Airtricity League Premier Division champions Shamrock Rovers returned to profit last year as supporters were allowed back into football grounds following the easing of Covid-19 public health restrictions.
The Tallaght-based club made a profit after tax of €409,753 for the year to November 30th, 2021, accounts recently filed show. The figure marked a significant recovery from a loss of more than €1.7 million the year before, a period that covered the worst of the pandemic restrictions.
Directors noted that a significant proportion of the football club’s income is derived from strong performances in the various competitions it competes in. It said it seeks to maintain its success by investing in a strong management team and attracting talented employees.
The club is currently contesting the group stages of the Europa Conference competition, having come through four qualifying rounds. The club has also secured permission to play its home European ties at Tallaght Stadium.
The European run could mean exponential growth for Shamrock Rovers, which will earn at least €3 million from the games.
In a note attached to the accounts, the company said its investment in the Shamrock Rovers Academy “began to bear fruit”, as the under-19 and under-17 academy teams won their national leagues.
Three players from the academy moved abroad during the year, with “significant compensation fees earned” and the potential for further performance-based payments to be earned in the future. Four academy players made first team debuts, including Aidomo Emakhu who became the club’s youngest goal-scorer in European competitions.
Emakhu was at the forefront of the club’s European adventures again this year after he netted an injury time winner against North Macedonian side Shkupi last month to send Rovers into a Europa League play-off.
The club lost the play-off against Hungarian side Ferencváros after a heavy first-leg away defeat, but were guaranteed passage to the group stages of European football’s third-tier Europa Conference League, where they will play six fixtures in the coming months.
The club said 16 boys and seven girls from its underage teams represented Ireland in international football during the 2021 season, while one boy from the academy represented Poland.
The academy invested in a 3G indoor Astro pitch at its premises, and has also installed a high-performance, fully equipped indoor gym. Planning permission and deposits were paid for floodlights to be installed on the grass pitches in 2022.
The academy also became the first club in the country to launch a transition-year programme for its players with Ashfield College, which saw the players on site for 30 hours a week combining education and football.
The average number of employees at the company during the year was 55, which was up from 42 the year before. The accounts were signed off on January 27th.
