Possibly — and I’d actually say the signal here is that there isn’t a signal.
The key point for me is that this is the first set of accounts after the hearing has concluded. At that point, the Directors will inevitably have a better sense of the range of potential outcomes than they did before, even if the final decision is still pending.
If, having gone through the hearing, their assessment of either the likelihood or the severity of an adverse outcome had materially shifted, you would normally expect that to show up somewhere — either through more cautious language, expanded disclosure, or a move away from the “reasonable expectation” formulation.
The fact that the same wording is retained suggests that, having taken everything into account, their overall risk assessment hasn’t changed in a way that affects the going concern conclusion. That doesn’t mean the risk is zero, just that it hasn’t been reclassified.
And as you say, the letter of support adds another layer. Knowing how our owner operates, if the club were to be sanctioned you would expect a significant level of additional investment. On that basis, it seems highly unlikely that the group would face any cash-flow constraints.
Maybe because they not had the outcome