Paul Barber has eased fans’ fears over Albion’s record losses.

The club posted a deficit of £67.2 million for last season – with the financial picture for this campaign also likely to be bleak.

Those numbers reflect the effect of Covid-19 but also the club’s ongoing determination to retain their best players.

Barber said: “More than £25 million of the losses that we've announced this week are directly related to the pandemic.

That's a combination of rebates on television fees, lost gate receipts, as well as matches being shifted into a different financial year, when the season was delayed beyond the end of June.

"In addition to the extra losses, we have also had added costs of trying to keep the club running during the pandemic, while keeping the stadium, the training ground and all of our staff safe.

"It's been the hardest time I have ever known in football. Not just for us, but for the whole of the football industry. Our losses are comparable to other clubs of a similar size, so we don't feel we've been any worse affected than anyone else.”

Barber praised the ongoing financial support of chairman Tony Bloom.

He added: “The club is in a very good position in terms of the assets we have on our balance sheet.

“The players that are in our squad aren't valued in our accounts anything like the market would pay for them if we were in a position or needed to sell them.”

Albion play their 18th home league or cup match before empty, or mainly empty, stands as they face Fulham this evening.

BISSOUMA STARTS AGAINST FULHAM

Barber painted a tantalising picture of happier days ahead at some stage in 2021.

He said: “There is light at the end of this tunnel. The vaccine has provided us with that light, they've provided us with that hope.

"Again, it's going to require all of us to keep following the guidelines and doing our little bit to get us through this period.

"Then hopefully at some point in the not-too-distant future we can see those packed stands at the Amex again on a beautiful sunny day when there's football to be played, and friends and family to enjoy the game with.

"It seems a long time away, but it isn't. Hopefully, it will be in this calendar year that we start to see that return, and in the meantime, we have got to do whatever it takes to keep ourselves and each other safe.”