Because the context of the discussion is around a charge that has been made. And has no relevance to that.
The circumstances may be unusual, but changing auditors is quite normal. Lots of businesses do it. The accounts were signed off by Accounting professionals.
Of course, it has relevance to the charge. Even with crystalized COVID losses we would have still failed P&S rules. We presented the Premier League with unaudited accounts that we assured the Premier League would pass the P&S rules when the uncrystallized COVID losses were crystallized.
The Premier League took us at our word. Our whole defence is based on the notion that we would have passed P&S if it were not for a depressed transfer market resulting in lower player trading profits and higher amortisation and wages.. We were not able to quantify those losses in the 20/21 accounts. BDO have resigned and laughably we still haven't quantified those losses in these accounts.
This is what the club stated in the last accounts.
Please note the table above does not include uncrystallised COVID-19
pandemic related losses arising from the significant deterioration in the
player trading market. The ability of the Club to generate material profits on
player trading, which also yields significant wage and amortisation savings
due to the players no longer being contracted to the Club, has unquestionably
resulted in a material and negative impact on the Club across the last three
reporting periods.
The Club is continuing to assess the uncrystallised financial impact caused
by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Board of Directors strongly believe that
a further substantial financial loss, not reflected in the £90.4m cumulative
crystallised figure referred to above, has been incurred by the Club
No wonder BDO ran for the hills.
Our defence to the P&S losses is that we lost money because of COVID, we can't quantify it but we are still working on it. It exemplifies everything that is wrong with the way the club has been run for decades.