Derby County defend £80m Pride Park as EFL initiate independent valuation of stadium

Derby County have defended their #80m valuation of Pride Park in the aftermath of an independent evaluation initiated from the English Football League.
The EFL has commissioned valuations of the Rams’ home floor as well as Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough and Reading’s Madejski Stadium as part of the Profitability and Sustainability (P&S) procedure.
Derby have told Sky Sports News they conducted their own independent valuation of Pride Park prior to selling it – a move that’s been met with criticism from several other Championship clubs.
Along with Sky Sports News has been advised that a range of additional sides have voiced worries that Pride Park was overvalued in the sale, enabling without breaking up the EFL principles, Derby to spend more on their playing squad.
Championship clubs are now reviewing the P&S process, which is drawing to a close for the prior financial year, and are discussing whether there ought to be some rule changes, after concerns were raised across Derby and other clubs selling their stadiums to third party businesses and renting them back.
Middlesbrough have started legal action against Derby on the issue and Boro chairman Steve Gibson has complained to the EFL, stating he feels that the selling along with lease-back system contravenes that the League’s rules on P&S – but his suggestion to alter the rule before this season has been voted down by the other nightclubs.
Accusations have been levelled at Derby that, when the scene is really worth #80m, the soccer club is being under-charged in lease.
But Derby are adamant that the rent reflects the amount of usage the football club receives when they sponsor their home matches out of the stadium, which amounts to a mean of 30 days each year.
Derby stay adamant that they have not broken any financial rules.
The Midlands club also have told Sky Sports News they consider the price of that independent review into their stadium and others will be a six-figure amount and something all 24 Championship clubs will be expected to share, which has been met with concern in one other Championship club.