journalist Jonathan Norcroft and Colin Savage talk FFP

[Exeter Blue I am here]

Yes, because you didn't say it - just

"The reality is that our owners are leading lights in a country that has numerous shortcomings by Western democratic standards, and we are a propaganda device for them. Pretending that everything in the UAE is sweetness and light would make us look like chumps. Like Northcroft said, ethics are an issue for individuals and we each have our own personal lines in the sand. Mine are not sufficiently compromised for me to stop going to matches, but that doesn’t mean they mightn’t be (compromised) one day. "

Nice of you to put our owners on notice about your sensitivities though - it might be very uncomfortable with all that sand up your own fundament.

You can predict the future can you? Go and change your tampon

 

[andyhinch]

Should have just nutted the ****

That was my thought as well, would have made great TV, remember the head butt in Mona Lisa ? that was PB that was ;-)

 

[big gaz]

Had this on early today and enjoyed it, cleared a few things up. Just came back to say thanks and it looks like a shit storm has passed over ;-)

 

[hilts]

Was a good video didn’t see the last couple of minutes but the manga carta was mentioned so I don’t think I missed much. Norcroft has always seemed pretty reasonable to me but I haven’t seen the tweets or the context behind them. My view on this is quite simple I believe for us to get where we are today we needed to bend, manipulate or break rules.

Us, Chelsea and PSG from a reputation point of view could do with one of the darlings getting butt fucked by a similar story. We are winning on the pitch but losing the media battle.

If the reputation of the club doesn’t really matter to you as a fan then who cares.

 

[bluemonkey71]

Good discussion.PB the font of all knowledge

 

[George Hannah]

Are you angry because your last name is a girls name?

its palindromic actually - if only he'd been called asa or even ada

 

[aguero93:20]

its palindromic actually - if only he'd been called asa or even ada

Hannah Egroeg?

 

[George Hannah]

You can predict the future can you? Go and change your tampon

Do you get excited by used female sanitary products then?

 

[George Hannah]

Hannah Egroeg?

You think he meant George was a girl's name - like in the Famous Five?

 

[aguero93:20]

You think he meant George was a girl's name - like in the Famous Five?

She was Georgina technically. Or Anigroeg in this case.

 

[George Hannah]

She was Georgina technically. Or Anigroeg in this case.

I know, like the dog was Timothy

 

[BertTrautmann'sParachute]

Northcroft's argument is basically that despite the rules being corrupt/corrupted/corruptible we should have still gone along with them. Moron.

 

[CharliesRightPeg]

Really
Pb like tolmie knows that any transfer or signing can hit a glitch at the last moment and has stated such on multiple occasions

 

[BlueAnorak]

Northcroft clearly doesn't care for the minutiae of financial accounts. I guess he wouldn't complain if his electric meter was going round quicker than it should do, so he'd pay up regardless even though the bill was wrong.

 

[dickie davies]

Praise from none other than the master himself. Never felt prouder.

Now I have to listen to it. If Dunc thinks it's good, then it's surely essential viewing.

Bloody hell! Castles said something sensible!!

Is this from the Duncan Castles parody account?

PB said in the video that he likes Castles as you can have a sensible chat/debate with him on Twitter
So Dunc obviously has taken PB's comment as a compliment and believes it gives him credibility, hence why he's praising the video to promote himself

 

[M18CTID]

Northcroft's argument is basically that despite the rules being corrupt/corrupted/corruptible we should have still gone along with them. Moron.

You see - it's this view of Northcroft's and other journos that I completely and utterly refute. Whatever reservations the club might have over FFP, I don't think we have ever had no intention of complying with the regs and these e-mails - if genuine - actually back up that fact. It was clear that we were in a race against time during the initial monitoring period to get ourselves into a situation where we could pass FFP. That we were then deemed to be in breach of them doesn't mean we rode roughshod over them. If we really wanted to take the piss and stick 2 fingers up at FFP, we'd have signed Messi and Ronaldo years ago, and there wouldn't be any need to recruit the likes of Soriano. Fucking hell, even Platini admitted to Martin Samuel that City had taken "big steps" towards compliance with the regs.

