowned for its innovation and for its desire to improve. I am excited by the opportunities which we have in front of us. I E Gazidis Chief Executive Officer 24 September 2010 Arsenal Holdings plc Financial Review The financial results for the 2009/10 year are excellent and have allowed there to be a significant reduction in the level of debt carried by the Group. Strong returns from the property business and player trading ensured that turnover of £379.9 million (2009 - £313.3 million), profit before tax of £56.0 million (2009 - £45.5 million) and retained profit for the year of £61.0 million (2009 - £35.2 million) are all reported at record high levels for the Group. Operating profit before player trading and depreciation, which is a key measure of our financial performance, also rose to £72.0 million (2009 - £70.5 million). 2010 2009 £m £m Group turnover 379.9 313.3 ----- ----- Operating profit before depreciation and 72.0 70.5 player trading Player trading 13.6 2.9 Depreciation (11.9) (11.7) Joint venture 0.5 0.4 Net finance charges (18.2) (16.6) ----- ----- Profit before tax 56.0 45.5 ----- ----- In season 2008/09 the Club played the maximum number (30) of home games across the three main competitions in which it participated (Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup). In season 2009/10 the Club played five fewer home games and, although the impact of this was partially offset by improved broadcasting revenues, this meant there has been a small dip in turnover and operating profits from football. However, the impact of player sales meant an overall increase in football's contribution to profit before tax. Sales of 362 (2009 - 208) apartments at Highbury Square were completed in the year and contributed £133.6 million of revenue and a little over £15 million of profit towards the pre-tax results of the Group's property segment. The sale of the social housing element of the development site at Queensland Road for £23.2 million is also included in the property results. The results of the football and property development segments are considered in more detail later in this review. Segmental Operating Results 2010 2009 £m £m Football Turnover 222.9 225.1 Operating profit* 56.8 62.7 Profit before tax 44.8 39.9 Property development Turnover 156.9 88.3 Operating profit* 15.2 7.8 Profit before tax 11.2 5.6 Group Turnover 379.9 313.3 Operating profit* 72.0 70.5 Profit before tax 56.0 45.5 *= operating profit before depreciation and player trading costs The cash generated from property sales means that during the year we fully repaid the bank loans which had been drawn to finance the developments at Highbury Square and Queensland Road - these loan repayments amounted to £129.6 million. The property business is now debt free which means that all future net sales proceeds from property will deliver surplus cash for the Group. By the year end some £5 million of surplus property cash had accumulated from Highbury Square and this is included in the Group's cash and bank balances of £127.6 million (2009 - £99.6 million). The elimination of debt in the property business means that overall net debt for the Group fell significantly to £135.6 million against a comparative for the prior year end of £297.7 million. The Group's outstanding debt now comprises solely of stadium funding bonds and supporter held debentures - both of these components are long-term and fixed interest debt. The balance sheet carrying value of property development stocks has fallen from £167.0 million to £45.8 million as the costs of Highbury Square apartments and the costs attributable to the Queensland Road site have been transferred to the profit and loss account on the completion of sales. Football Segment Turnover in the football business was £222.9 million (2009 - £225.1 million). There were five fewer home fixtures played with no equivalent games to the home ties in each of rounds from 3rd to 6th of the FA Cup and the Champions League semi-final staged in the previous year. Gate income of £93.9 million (2009 - £ 100.1 million) represented 42% (2009 - 44%) of our total football revenues and was derived from 27 first team home fixtures (19 Premier League, 6 Champions League and 2 Carling Cup). The average attendance was 59,765 (2009 - 59,453). In addition to competitive first team fixtures we successfully staged a pop concert, Capital Radio's 2009 Summertime Ball, a third Emirates Cup week end and one international friendly - Brazil versus Ireland. Broadcasting revenues increased to £84.6 million (2008 - £73.2 million). Domestically, the Club was covered for 23 live games compared to 19 in the prior year and earned one additional unit of merit award as a result of finishing third in the Premier League. However, the main reason for the increased broadcasting revenue was the Champions