English football clubs spent nearly £200m on stadia and facilities during the 2008-09 season, according to new research from the Sport Business Group at Deloitte.

The latest Annual Review of Football Finance revealed that clubs spent £196m in the period - an increase of 5 per cent on the previous 12 months and the third highest level since the Premier League was formed. Capital expenditure by Premier League clubs, however, fell to its lowest level since 1996-97. Clubs in the Coca Cola Championship spent £69m - an increase of 60 per cent on 2007-08.

Cardiff City Football Club's new £47m stadium and the £16m investment in Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club's new ground comprised the majority of spending in the Championship and League One respectively. Mark Roberts, senior manager in Deloitte's Sports Business Group, said: "Although some new stadium development projects have been affected by the economic environment, significant spending has continued on both new stadium projects and refurbishment.

"The primary reason for the drop off in investment by Premier League clubs in 2008/09 is mainly due to there being no major stadium construction projects in progress. The spending that is taking place is focused on preparatory and enabling works." Deloitte also revealed that if England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup is successful, it could act as a catalyst for development, including potential new venues for Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool Football Clubs.

"A 2018 FIFA World Cup in England could be the catalyst for substantial investment in stadia in a number of the bid cities, in addition to the new venues for Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. It is not unrealistic to think that all these plans could result in a £1bn investment in facilities," added Roberts. Image: Tottenham Hotspur is one of the football clubs planning to invest in a new stadium