Tipp’s success comes at a cost
By Shane Brophy
Tipperary County Board posted a deficit of €371,596 for 2019 after its accounts were published at annual Convention in Thurles last Monday night.
It is the first time in seven years that the Premier County has recorded a negative return for the financial year but it was expected considering the All Ireland winning campaigns of the senior and under 20 hurlers.
Excluding contra items, expenditure jumped 34% to 3.14 million with all areas seeing a rise in spending, most notably in the county teams administration expenses which rose by a massive 54% or €623,693 to €1.77 million.
Income for 2019 did rise by €306,000 to €2.77 million with commercial income from the county teams successes seeing a big increase of 26% to €796,833 with the arrival of Teneo as inter-county team sponsors and FBD Insurance as sponsors on the club championships. Fundraising income also rose substantially.
While income from club gate receipts fell by 12% to €464, 128, the figure didn't include all county hurling and football finals which were played after the books were closed on 31st October, which if included would likely have seen the club gates match or marginally increase from 2018.
County treasurer Michael Power said reducing expenditure is the only way to deal with the deficit as “the income performance for the year was good and to keep it that was is the challenge.
“The way to deal with the deficit is to look at expenditure and we can do so sensibly without too much pain which will allow our county teams being successful,” he said.
In his address, County Board chairman John Devane said such a deficit “cannot be sustained at that level. Measures have already been put in place to address this and will continue throughout the year.