doombear
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- Location
- Too far from Selhurst Park
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England
The owners can hardly run if there's no-one to buy them out and who's going to risk that once the appeal fails and the punishment is applied?
Man City found guilty
- Topic starter Mark B
- Start date
martinelliff
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- Location
- Staffordshire
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England
They will leave it and let it go bust. It was only ever a PR project. The amount its worth will probably be exceeded by fines and amount they get sued by other clubs. Players will all have relegation release clauses and go for peanuts to Spain.
chris123
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- hove actually
- Country
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England
Aren't the owners basically Abu Dhabi?
martinelliff
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- Staffordshire
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England
City can join the other cheats, Chelsea, Madrid, Juventus and Barcelona in a 5 team league with no relegation or European qualification. That would be great fun. Not. f*** em.
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martinelliff
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- Staffordshire
- Country
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England
Essentially yes. Cant see a way City dont get screwed unless an appeal works somehow which is very unlikely. Even if the points deduction and fine are leniant other clubs will rightly sue them for lost earnings, their players may even leave due to the lies or breach of contract, if fraud the police and HMRC might get involved. The directors will get bans. It will become a massive PR disaster which I eould expect the owners to wash their hands of.
doombear
Member
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- Too far from Selhurst Park
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England
Apparently Haaland hasn't, so what makes you think the others have? You've still got the club's chairman asserting he's confident they'll win any appeal - on what basis, I don't know.
I want to see City down in the National League North at best. That's the most they deserve after what they've been found guilty of.
Joseph Paxton
Member
- Location
- Haywards Heath
- Country
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England
It wasn't just City that were stalling on this investigation. The FA had got into a painfully slow pattern of kicking this issue down the road. Some folks with more political clout realised the urgency and have cajoled the FA into shooting their bolt.
It should not be forgotten that the Prime Minister's first major job in Labour government nearly 30 years ago was heading The Football Task Force. He knows better than just about anyone, how the modern game has developed and let's also not forget he was Manchester Mayor for nearly a decade:
"Burnham was involved in the efforts at reform at the beginning; in July 1997, just two months after Labour was elected with a landslide, he was appointed the administrator of its Football Task Force. Its remit sprang from Labour recognising that the game's "Football's Coming Home" renaissance since the disaster-strewn 1980s had its faults too; a harsh commercial thrust producing hyper-inflating ticket prices and supporters alienated from clubs which were eagerly declaring themselves businesses and making fortunes for their shareholder-chairmen by floating on the stockmarket."
This decision on Man City has been pushed to the fore by government to stop the rot in British sporting life. I wholly commend them for doing so, despite the fact that it is the last thing they will want to showboat about until the dust finally settles, which will depend on how the City owners say "Alright Guv, it's a fair cop!".
Labour and football 12 years on: good intentions but could do better | David Conn
David Conn: Labour ministers had warned against the dangers of rampant commercialism in English football, but could have done more to curb it
www.theguardian.com
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TheBigToePunt
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- Country
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England
There is even talk now that if the book gets thrown at City it could damage UK/UAE relations. Jesus Fing Christ. Or Mohammed, perhaps?
What must now happen is that the UAE find out the difference between their personal fiefdom and an open democracy. The full facts must be disclosed and the consequences faced. If they are able to use their dirty money to frustrate this particular western public interest and legal process then where does it end? Which of the more serious concerns about integrating foreign investment can possibly be examined in the light if even the finances of a sports club are beyond reach?
All this comes from English football, and the UK government, allowing clubs to be bought by dubious foreign individuals, companies, and states. Of course they cheated. Of course they abused their wealth and power. They have no concept whatsoever of equality before the law, of accountability.
It should have been arrested when Abramovich tried to buy Chelsea, but they all just bent over for him and his money, and haven't pulled their pants back up since.
None moreso than the supporters. This idea that a big punishment would be unfair on innocent Man City supporters misses the point. They all welcomed this dirty money with open arms. They were happy to overlook the nature of it's source. f*** them. They deserve it. Shame it can't happen to Chelsea and Newcastle supporters, too.
What must now happen is that the UAE find out the difference between their personal fiefdom and an open democracy. The full facts must be disclosed and the consequences faced. If they are able to use their dirty money to frustrate this particular western public interest and legal process then where does it end? Which of the more serious concerns about integrating foreign investment can possibly be examined in the light if even the finances of a sports club are beyond reach?
All this comes from English football, and the UK government, allowing clubs to be bought by dubious foreign individuals, companies, and states. Of course they cheated. Of course they abused their wealth and power. They have no concept whatsoever of equality before the law, of accountability.
It should have been arrested when Abramovich tried to buy Chelsea, but they all just bent over for him and his money, and haven't pulled their pants back up since.
