Aston Villa have announced a reduced loss of £17.7million for the year ending May 31, 2012. Villa have attributed a reduction in turnover of £11.6m to a 16th-place finish in the Premier League, fewer live TV matches, lower crowds - the average league attendance fell from 37,220 in 2010-11 to 33,873 - and early exits from both domestic cup competitions.
Chairman Randy Lerner waived interest on loans totalling £107.1m made by him to Villa, which created a one-time benefit to the club of £20.3m.
Villa's chief financial officer Robin Russell said: "By managing costs effectively, the club managed to cut losses by more than half during a period which continued to be challenging economically both globally and especially in the west midlands.
"In this respect, despite a disappointingly low performance level on the pitch in the 2011-12 season, these financial results represent a further step towards the club's objective of long-term sustainability."
Russell continued: "Having appointed Paul Lambert as manager in June 2012, he is building a youthful, progressive first-team squad and we continue to offer our season ticket holders and supporters in general some of the cheapest ticket prices in the Premier League.
"Our objectives remain to compete strongly on the pitch and to achieve sustainability as well as compliance with both UEFA's and the Premier League's Financial Fair Play requirements."
