Walsall Co-Chairman Critiques Financial Practices in Football
Walsall co-chairman Leigh Pomlett has delivered a strong critique of the financial practices within football, highlighting issues that are leading some clubs to the brink of financial ruin. His remarks come in response to the independent State of the Game report, which revealed that 94% of clubs reported losses during the 2025-26 season and warned that many are operating “on the edge of financial disaster.”
During a Walsall fans’ forum at Bescot Stadium, Pomlett discussed the pressing financial challenges facing football today. While he emphasized that Walsall is better managed than many other clubs, he acknowledged that the League Two side would still need to make considerable cuts in their spending to meet future operating licence requirements from the Independent Football Regulator (IFR).
“The State of the Game report came out a couple of weeks ago,” said Pomlett. “It’s a comprehensive 260-page document that examines the status of English football from the Premier League down to the National League.”
“Football is in a shocking state. Some clubs would still lose money even if they paid their players nothing. That is a fact. Some clubs will have to radically change what they do.”
Pomlett further stated, “Compared to some clubs, we at Walsall are in a very good state of health but it’s still tough – just a lot less tough than it will be for some other clubs in the EFL who just beggar belief. We are at times accused of a lack of ambition for not being able to buy certain players, but the priority is still to make the club sustainable.”
His comments also come in light of Shrewsbury Town’s recent acquisition by new American owners, where Pomlett pointed out that any attempts by clubs to “speculate to accumulate” would need to be reconsidered if the regulator finds they are overspending.
“The losses from the top to the bottom are massive,” he remarked. “Clubs who are losing an absolute fortune every week will not be allowed to continue like that. Thirty-three clubs do not have enough cash to survive a month—that’s incredible. The losses being made in League One, League Two, and the National League are enormous, but some of the Premier League and Championship losses are mind-boggling. The regulator is not going to let us carry on like that. We’re on the brink of the biggest change in the football industry that we’ve seen since the Premier League was first formed.”
After the BBC Radio WM Football Phone-In slot, a fuller recording of the Fans Forum will be posted on Sounds at 19:00 GMT.
