ROVERS posted losses of £21.9million for the 2019-20 season, the club’s latest accounts show.

That is £3.7m up from the prior 12 months with net liabilities now £168m, the new figures including the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic when football was halted.

The accounts show turnover was down £3m year-on-year at £13.5m with matchday, down £1.1m, broadcast, down £600,000, and commercial revenues, a decrease of £1.5m, all taking a hit.

There was also a rise in the spend on wages, up £3m to £25.6m which means the wage to turnover ratio is 190 per cent, up from 134 per cent for 2018-19 and surpassing the previous level of 187 per cent.

Rovers’ transfer spend is shown as £5.1m with the accounts covering the period of Sam Gallagher’s arrival from Southampton. Some of that is offset by the sale of David Raya to Brentford for £3m.

Rovers may also have to pay a further £5m to other clubs for add-ons in deals dependant on appearances and other factors.

Owners Venky’s lent the club another £14m during the course of the season meaning Rovers’ debt to them stands at £140m in total.

Staffing numbers remained almost identical at 225, the number of commercial, sponsorship, media and merchandising employees dropped while academy players and management rose from 52 to 64.

The salary of the club’s highest paid director went down from £320,000 to £270,000.

The accounts also show the club received £577,000 in furlough income.