Aberdeen FC Annual Report 2024/25: Highlights and Insights

Aberdeen FC have published their Annual Report for the year ending 30 June 2025, a season defined by historic silverware, major strategic investment, and significant growth across the club’s commercial and football operations.  Here are the key points every Dons fan needs to know.

🏆 Scottish Cup Glory and a Season of Highs and Lows

The standout moment of 2024/25 was undoubtedly that unforgettable day at Hampden, as Aberdeen lifted the Scottish Cup for the first time in 35 years after beating Celtic on penalties.

Jimmy Thelin’s debut campaign also started brightly with a record-breaking 16-game unbeaten run.  Form dipped in the second half of the season, but the Cup triumph secured European group stage football for 2025/26.

📊 Financial Performance at a Glance

Turnover

• £21.7m, down from £23.6m, mainly due to the absence of European income compared to the previous season.
• When stripping out prior-year European revenue, underlying domestic turnover actually rose by £3.5m, reflecting strong commercial, retail and hospitality performance.

Player Trading

• Record gains of £5.3m, drive by the sale of Bojan Miovski to Girona, plus income from deals involving Connor Barron, Duk, and others.

Operating Result

• Operating loss of £1.5m (previous year: £0.46m loss) due mainly to no European prize money and increased investment in the squad.

Wage-to-Turnover Ratio

• Increased to 70% (previously 54%), still within the typical industry range of 60-70%.

Shareholder Investment

• Majority shareholders – including the Cormack family and Tom Crotty – invested an additional £8m in June 2025 to support operations and infrastructure development.

Net Assets

• Rose to £24.7m, up from £18,7m, supported by the new share issue.

👕 Commercial, Retail and Fan Engagement Boom

Aberdeen continue to post commercial growth across the board:

Season Tickets and Attendance

• Record crowds at Pittodrie with average home attendance up to 17,777.
• 11,500 season tickets sold for 2025/26 – a club record.

AberdDNA Growth

• Paid memberships increased to 9,192, with AberDNA Junior surpassing 12,000 members for the first time.
• Junior attendance up 40% year on year.

Record Retail Sales

• The North Sea kit became the fastest-selling away kit in club history.
• The Adidas SPZL collaboration sold out rapidly, helping drive the club’s highest-ever retail revenue

Hospitality Success

• Hospitality sales grew 15%, with 15 to 19 home games selling out.
• Biggest ever Player of the Year Awards hosted at P&J Live for 1,400 fans.

Partnerships

• TEXO extended as main sponsor in a record agreement.
• Boskalis renewed as AFC Women front-of-shirt sponsor for another three seasons.
• New partnerships across youth and pre-academy programmes showcased increasing corporate interest in the club.

⚽️ Football Operations and Academy Strategy

Investment in Thelin’s Squad

• A significant summer rebuild in 2024 and further strengthening in January as Aberdeen backed our new manager strongly across two windows.

New Academy Direction

• The club will invest £12m over the next five years in developing elite talent.
• Focus shifts from squad depth to developing “top talents” with more players going out on loan for exposure to senior football.
• A new Transition Manager will link the Academy and first team, with greater use of loan pathways rather than playing in CAS U19s.

🤦‍♀️ AFC Women

• Under Scott Booth, the team secured SWPL1 survival and reached the semi-finals of both national cup competitions.
• The women’s programme posted a £500k loss, expected to rise to £600k, highlighting the need for increased external funding to support long-term ambitions.

🏟️ Infrastructure and Stadium Situation

• Pittodrie is valued using a restricted existing-use valuation of £11m due to the economic climate and the unlikelihood of relocation in the short-to-medium term.
• Costs associated with previous new stadium plans remain capitalised while the club continues exploring alternative development pathways.

🌱 Environmental Steps

• Continued upgrades include LED lighting, electric ground equipment, enhanced recycling, and exploration of solar power at Cormack Park.

📈 Looking Ahead

The club’s objectives for 2025/26 are clear:

• Compete strongly in all domestic competitions.
• Push for European qualification once again.
• Make an impact in the Europa Conference League group stage.
• Continue commercial and fanbase growth while preparing for long-term stadium planning.

Aberdeen’s 2024/25 accounts reflect a club riding a wave of momentum – on the pitch, commercially, and in supporter engagement. While the absence of European income pushed the club into an operating loss, record commercial returns, a major Cup victory, and enhanced shareholder backing leaves the Dons well-placed heading into 2025/26.