- Moving on to our next game: How have LOSC been doing?
- When it comes to explaining football maybe there just is no time to think
By Tony Attwood
I am fairly sure a lot of people approached yesterday feeling a bit sorry for ManC fans; after all, it wasn’t them who arranged all the match-fixing that their pay masters engaged in. And indeed there was even some sympathy for Manc fans in the media – with the feeling that they had had every right to celebrate their years of success. It was the club owners who fixed the matches, not the fans.
But in the space of about 10 minutes,s all that sympathy and understanding for the regular fans who go to the games utterly vanished.
And it wasn’t replaced by a neutral feeling of, “Well, I suppose those fans don’t really see the implications.” No, instead we got the same sort of dislike that many people in England have for the bully – the big kid who goes around punching the little boys and then laughing about it.
For we had absolutely no sign of anyone associated with the ManC club, be they fan or director or player or of the management team, showing any sign of remorse. No one has even said, “Look, I don’t know what went on with the money, but if it was as is being suggested, I can’t support that.” Not even that!
Certainly no player said, “I’m finding it very difficult being associated with this level of cheating.” All we seemed to get was “Give me the money.” .
Now, of course, we don’t expect people in the employ of the Mancs to speak out against the money givers, because that would mean losing their job by taking a moral stand, and as we know people in high levels of employment (MPs, Lords, board members in large corporations, even local councillors) don’t apologise. All they do is say too little, too late. Do you remember British politicians admitting they got it wrong?
As The Daily Mail put it, “The team belonging to the club branded the biggest cheats in English sporting history embraced their shame and laughed in the face of the scorn of the rest of football,” (Oliver Holt). He continued…
“City defied the revulsion that has been visited upon them and waltzed past Liverpool, the team which suffered most from their cheating. “It was another bad day for a game reeling from what City have done to it … for now, it seems, cheats do prosper.”
And that probably was the first time ever in my entire life I have wholeheartedly agreed with a statement in the Mail. Would I have been horrified if Arsenal had done what ManC had done? Yes. Would I have taunted the opposition in the first game after the revelations – absolutely not. I can’t be sure what I would have done, but I would like to think I would have sent my season ticket back with a note saying, “let me know when the real Arsenal return.”
The only good thing one can say is that when the time comes to punish ManC, absolutely no neutral fans are going to say or do anything to excuse or support the Mancs. No matter which league they are relegated to, it won’t be enough. What they have done as a club, and what their supporters did yesterday, is enough to tarnish that club for a lifetime. As if they had not blackened their own name enough anyway.
Maybe ultimately we forget John Terry being accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, or Eric Cantona flying into the crowd with a kung-fu kick. Or Adam Johnson of Sunderland being arrested for having sex with an underage girl, and his club continuing to play him. Maybe. But ManC have gone beyond all that, for they have attempted to destroy the essence of football.
It looks as if every ManC celebration, such as we saw against Liverpool, is likely to increase the punishments they will face, and in the meanwhile will turn more and more of the media against Liverpool. Any publication that prints the league tables without an asterisk next to the ManC line is condoning the cheating, and deserves to be outed also.
And it is worse than this, because the rest of Europe is watching to see how England deals with this level of cheating. And thus far, Europe is not impressed. Indeed, I have already heard mutterings, suggesting that Europe can’t have England in its competitions if England continues to leave ManC unpunished, while their supporters celebrate this industrial level of cheating that they now embrace.
ManC, the club, are clearly blind to the impact their fans’ behaviour is having on their already ruined reputation. Ultimately, retribution must come – and when it does, I don’t think they will understand what has hit them. Or why it keeps on hitting them over and over and over again. And then we will say, “Farewell Manc, once and for all.”
If MCFC’s players can continue to get results like that (LFC 0 – 3 MCFC) then AFC better hope the Premier League can sanction MCFC before the season ends!
I agree completely with the points raised here. City’s tactics have included 100% denial and delaying the outcome of the investigation into their finances. City are holding the League to ransom Remain unaccountable annd play the conviction which they are masters of and are calling the shots. This is contrary to natural justice and the interests of all other EPL clubs. In view of their view that faking costs and sources of income and sham contracts they regard as having done nothing wrong – what has led the Premier League to believe that City are now adhering to all financial rules and parameters?
In my view The sanctions applying toCity need to include City being suspended for a fixed period while their finances from 1 January 2019 until now are fully and independently investigated. In addition the HMRC and Police need to review what the basis is for HMRC and criminal investigation based on the evidence to date. If City refuse to cooperate the should remain suspended until they participate in the investigation. The league programme can restart without City this season and the League operates with one less team. Let City take the league to the high Court
Tony to be really fair and balanced we should consider Thomas Partey.
Our own club were aware of the indiscretions and potential charges laid at his door. We got to a convenient get out with his contract coming to an end however we still were aware.
The issue then moves on to the point that he has only been charged and there is verdict on his guilt. The law says innocent until proven guilty. Man City have been found guilty. The appeal is irrelevant. A sentence should be annouced and an appeal heard. If City owners attempt to delay matters they can however the sentence will be applied. That may get them to act with due diligence rather than in the tardy fashion thus far.
City fans and players have brought the wrath of the football world down upon themselves now. Every bit of sympathy I had has gone following the attitude and total disdain they showed to the rest of the football world.
What also concerned me was Chris Kavanagh’s refereeing standard yesterday which went from a very low level to even lower with what I believe was clear bias being shown.
Back to Howard Webb and his comments over Kovacic against us a couple of years back and ‘Michael Oliver not wanting to affect a game over a disgraceful 2nd challenge on Odegaard’ yet Chris Kavanagh totally ruined a game in City’s favour for an innocuous foul by Gravenbach. If this is what is going to happen going forward this season will become a joke.
There is a big difference between this and Thomas Partey which is easy to lose sight of. Yes, of course the club knew about what he had at the time been alleged to have done but, at the police’s discretion he was given anonymity to ensure he got a fair trial. So even though the club would have known they would be required by the police not to go public on it. At that time Partey had not been charged and was on bail free to go about his business and that remains true to this day as he is still able to ply his trade. Only after he has been found guilty will he be sentenced. He may not be found guiltly. If he is he deserves what ever sentence is given to him. He has also fully cooperated with the police. I don’t think any of us should feel concerned or ashamed about how Arsenal dealt with this as it would be how the police would have asked them to in order not to prejudice thier case. Man City however….
@ Don R
I quite agree. Whilst, if found gulity, he desrves everything he gets for such a heinous crime. But, as you say, whilst at Arsenal none of the accusations had be proven and hence he was, under English law, an innocent man. Thus whatever the actual truth, as determined by a court of law, he was an innocent man whist playing for Arsenal.
In some lines of work one would expevct to be suspended for accusations of certain crimes but this would be based upon the potential risks posed in the workplace. Partey, was not detained pre-trial so presumably posed no perceived risk to the public and hence none in his day to day work.
Manky114 times , I’m hoping that appeal will be quashed . The second that lands I want to see them suspended whilst a 2nd investigation into their activities from 2019 to today takes place . Its also high time the erstwhile PGMOL now Proref is suspended following the charge they were employed by Man Citys owners over there in Saudi a couple of seasons ago.
Given that I as an employee of Scottish Borders was advised not to accept money or gifts with a value exceeding £5 on the grounds it could prejudice my work towards said gift givers being viewed favourably.