None moreso than the supporters. This idea that a big punishment would be unfair on innocent Man City supporters misses the point. They all welcomed this dirty money with open arms. They were happy to overlook the nature of it's source. f*** them. They deserve it. Shame it can't happen to Chelsea and Newcastle supporters, too.
eritheagle
Member
- Location
- Erith
- Country
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England
One of the many "experts" on the radio said they can't and the others haven't said they can.
I think they have only one chance of an appeal left, maybe with the prem league itself.
ASCPFC
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- Location
- Pro-Cathedral/caravan park
- Country
Ireland
Will this turn into European charges from UEFA too? Surely this will mean they will have also breached their rules? Did Man City win anything in Europe throughout this time? They were certainly in the Champions League.
Joseph Paxton
Member
- Location
- Haywards Heath
- Country
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England
5 out of the 115 charges against Man City are failure to comply with UEFA rules inc, FFP.
They were banned from UEFA competition in 2020 for 2 years if you recall (lockdown tho !) but complained to CAS with their bigwig lawyers and got that ban overturned on a technicality (timed out claim, I believe?). They have form with UEFA and are loathed by many of the big clubs and union leagues in mainland Europe. They won't be treated kindly this time. The FA has to firewall this serious problem before it spreads across the English leagues.
They are one rotten apple, spoiling the barrel.
TheBigToePunt
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- Country
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England
The charges relate to a period ending in 2018, but I can't see how trophies won after that time can be legitimate even if City had stopped cheating by then. The financial clout they had from that time onwards, not to mention how attractive they were to top players, was all built in the tainted achievements. Who is to say that Haaland, or whoever, wouldn't have signed for someone else instead?
Part Time James
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- Country
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England
Wasn't Roy Hodgson having a look at him for Palace but couldn't think up a way to utilise him as a defensive midfielder?
TheBigToePunt
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England
The issue of whether the players could walk away is interesting.
I've posted a couple of times on this thread that Rangers isn't the precedent for City that people think, it's actually very different. That club folded and a new one was created, so none of the players contracts held. They could walk away for free.
Juventus, on the other hand, were relegated. Same club, same company, started next season in serie B with a points deduction. The players remained under contract to the club. A load were sold, some chose to stay. Perhaps City would be like that?
What I don't know is whether any juve players explored legal action to be released from their contract, or how that would have gone. I'm sure loads of City players would be looking into it.
What would be interesting is whether City are hit with a big enough fine and a large enough points deduction that, regardless of whether they are demoted, they are effectively reset financially. One of their bugbears about FFP is that it would have stopped them from buying their way into the elite. Newcastle have found this is so.
How ironic and fitting it would be if the punishment for City buying their way into the elite placed them outside that shop window looking in like the rest of us, and like they were so desperate to avoid that they cheated.
Perhaps they'll be forever outside the big time in a post FFP landscape. Maybe being a mid table premier league club forever, hitting the same glass ceiling as the rest, is a more poetic punishment than relegation to conference north?!
Any one who has read ‘States of play’ (possibly the most depressing book I have ever read) will recognise this argument. The UAE will certainly try and take this to a level and apply pressure far beyond the realms of football. You’ll notice that they are still protesting their innocence. I doubt there will be a speedy resolution no matter what any of us think.
TheBigToePunt
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England
You're suggesting Roy was wrong? That Haaland could actually be effective as a defensive midfielder? You plainly know nothing about football. This is exactly the kind of nonsense the internet is full of. Typical....
Save Dwindlehurst
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- Country
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England
Have met many Citeh fans over the years and two occasions spring to mind:
1) When we got to the Cup Final in 1990 and their fans bought everything in the Club Shop to wear in Manchester before the game.
2) Drinking with a group of older fans before the last Final. Really good blokes and totally different from Manure. Very knowledgable and concerned Palace were going to win!
Before all the money and success Citeh were a proper football club with proper fans. It’s not their fault what has happened.
TheBigToePunt
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- Country
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England
Even if the owners decided to never give City another second of their time and money, it shouldn't matter. The club should be able to run under it's own financial steam, and not be dependent upon the whims of a rich owner.
That was the whole point of FFP. Which City hated and circumvented. Now it might save them.
Not for the first time, the irony is almost too much!
doombear
Member
- Location
- Too far from Selhurst Park
- Country
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England
True. My cousin is a City fan - used be a regular but stopped going when the UAE money started to impact things. He felt that buying success was wrong.
Joseph Paxton
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- Location
- Haywards Heath
- Country
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England
Miguel Delaney is a real welcome commenter on the modern game and I really enjoy his insights in The Independent.
The fact he ridicules a t*** like Amanda Staveley with regular accuracy earns big kudos with me.
I haven't read his book but may see if there is audiobook. Huge shame that globalised interests are using the beautiful game as a plaything or grab for power and I really hope this Man City corruption shines the brightest spotlight on what's going on in our amazing leagues.