The Dons Trust and Club boards wanted to share a crucial summary of a comprehensive financial analysis we’ve recently undertaken, focusing on League One and League Two clubs.
The Finances of Football and AFC Wimbledon June 2025
This report, which reviews accounts from the 2023/24 season and five-year trends, is vital for us all to understand the financial world in which AFC Wimbledon operates, helping us make significant decisions together.
The findings highlight a challenging landscape. The average loss for a League Two club has increased dramatically, from £0.37 million in 2019/20 to £2.17 million in 2023/24. This means the average loss has grown almost six times larger in just five years. Similarly, League One clubs saw their average loss reach £5.20 million in 2023/24, more than three times the £1.45 million figure from 2019/20.
The method that we have used in our report on L1 and L2 finances is based on data from statutory accounts, publicly available. We have then made some adjustments to the data to remove exceptional items that prevent comparison between clubs. These adjustments, mean that our numbers may differ from analysis published by others, but we think these are the most useful.
These stark numbers underscore the core challenge faced by AFC Wimbledon and our competitors: League One and Two clubs are losing money at an increasingly rapid rate.
AFC Wimbledon faces this challenge with our own unique set of circumstances. We must also continue to service the debt from our Plough Lane Bonds, which includes annual interest payments of approximately £400,000 and significant repayment windows, with £3.3 million due in 2027.
This summary aims to provide you with a clear analysis of the financial context in which our club operates. We believe it’s essential for all members to be informed about these realities as we navigate the future together.