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Sheffield Wednesday
Football Club plc
Report of the Directors
The directors present herewith the ~u.rd-ded accounts of the company for the year ended 31st M~, 1985_
Fman,"~ai Results and Dividends
The revenue account is set out on page 3. The directors recommend no dividend be paid.
Renew of the Year
The principal aCtivilT of your company continues to be that of a professional football club.
The Season 1984/’85 will be remembered by all COnnected with the cJub for our success,=ul return to the 1st DiviSion
_after fourtee..n yeats absence. We finishS, in eighth po$’rtiort: a very {;;redit~e p’=..rfo~ce in our f~r~ ~ back
m the top fl=ght when we were challenging for a place =n Europe unb’l vb/ually the last match.
In the M3lk Cup we again re~ched the quarter FmeL eventu~iy losing to Chelsea after three memorable games which
were each watched by crowds in excess of 36,000.
in the F.A. Cup a 3-2 away defeat at the hands of Ipswich Town saw our exit in the fifth round.
Our Central and Northern lntermed’~te sides also had better se~ons finlShing 6th and 9th in their respective
leagues.
Nigel Worthin~ on r~ his Northern lrPJand lntemationa.1 Cap whilst Tony Gregory and Kevin Pressmar, both
received their.England Youth International Caps.
The average home gate for league matches was 27,000 and our supporters received national acclaim for their
exeml~lary conduct by being awarded e "Top of the Kops" award by a leading national newspaper_
Our succe.ssful SP_P_.~% however, hP..s been temj:P._J’ed by ~vP~e crowd disturbances at matches in which o~ club
h_~d .not been t~ldng p_.art and in pa~tlmular by the ~gic di,~=~’ters at the Bradford City ground and the Heysel
Stadium Tn Belgium. l ne subsequent re-actions by H.M. Government and the football authorities will have far
reaching effects on soccer generally in this country and may inevita.bly adversly affect our club at least in the short
term.
Financially oLrr year was ~dSO very satisfactory showing a surplus before tax of £498.579 despite having paid out
transfer fee~ to,ailing £667,750 against those received of ~_592,500. The Giub continued with its policy of improving
the a.m~nities for spectators by spending the sum of £492,000 on additional faro]fries.
The directors wish to th~nk, on your behalf, aJl the players and st~.ff for the3r excellent efforts during the season and
in pardculaz Howard W]rkinson, our manager, and DiCk Chester, our secretary, for the very creditable achievements.
Directors
Directors who held office during the year and their benefice! interest in the sh~re Capita! and Oebentures at the end
of the year are as shown below:.-
H. E. McGee
M. Sheppard
S. L Speight
C. Woodw-ard
K_ T. Addy
E. B~.r~on
G_~K. Hulley
Ordinary shares Debentures
Ā’ Nominal "~" Nominal Nominal
No. value NO. v~ue No. value
£ £ S
7 70 5 500
12 120 2O 2,0O0 6 6O0
2 20 2 200
4 40 10 1,00O
9 90 12 1,200
1 10 7 700
2 20 3 300 2 2OO
37 370 59 5,g00 B 800
The only change to the directors’ ~nterest in the share capital and debentures in the year was a purchase by K. T_
Addy of 2 ’A"Ordinat3, shares.
The directors who retire by rotation ere Messrs M. Sheppard and C. L Woodward who, being ellg~le, offer
themselves for re-election_
Fixed Assets
The c h.a.nges that .occurred in the fixed assets during the year are set out on pages 6 & 7. In view of the spedalised
use or me t~eeno~o tuna and buildings at Hillsborough, the directors are unable to give an indi~.tion of the excess of
Ihe market value over book vaJuP~ The buildings w=-ll continue ~0 be maintained to their present standard end it is not
considered appropriate to provide depreciation on the freehold stadium.
Auditors
A resolution to re-appoint the auditors, Pa.nnell Kerr Forster, v, rill I~ proposed at the annual general meeting.
By Order of the Board,
FL H. CHESTER, Secxet~ry
H~llsborough, Sheffield $6 1SW.
22nd August, 19~5.
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