Barnsley not expecting financial bailout from owners during lockdown

Like every EFL club, the Reds are feeling the financial pinch after just over three months without football with no matchday income and limited revenue streams, which has ‘severely impacted’ their fiscal outlook and forecasts.

While they are continuing to operate viably this month, Murphy admits that July could be a more testing time.

Despite the uncertainty on the horizon, Murphy has confirmed that the club must explore other ways to bring in revenue and cannot rely on a bail-out from PMG, who have consistently spoken about Barnsley running as a self-sustainable business in their time at the helm.

That raises the possibility of the club cashing in on the likes of Cauley Woodrow, Jacob Brown and Alex Mowatt to help ends meet in the close-season.

On the prospect of a sizeable investment of cash from the club’s majority shareholders, Murphy said: “As a board, we haven’t gone down that avenue yet.

“As the club, company and enterprise stands, we need to navigate every other avenue to bring in revenue to make sure we can make up the cash or shortfall before we have the ownership put in capital investment.

“That’s on me as CEO and other members of our board and executive to figure out what elements can we put forward or navigate to bring in revenue that we have lost in the past three or four months to basically negate the need for the owners to put in cash – their own personal equity – at any point.”

“(But) To give the supporters confidence, the club will be here.”

Last month, PMG completed a majority takeover of Belgian outfit KV Ostende – the latest addition to a sporting portfolio which also includes Swiss club FC Thun alongside Barnsley.

At a time when Barnsley issued an open letter to supporters that spoke of the club suffering ‘significant losses’ and facing huge challenges ahead, the move naturally prompted criticism from many supporters.

Murphy continued: “I understand how some have that view, especially in the supporters groups.

“But our owners as they operate – and many businesses are like this – see their companies and enterprises, whether they are clubs or something in another field of business, as stand-alone companies and enterprises that should be self-sustaining and viable on their own two feet.

“If they see an element of investment and a venture they can have success with later, I don’t think it is a fault of theirs to look for those.

“They see Barnsley as Barnsley and made the initial investment and put their own personal capital in for it to sustain on its own.”

Meanwhile, Murphy has voiced his frustration at the drawn-out process regarding the Football Association’s investigation into an alleged anti-doping violation by Reds central defender Bambo Diaby.

Diaby has been suspended from his first-team matches since January 22.

He is training with the club, but unable to play in games.

“To be perfectly honest, if I said what I wanted to say about the investigation, I’d probably get myself into some trouble,” Murphy added.

“It has gone on far too long and we have not had enough guidance or information back.

“We are hoping it is concluded soon, but it has been a frustrating process for all those involved.

“The guy you feel worse for is Bambo. He has been sidelined with really no strong evidence as to why this has taken so long.”

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