- Why do we not hear much criticism of referees any more?
- The issue that makes us think, what is going on with the referees?
By Tony Attwood
According to the Daily Mail, Former Tottenham chairman Lord Alan Sugar has “explosively” claimed Manchester City have ‘got away with b****y murder’ due to their 115-charge case remaining unresolved.
The allegation is now that because ManC are still benefiting from their past financial activity and because nothing has happened, they know they can get away with anything they like. This is due to the fact that there have not been any further claims made against them, and according to those who defend the club and all its actions, this shows that the rest of football – the League the FA and the top clubs are “scared of going head-to-head with the club and those who fund it.”
As a result of this, Manc is still using the players bought when they had free financial reign, and that is taking them to near the top of the league.
The question that other clubs are pondering is whether ManC will carry on using the same tactics, on the grounds that if no one has successfully challenged them thus far, there never will be a challenge. So on they go, after their brief pause, buying whomsoever they want, using money from undeclared sources, secure in the knowledge that as nothing has happened so far, it simply won’t happen in the future. They have been found guilty of offences against the league’s rules, but no one is doing everything, hence they are safe.
There is only one way out of this, which we have declared before – for all the rest of the league to resign and form a new league next season, without inviting ManC to join it. Those who want to stay in the Premier League and take on ManC each season can do so. Clubs from the Championship can choose to go into the ManC-dominated league or a league without ManC. ManC could then recruit a few clubs from Europe, but knowing how the ManC finances work, I doubt many would take up the option.
Lord Sugar is quoted as saying, “‘I am waiting to see what is going to happen with Man City, the thing is Man City have got away with bloodyy murder.
“For about three years now there has been talk of them infringing these rules; they have most probably paid about half a billion to lawyers so far to frighten the Premier League.”
So as we all know, the actual hearings about this case ended in 2024, but nothing has happened since. There has not even been an explanation as to why there is nothing has happened since. Meanwhile, ManC carry on spending, as if there were no case to answer – which in terms of how they see the world, is exactly the case.
Basically, the only thing that the League can do is to hear the case, find ManC guilty if that is what the findings show, and then remove their trophies from them and demote them to the Conference, if the Conference will have them.
But because nothing happens, there is no resolution, and they are free to spend as they wish. This is exactly the outcome ManC want, and so for the moment Manc has won. (We could also do with the Champions League refusing to deal with them too).
ManC has succeeded in winning trophies, and making a mockery of the rules while ignoring the 115 charges. They have won. So if the rest of the league doesn’t like that, all it has to do, as an alternative to the above, is to resign and set up a new league without ManC.
The one positive bit of news is that at least four of the other Premier League clubs say that they have “reserved the right to seek compensation should City be found guilty.” ManC won’t mind because in my view, they won’t pay any fines and will just say, “let us back into the league, and we’ll pay”.
But there is a problem because the longer this process goes on, the more people get bored and ultimately say, “OK, they have promised not to do it again, so let’s get on with the game.”
The problem is that it seems possible that ManC have lost the confidence of the rest of the league, and there might well be a feeling that if the rest of the league allow ManC to “get away with it” this time, they will be back with an even bigger scam once they are cleared to play in the PL again. Of course, I don’t have any evidence of ManC’s thinking or plans; I am just reflecting on how I see the process going.
But the essence of all this is that ManC have got away with finding a way around the Premier League’s rules and regulations, and having done it once, surely there is every chance of them doing it again – unless they are kicked out..