League where 2009/10 represented the first year of a new cycle of UEFA broadcasting contracts. This fact combined with a new distribution for participants in the qualifying round and the weakness in sterling (UEFA distributes Champions League revenue in Euros) meant that, despite a quarter final exit, our European broadcasting revenues rose to £31.1 million (2009 - £23.8 million). The retail and commercial revenue lines were perhaps the areas where the Club had its greatest sensitivity to the recessionary climate. Combined revenues of £44.0 million (2009 - £48.1 million) were influenced by the difficult trading conditions. They were also affected, to a significant extent, by the lower number of home games which impacted takings at our Armoury and All Arsenal stores, catering royalties and competition performance bonuses under certain of our sponsorship agreements. Wage costs rose to £110.7 million (2009 - £104.0 million) representing 49.7% of football segment revenues (2009 - 46.2%). Whilst this level of investment and ratio continues to fall comfortably within our target range there continues to be very strong upward pressure on players' wage expectations. In addition, it should be noted that the existence of performance targets and timing steps within certain players' contracts means that the full cost of a number of the new and revised player contracts entered into in the last 18 months has not yet fully translated into the reported wage cost. Arsène Wenger continues to have an excellent understanding of the Club's business model and the financial resources available to him. The extension of Arsène's contract to 2014 evidences the Board's complete support for his judgement on all matters relating to the size and mix of the playing squad and the level of contract terms required to secure the long-term commitment of both new and existing players. Although the overall level of player investment fell in 2009/10, this fall was not by reason of financial constraint but rather reflected a lack of opportunity to add real incremental quality to the squad at sensible and sustainable levels of valuation. Our policy for the player investment budget is such that any budget not spent in the current year, including all proceeds from sale of players, is carried forward and added to the available budget for the following season. We do not separately disclose the amount of the total wage bill which is represented by players but the table below provides an indication of the levels of investment. 2010 2009 £m £m Total wages 110.7 104.0 Additions to intangible assets (player 19.9 41.3 registrations) Profit on sale of player registrations (38.1) (23.2) Net expenditure 92.5 122.1 The lower number of home fixtures and retail revenues for the year meant lower direct costs in these areas. However, those savings were partially offset by some lines of increased cost notably in relation to maintenance and repair at Emirates Stadium and a one-off fee in relation to taxation matters (see section below - Profit after tax). Overall, other operating costs fell to £55.0 million (2009 - £55.4 million). Taking into account all of these changes in revenue and costs the operating profit (before player trading and depreciation) from football fell to £56.8 million (2009 - £62.7 million). Property Segment The property business has made good progress. There were 362 apartment sales completions at Highbury Square in the year producing revenue of £133.6 million (2009 - 208 completions and revenue of £ 88.0 million) and providing a contribution to segmental operating profit of £ 19.2 million. These sales brought the cumulative completions up to 570 of the 655 market housing apartments within the development. We continue to make good progress on the sale of the remaining units. The margin at which we account for profits on each apartment sale has been increased in the year as the final outcome of the development can now be assessed with a high degree of certainty. The related bank loan was fully repaid during the year and other than direct sale costs, which are mainly legal and estate agency fees, the Highbury Square development is complete in terms of its costs. This means that each sale completion now produces surplus cash for the Group. By 31 May 2010 the cumulative cash surplus amounted to some £5 million. We have secured an operator for one of the two important commercial spaces within Highbury Square - the nursery. We are delighted to have Kids-unlimited, a leading player in this field, as our tenant. The nursery is now open and available to residents. We are in the later stages of negotiations with a leading gym operator for a lease of the other main area of commercial space. The Group has a small number of property interests in the roads immediately adjacent to Highbury Square and we have a planning