Manchester City found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges against them

By Tony Attwood

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It wouldn’t have seemed such big news a couple of years ago, or however long it has been, but the fact that “Manchester City have been found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaching” is big now, simply because it has taken so long.   And in fact, the “majority” means all but one which when you come to think about it, is quite a lot really.   Arsenal no charges against the club proven, Manchester City 114.

The story is being run by BBC Sport, also citing The Athletic – you’ve probably got it before me as I’ve been in a meeting myself for the last couple of hours discussing how to make the plots of novels work, among other things.   Then we stopped and I read this.

According to Athletic, sanctions have not been decided. But the independent panel has reached its decision, finding them guilty of all but one count.  However this sis where it gets exciting because it was in relation to this point – the finding of guilt – that the ManC threatened the whole of English football by suggesting they would be tying everyone up in court until they all go bust.

And indeed, it may be because of that threat, which has never been withdrawn, that the Premier League has declined to comment.  They might well be closing the bank accounts and moving the money offshore.    The Mancs did not comment except to say the “Premier League process remains ongoing with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality”.  To which we might say, “hmmmm”.

Mancys added, “The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence,” it added.

Of course, this is not the end by any means as we all know ManC will now appeal, and of course appeals can take a long time to get going and even longer to come to an end.   So in effect nothing changes in terms of games and the teams that ManC can put out.    The appeal will take maybe a year, maybe more, but it certainly seems unlikely to affect this season, other than for a few of the rather amusing chants about guilt now being wheeled out.   “Guilty as charged, you’re guilty as charged… Manchester Cheaters, you’re guilty as charged,” was the first one I heard within minutes of the news breaking.

Now the big issue that we have sitting here like an open chasm is that this is new territory, because we’ve never had a case like this, a guilty verdict like this, nor (assuming that ManC don’t suddenly change their minds and either give in, or join another league).

How long will it take ManC to say they want to appeal?  How long will it take for the appeal to be heard, and how long will the case last?  At which point, how long before whatever punishment is imposed at that point is implemented?   

However, this does give the Mancs a clear indication of the way in which the wind is blowing, and they can get ready to take whatever action they want if they are not relieved of all fault when the appeal process is finished.   Do they continue to maintain their earlier threats and tie up the rest of football in court until the FA and League run out of money and simply give in?   Or do they now, several years after that threat was made, have a new option in mind?

And other options do exist, of course.  ManC could itself start action against the Football League, other league clubs, the FA and anyone else they can think of as it threatened to do.   And it doesn’t matter if they have no case in mind, as they once said they would (or so it was reported – obviously I wasn’t there at the time to witness any such statements); just the threat of legal cases is enough to tip the rest of football closer to the edge.

What is most likely to happen, unfortunately, is that there will be another year or two before we get to the appeal.  And the only good thing we have got in the interim is that from now on we can say that ManC have been found guilty of.   The Athletic is openly reporting ManC have been found guilty of 114 charges so that is what we can now say.  No more “alleged” or other hesitant words – they have been found guilty and have said they are going to appeal.  

We await further thoughts and comments with much interest.