By Tony Attwood
So where do we start with the Manc case? We have been dipping into it off and on since it started, forever watching out for legal restrictions, watching the Athletic, which somehow seemed to know what ManC were going to do before the club did, and yes, I must admit, rather enjoying it all.
And most of us were right: Manc were to be found guilty of most of the 115 charges – well, 114 of them we heard. There were no signs that the Premier League had been frightened into their boots by threats, and the regulators did their job.
Reading throuh all the documents and commentaries that are available, the one that leaps out most is the notion that Manc have been unbelievably arrogant – they didn’t believe they could lose and, having lost, can’t believe they have lost. Maybe that is a misinterpretation, but that is how we see it. And that will drive them to an appeal.
As the Independent said, “That could yet take months, even years,” but the great benefit we will all have is that we can report the case we’ve just had, and the appeal if it happens.
So what do the Mancs do now? Nothing, and carry on playing? Sell the club and walk away? Call the judges and courts corrupt? Fight through every appeal avenue available? Who knows. The one thing we have learned is that these people don’t think as we do. That’s not to blame them – there is nothing that says our approach to logic and law is right, but it is just interesting to note. They are very different from the rest of us.
But still we ask, where does that leave the ManC? There are those who are saying “we’ll appeal” without any real indication that they know what that means, or that what losing an appeal can mean. They bought into this project – which means the propaganda and the football. And now….???
And amidst all this, there is a lot we don’t know, although I suspect the reception the Mancy players will get as they step on the pitch in future is not going to be very friendly. A chant of “cheat cheat cheat” every time they touch the ball is the very least they can expect.
Part of the Manc problem is that they just did not, would not, could not believe this sort of result could happen. And to be fair, nor did we. I wrote that it could be years before we got a ruling – and wow, there it was a few days later. Sorry, we can all make mistakes – I just seem to make more of them! And meanwhile, the constant view from within the club that they are innocent of all charges is being maintained, but the reaction to it has changed beyond measure.
But perhaps what was most interesting was the way the club expressed itself after losing the case. It said, “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.”
That might be what they believe, but the problem they have now is that most of football and a lot of (quite possibly most of) the football journalists simply don’t believe that. But by saying that the club will appeal, the club has ensured that the whole mess is running and on we go, chattering away about the same things…
And so we are left with all sorts of options, like the removal of people in the club who tried to dupe the league. The League could even try and get the owners listed as not proper people to run a club. The owners could sell the club, or be forced to sell the club on the grounds of false accounting and providing knowingly false financial data. Such accusations would of course have to be heard in court and could take quite a while. It could, as they say, run and run.
And that’s before we get started with points deductions – every club that has drawn with or lost to ManC will be claiming “foul”, meaning clubs that were relegated because of points lost to ManC will demand a recount.
And some will want the club kicked out of the league – which of course could lead to Manc setting up a league of its own, while others will simply want millions of pounds in compensation.
And what about Haaland? What is his future now worth? Will Guardiola be able to manage again? Did he really not know something odd was going on? If so it makes him a very unobservant manager.
Then there are their league titles. Should they be removed? And what about the clubs that would have got into Europe had City not come above them in the League? How much compensation can they now claim?
ManC people are saying “you can’t take our titles,” but there are no rules as to what can and can’t be done at this point. They might get away with still claiming they won the league during this period, but they are liable simply to make themselves a laughing stock. I might say “good luck with that project”, but I wouldn’t mean it.
The Premier League had no choice but to find them guilty in order to maintain credibility, confidence and order, but it is all meaningless without a fitting punishment.
A return of their trophies would only serve as a past punishment with revenue and growth already made and that being too complicated and non reversible, where as a forward punishment would be more fitting and easier to arrange and more beneficial to the premier League and their creditors.
The world record 114 charges should have an equally fitting punishment that would probably be the following:
1. A ‘two year’ relegation sentence.
2. A ‘two year’ domestic cup ban.
3. A ‘5 to 10 year’ player purchase ban.
The player purchase ban would have to continue up until all debts owed have been paid, serving a 5 year minimum to a 10 year maximum period.
The debts in reference to this 5 to 10 year player purchase ban, includes all debts to be paid back to it’s owing teams, advertisers, and investors, with all creditors being made whole before the ban is lifted serving the minimum 5 years, and if still not paid, then the ban would continue to the maximum 10 year end.
In detail: All debts can be paid by the use of the clubs revenue, it’s assets and its player sales during the ongoing purchase ban period for the next 5 to 10 years, with the final duration ending of the purchase ban being depending on when all debts have been fully paid. 5years minimum to the maximum 10 year ban period or until all debts are paid serving at least 5 years.
The Manchester city club is worth over 4 billion in assets, so they are rich enough in potential asset sales to be able pay it’s creditors by selling a small portion of there assets, starting with player sales, before business assets need be sold, and they will have 5 to 10 years to make that happen after which their transfer purchase ban would be lifted.
If they refuse the the club would go into administration with all control passing to the new administrator to sell it’s senior players first and if need be also it’s property assets as well, until debts are paid and the remaining club ready to restart with a clean slate in a lower league status and trying to reserve the club as still a football club business.
Just an opinion of most people.
There is an interesting point of comparison – on a results prespective. Newcastle.
Same type of owners with unlimited finances.
But with one caveat : by that time the PL had enforced strict rules in terms of financing.
And we see where they are.
Had City respected the rules, We could say that they would have been more often mid-table then top table.
So it ain’t just saying the would have not come in first but second. The whole results of each season would have been different.
So each season since the take over is tainted, completely tainted.
And reading things today is does seem like some clubs are going to ask them for financial redress….
This is going to be quite a fight….
Did they do wrong ? Did they misuse the FFP ? Did the try and fool us ? Are they cheats ? Screw them good if your answer is YES to the questions asked !