Millwall owner John Berylson ‘consistently funded’ club’s push to reach the Premier League

John Berylson has pumped more than £100million into Millwall, with the club’s 2022 accounts showing he put in another £13m to offset losses.

The Championship outfit’s income rose to £18.5m – a climb of £6m – with operating losses dropping from £13m in 2021 to £11.7m.

Millwall’s wagebill went up by £1.5m to £19.8m.

Berylson’s backing has been vital ever since the Boston-based businessman first got involved with the Lions in 2007.

The American owner sanctioned the club record £1.7million deal to bring in attacking midfielder Zian Flemming from Fortuna Sittard in the summer transfer window.

“A club like Millwall doesn’t compete at the top end of the Championship without an owner that is prepared to fund it at certain points of that journey,” Lions manager Gary Rowett told the South London Press.

“John has consistently done that.

“I don’t know the ins and outs – the exact details of that – but what I do know is that he doesn’t run the club to make money. I don’t think it is an investment that actually makes money.

“It’s something he is passionate about. I’m sure that love has grown over many years.

“I can only judge it since I’ve been here but without fail he has always backed what we want to do to try and move the club forward – whether that is with staff, players or stuff at the training ground. That comes at a cost.

“You can’t just keep generating more and more money at this level, can you? Ultimately the owner tends to have to be the one who has to dip into his pocket. We’re very, very fortunate. We’ve got a CEO in Steve [Kavanagh] who runs the club really, really well. But, ultimately, that needs an owner that doesn’t want money out of it.

“There probably aren’t that many people like that around at this level any more. But I would imagine most owners at Championship level aren’t in it to make vast amounts of profit.

“I imagine it’s a love and a passion. Certainly with John it feels like he has a real passion for Millwall and is prepared to spend his money on that.”