MIXED NEWS has emerged from the release of Manchester United’s annual figures earlier today.

The club made an operating profit of £100m, but – excluding the cost of servicing the club’s debt – ran up an overall loss for the financial period up to June 2010 of  just over £83m.

The figures mean United become the first English club to crash through the £100million profit barrier.

The big losses, however, will raise further question marks over the controversial ownership of the club by the US-based Glazer family who bought United for £800m in May 2005.

The figures to June 2010, released on the club’s website, indicate that the Red Devils have paid interest owed on debt to the banks of around £40m,  while there was also a hefty one-off cost for the successful £504m bond issue earlier this year.

The club has seen a fall in match-day revenues to £100.1m.

However this has been offset by the club’s considerable commercial earnings, boosted by the instantly recognisable worldwide brand, with media revenues rising by £5.1m to £104.8m.

Its overall annual turnover increased to £286.4m, well ahead of their rivals Manchester City who last week announced an annual turnover of £125m.