consent for the refurbishment of the existing properties and for the construction of a number of new houses. We are now beginning to progress the "in-fill sites" project which should deliver some 21 property units for completion targeted towards the end of calendar 2011. We now have a fairly reliable picture of what the final outcome of the Highbury Square project will look like and the overall cash surplus which the Group can expect to realise. Taking into account the fact that the sale completion phase of the project has taken place across a period where conditions in the property and mortgage markets have been hugely difficult, this outcome looks very satisfactory in terms of both profits and cash. The other property trading activity in the year was at Queensland Road. In February we completed the sale of the social housing element of the Queensland Road development to Newlon Housing Trust for a sale price of £23.2 million. The cash payment received from Newlon of £11.9 million reflects the fact that they are taking on the responsibility for the demolition, clearance and remediation of the entire site, including works which will eventually move the road to the south. The sale to Newlon is essentially at no gain or loss in profit terms, because we have previously adjusted the carrying value of the site to its estimated recoverable sale value. The proceeds from the Newlon sale allowed the Group's other property trading subsidiary, Ashburton Trading, to fully repay its own bank loan and become debt free. This debt free status means that, as for Highbury Square, any future property sales activity, subject to payment of costs to complete, will generate surplus cash. Ashburton Trading has three property assets which remain to be sold. Two of these - the site on the corner of Hornsey Road, opposite the Armoury, which includes a pedestrian link through to Holloway Road tube station, and a further site on Holloway Road - are still at the planning consent stage. The third asset is the market housing site at Queensland Road, which comprises of 375 apartments within three towers to be constructed. There has been a good level of interest from potential purchasers of this site over recent months and we are now involved in the preliminary stages of negotiations with a number of interested parties. The requirement to sell with vacant possession and the timings on the site works being undertaken by Newlon means that any sale of the market housing is unlikely to reach legal completion in the 2010/11 financial year. Until we have a clearer picture of the achievable sale value of the market housing at Queensland Road we are holding the book value of the site at the level in our most recent professional valuation and expensing any costs incurred in relation to the development of this site. Player Trading The sale of player registrations generated a profit of £38.1 million (2009 - £ 23.2 million) which, together with fees of £0.5 million (2009 - £3.6 million) received from the loan of players, meant that overall result from player trading was a surplus of £13.6 million (2009 - £2.9 million). The main contributions to the disposal profit came from the sales of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure. The Board's policy continues to be that all proceeds from player sale transactions are made available to Arsène Wenger for reinvestment back into the development of the team. Finance Charges The net interest charge for the year was £18.2 million (2009 - £16.6 million). Some £14.6 million of this charge relates to the long-term stadium financing bonds and this interest, which is at a fixed rate, together with the annual capital repayment of £5.6 million gives a total debt service cost for the bonds of £20.2 million. This is effectively the annual "mortgage" payment required on the stadium financing and it was covered at a comfortable margin of nearly three times by the operating profits in the football business segment. The majority of the Group's debt outstanding during the year was at fixed rates of interest which meant that the most significant impact of the low base rate has been on the interest we are able to earn on our cash deposits rather than on our debt service costs. Interest receivable for the period was £2.0 million lower than last year, despite the holding of a similar level of cash reserves throughout the year, and as a result the Group booked a higher net interest cost. Profit after tax During the year the Group has invested significant time and resource in resolving a number of tax issues with HM Revenue & Customs. As a result, all aspects of the Group's tax affairs have now been agreed with HM Revenue & Customs and are fully up to date. This agreed tax position is reflected within the 2009/10 accounts. The impact of certain adjustments, required as a