Yes and many have not thrown money at it and failed. I suppose the point I was trying to make is that our owners are not serious about promotion. Rather like they weren't serious about avoiding relegation last year.
Would you be serious if it meant putting yourself further in debt with no guarantee of promotion?
Are there any clubs who haven't overspent and got promotion? The only one I can think of is blackpool a few years back under Holloway.
We won't know how much it cost Huddersfield but this is what their chairman said in 2016.
Huddersfield Town’s pre-tax loss slightly increased in 2014/15 from £6.8 million to £7.0 million, as “off-the-field, the economic trading conditions remained difficult.” This was reflected in revenue falling by £0.4 million (4%) from £10.8 million to £10.4 million, very largely due to match day revenue dropping by £0.3 million (9%) from £3.4 million to £3.1 million. Commercial income also fell slightly to £3.1 million, while broadcasting revenue was flat at £4.2 million.
Although the wage bill was unchanged at £13.3 million, other expenses were £0.9 million (20%) higher at £5.6 million. In terms of player trading, profit on player sales showed a small increase to £1.8 million, while player amortisation was £0.5 million lower at £1.8 million.
Income from participating interests, mainly from the share in KSDL, rose £0.2 million to £1.1 million, though the notes to the accounts suggest that much of this came from the amortisation of negative goodwill created on consolidation.
Of course, as Hoyle noted, “Most Championship clubs suffer very heavy losses subsidised by their owners”, adding, “Professional football at the Championship division has intense rivalry. The impact of the Premier League and willingness of Championship owners to inject ever-increasing amounts of cash into their clubs is significant and wide-ranging.”
Indeed, no fewer than ten Championship clubs reported losses larger than Huddersfield’s £7 million in 2014/15, with Bournemouth £39 million, Fulham £27 million and Nottingham Forest £22 million “leading the way”.
So, hardly any clubs are profitable in the Championship with only six making money in 2014/15 – and most of those are due to special factors.
Ipswich Town were top of the profit league with £5 million, but that included £12 million profit on player sales. Cardiff’s £4 million was boosted by £26 million credits from their owner writing-off some loans and accrued interest. Reading’s £3 million was largely due to an £11 million revaluation of land around their stadium. Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers both made £1 million, but were helped by £10 million of parachute payments apiece.
Actually, the only club to make money without the benefit of once-off positives were Rotherham United, who basically just broke even – and ended up avoiding relegation to League One by a single place.