consequence of bringing the Group's tax affairs up to date, in respect of corporation and deferred taxation means that overall there was a net tax credit for the period of £5.0 million (2009 - charge of £10.3 million). Within the overall net tax credit, the calculation of corporation tax payable for 2009/10 includes the ongoing benefit of changes to taxable profits for the rollover of gains on player sales and for the Highbury Square project. The Highbury Square adjustment reflects the transfer of the stadium from fixed assets to trading stock in 2006 at its then market value and the roll-over of the capital gain which arose on that transaction. The retained profit for the year was £61.0 million (2009 - £35.2 million). Cash Flow and Treasury Cash and bank balances in hand of £127.6 million (2009 - £99.6 million) clearly represents a very satisfactory position but it should be remembered that there is a strong element of seasonality to the Club's cash flows. There are two main reasons for the increase in the year-end cash position. Firstly, a very positive supporter response on the renewal of season tickets meant that some £14 million more of renewals had been processed by the end of May compared to the prior year. Secondly, the fact that the property business is now debt free means that cash from property sales is accumulating rather than automatically being used to repay bank loans as it was last year. Debt service reserve deposits of £31.5 million are also included in the total cash position although, being part of the security for the Group's listed bonds, the use of these deposits is restricted. In addition, there is a balance of £6.6 million included which is held in connection with the site works at Queensland Road and which can be used only for that purpose. The Group's activities were strongly cash positive for the year and the cash generated from operations was used as follows: £m Cash from operations 176.5 ------ Net cash from player transfers 15.9 Payment of taxation (6.3) Investment in fixed assets (5.3) Net interest payments (17.6) Debt repayment - property (129.6) Debt repayment - football (5.6) ------ Increase in year-end cash 28.0 ------ The main components of the Group's net debt are shown in the table below. During the year, mainly as a result of the repayment of property bank loans, the Group's net debt has been reduced from £297.7 million to £135.6 million. Emirates Stadium Property Development Debenture Loans Cash Reserves Financing Financing £m £m £m £m Start of year (244.9) (129.6) (26.4) 99.6 Movement in year 5.6 129.6 (0.3) 28.0 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- End of year (239.3) - (26.7) 127.6 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Term 19-21 yrs N/A 18-132 yrs N/A Fixed rate 5.3% N/A 0 - 2.75% N/A Variable rate N/A N/A N/A N/A Margin - - - N/A Guarantee fee 0.5% - 0.65% - - N/A The largest part of the Group's debt is £239.3 million of long-term stadium finance bonds with fixed rates of interest which have been in place since 2006. A repayment of £5.6 million was made during the year in accordance with the terms of the bonds. Further significant falls in either gross or net debt are unlikely in the foreseeable future. The stadium finance bonds have a fixed repayment profile over the next 21 years and we currently expect to make repayments of the debt in accordance with that profile. The Group's cash reserves and debt facilities are expected to be sufficient to fund the completion of its property development projects for the foreseeable future and its operations generally for the long-term. Outlook We have, once again, started the season with a commercially successful and well attended Emirates Cup and with the good news that general admission and Club Tier season tickets have been fully subscribed. The 2010/11 season is the first year, of three, for a new set of Premier League TV contracts. The main area of growth in these contracts has come from the values achieved for overseas TV rights and, because this revenue line is distributed evenly between clubs, the overall boost to our Premier League broadcasting income is expected to be approximately 10%. On the cost side, there is strong upward pressure on player wages and, as the full impact of a number of contracts signed in the last 18 months comes through, wage costs for 2010/11 will show a significant increase. The exact quantum will depend on the actual levels of performance bonuses and the extent of any new / revised contracts agreed over the remainder of the season. There has been very limited player sale activity during the summer transfer window. As a result, in contrast to each of the previous three years, we do not have a significant profit on disposal of player registrations on the books at this stage of the new financial year. Subject to any transfer activity in the January 2011 window this may impact the final level of profits to be reported for the financial year 2010/11. Since the financial year end a further 33 Highbury Square apartments have completed sale and we are confident that the remaining 52 apartments will be sold prior to the end of this financial year. We will be moving forward with the remaining property projects - the market housing at Queensland Road, together with the sites on Hornsey Road and Holloway Road and the Highbury "in-fills" - but would not expect any sales completions on these sites until 2011/12 at the earliest. The Group starts the year 2010/11 year in a healthy financial position. The Club's resources and business model should mean that we are well positioned to comply with an environment of increased financial regulation for football clubs and the new rules imposed by the Premier League and UEFA in this respect. As we look further ahead we must be mindful of the fact that the property profits and cash flows which have boosted the Group's 2009/10 results, as well as the additional returns from property we can expect over the next couple of years, are essentially one-off in nature. Longer term growth in revenue, profits and cash for investment in the team, to a level which differentiates us from our competitors, will need to come from the core football business and, in particular, from the development of our commercial revenues. S W Wisely Chief Financial Officer 24 September 2010 Arsenal Holdings plc Consolidated profit and loss account For the year ended 31 May 2010 2010 2009 Note Operations Player Total Operations Player Total excluding trading excluding trading player player trading trading £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Turnover of the group 381,262 460 381,722 312,305 3,589 315,894 including its share of joint ventures Share of turnover of (1,866) - (1,866) (2,555) - (2,555) joint venture ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Group turnover 3 379,396 460 379,856 309,750 3,589 313,339 Operating expenses (319,272) (25,033) (344,305) (250,950) (23,876) (274,826) ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Operating profit/(loss) 60,124 (24,573) 35,551 58,800 (20,287) 38,513 Share of joint venture 463 - 463 455 - 455 operating result Profit on disposal of - 38,137 38,137 - 23,177 23,177 player registrations ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Profit on ordinary 60,587 13,564 74,151 59,255 2,890 62,145 activities before finance charges ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Net finance charges (18,183) (16,633) ---------- ---------- Profit on ordinary 55,968 45,512 activities before taxation Taxation 5,024 (10,282) ---------- ---------- Profit after taxation 60,992 35,230 retained for the financial year ---------- ---------- Earnings per share Basic and diluted 4 £980.31 £566.24 ---------- ---------- Player trading consists primarily of the amortisation of the costs of acquiring player registrations, any impairment charges and profit on disposal of player registrations. All trading resulted from continuing operations. There are no recognised gains or losses in the current or previous year other than those recorded in the consolidated profit and loss account and, accordingly, no statement of total recognised gains and losses is presented. Arsenal Holdings plc Consolidated balance sheet At 31 May 2010 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Tangible fixed assets 434,494 440,369 Intangible fixed assets 60,661 68,446 Investments 1,053 730 ---------- ---------- 496,208 509,545 Current assets Stock - development properties 45,755 167,007 Stock - retail merchandise 1,887 1,751 Debtors - due within one year 62,289 45,981 - due after one year 2,928 9,508 Cash and short-term deposits 127,607 99,617 ---------- ---------- 240,466 323,864 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (154,835) (314,096) ---------- ---------- Net current assets 85,631 9,768 ---------- ---------- Total assets less current liabilities 581,839 519,313 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one (283,883) (292,748) year Provisions for liabilities and charges (42,634) (32,235) ---------- ---------- Net assets 255,322 194,330 ---------- ---------- Capital and reserves Called up share capital 62 62 Share premium 29,997 29,997 Merger reserve 26,699 26,699 Profit and loss account 198,564 137,572 ---------- ---------- Shareholders' funds 255,322 194,330 ---------- ---------- Arsenal Holdings plc Consolidated cash flow statement For the year ended 31 May 2010 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Net cash inflow from operating activities 176,560 62,305 Player registrations 15,903 (12,355) Returns on investment and servicing of finance (17,649) (17,689) Taxation (6,294) (7,622) Capital expenditure (5,342) (2,950) ---------- ---------- Net cash inflow before financing 163,178 21,709 Financing (135,188) (15,356) Management of liquid resources (48,542) 16,145 ---------- ---------- Change in cash in the year (20,552) 22,498 Change in short-term deposits 48,542 (16,145) Increase in cash and short-term deposits 27,990 6,353 ---------- ---------- Reconciliation of operating profit to net cash inflow 2010 2009 from operating activities £'000 £'000 Operating profit 35,551 38,513 Amortisation of player registrations 25,033 23,876 Profit on disposal of tangible fixed assets (14) (42) Depreciation 11,915 11,682 Decrease in stock 121,261 25,940 Increase in debtors (869) (4,680) Decrease in creditors (16,317) (32,984) ---------- ---------- Net cash inflow from operating activities 176,560 62,305 ---------- ---------- Analysis of changes in net debt At 1 June Non cash Cash flows At 31 May 2009 changes 2010 £000 £000 £000 £000 Cash at bank and in hand 54,099 - (20,552) 33,547 Short-term deposits 45,518 - 48,542 94,060 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- 99,617 - 27,990 127,607 Debt due within one year (bank (134,102) - 128,854 (5,248) loans/bonds) Debt due after more than one year (237,101) (808) 6,334 (231,575) (bank loans/bonds) Debt due after more than one year (26,094) (329) 0 (26,423) (debentures) ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Net debt (297,680) (1,137) 163,178 (135,639) ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Non cash changes represent £1,088,000 in respect of the amortisation of costs of raising finance, £329,000 in respect of rolled up, unpaid debenture interest and £280,000 in respect of amortisation of the premium on certain of the Group's interest rate swaps. Arsenal Holdings plc Notes to preliminary results For the year ended 31 May 2010 1. The financial information set out above does not constitute the company's statutory accounts for the years ended 31 May 2009 or 2010, but is derived from those accounts. Statutory accounts for 2009 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and those for 2010 will be delivered following the company's annual general meeting. The auditors have reported on those accounts; their reports were unqualified, did not draw attention to any matters by way of emphasis without qualifying their report and did not contain statements under s498(2) or (3) Companies Act 2006. 2. Segmental analysis Class of business:- Football 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Turnover 222,946 225,052 ---------- ---------- Segment operating profit 20,389 30,751 Share of operating profit of joint venture 463 455 Profit on disposal of player registrations 38,137 23,177 Net finance charges (14,208) (14,449) ---------- ---------- Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 44,781 39,934 ---------- ---------- Segment net assets 235,509 188,101 ---------- ---------- Class of business:- Property development 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Turnover 156,910 88,287 ---------- ---------- Segment operating profit 15,162 7,762 Net finance charges (3,975) (2,184) ---------- ---------- Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 11,187 5,578 ---------- ---------- Segment net assets 19,813 6,229 ---------- ---------- Class of business:- Group 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Turnover 379,856 313,339 ---------- ---------- Segment operating profit 35,551 38,513 Share of operating profit of joint venture 463 455 Profit on disposal of player registrations 38,137 23,177 Net finance charges (18,183) (16,633) ---------- ---------- Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 55,968 45,512 ---------- ---------- Segment net assets 255,322 194,330 ---------- ---------- 3. Turnover Turnover, all of which originates in the UK, 2010 2009 comprises the following: £'000 £'000 Gate and other match day revenues 93,929 100,086 Broadcasting 84,584 73,239 Retail 12,613 13,858 Commercial 31,360 34,280 Property development 156,910 88,287 Player trading 460 3,589 ---------- ---------- 379,856 313,339 ---------- ---------- 4. Earnings per share Earnings per share (basic and diluted) are based on the weighted average number of ordinary shares of the Company in issue - 62,217 shares (2009 - 62,217 shares). 5. Reconciliation of movement in shareholders' funds 2010 2009 £'000 £'000 Profit for the year 60,992 35,230 Opening shareholders' funds 194,330 159,100 ---------- ---------- Closing shareholders' funds 255,322 194,330 ---------- ---------- 6. Annual General Meeting The annual general meeting will be held at Emirates Stadium, London, N7, on Thursday 21 October 2010 at 11.30 am. The full statement of accounts and annual report will be posted to shareholders on 27 September 2010.

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