If anyone wants an example of a club who have blatantly ignored FFP then look no further than Aston Villa and the Championship FFP rules. It's pretty much an open secret that last season they spent like fuck in a desperate attempt to get promotion, knowing that if they succeeded the Football League can't touch them while they're in the Premier League.

 

[Henkeman]

The bit that always amuses me about the way journalists assume sportwashing is that it never remotely occurs to them that without things like City they wouldn't have written a single article or tweet about human rights in the UAE. If the concept behind it were to ensure people overlooked such things, it would be a pretty stupid way to do so - it has shone a light on the whole subject in a way never seen before and to a number of people who would never have thought about it.

The entire premise is utterly flawed from the beginning. More has been written on the matter than ever before.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

The bit that always amuses me about the way journalists assume sportwashing is that it never remotely occurs to them that without things like City they wouldn't have written a single article or tweet about human rights in the UAE. If the concept behind it were to ensure people overlooked such things, it would be a pretty stupid way to do so - it has shone a light on the whole subject in a way never seen before and to a number of people who would never have thought about it.

The entire premise is utterly flawed from the beginning. More has been written on the matter than ever before.

Exactly. The same way everyone became experts on Thai politics when Thaksin owned us. The point I often make is that it's precisely the fact that Sheikh Mansour owns us that there's such a concern about human rights in the UAE. Otherwise it would very much be a niche subject, expect perhaps when people like Matthew Hedges are arrested. Owning City could actually be a force for good in the region.

 

[Kinkys Left Foot]

It was interesting listening to the salient points that JN made to PB.
The witch hunt question was the 1st point. Although I don't believe there is exactly a witch hunt from the point that "football leaks" wasn't designed to have a pop solely at MCFC. The several other cases he pointed out that they or Der Spiegel make hay from don't make headline news or click bait in this country. In addition the detail reported in Der Spiegel was not done so impartially or without malice. Elements regarding details of City's dealings were grossly exaggerated to cast the club in a poor light alluding to some form of criminality. At worst we may have broken a few ill conceived football competition rules not committed corporate murder.
The way the matter has been reported in the press here and the twitteratti is nothing short of sensationalist bollocks. UEFA are currently not investigating us regards FFP and we are certainly not facing a European ban.
Some of JN other points regarding flouting the payment of agents fees in the Sancho deal (reported as circumnavigating FFP, what, for a few grand, do me a favour). Of course the matter is a concern but we wait until the PL have investigated before passing sentence. Then we have the allegation of breaching 3rd party rules in both Zuccelini and Mangala. Well even I was aware that both players needed to have 3rd party issues resolved before they came here and it was reported at the time. Did we forget then? If we have dropped the ball here we will deservedly get pelters and a probable transfer ban. Someone should be sacked of course. Do I believe we have fucked up? No. We shall see.

 

[Rolee]

It was interesting listening to the salient points that JN made to PB.
The witch hunt question was the 1st point. Although I don't believe there is exactly a witch hunt from the point that "football leaks" wasn't designed to have a pop solely at MCFC. The several other cases he pointed out that they or Der Spiegel make hay from don't make headline news or click bait in this country. In addition the detail reported in Der Spiegel was not done so impartially or without malice. Elements regarding details of City's dealings were grossly exaggerated to cast the club in a poor light alluding to some form of criminality. At worst we may have broken a few ill conceived football competition rules not committed corporate murder.
The way the matter has been reported in the press here and the twitteratti is nothing short of sensationalist bollocks. UEFA are currently not investigating us regards FFP and we are certainly not facing a European ban.
Some of JN other points regarding flouting the payment of agents fees in the Sancho deal (reported as circumnavigating FFP, what, for a few grand, do me a favour). Of course the matter is a concern but we wait until the PL have investigated before passing sentence. Then we have the allegation of breaching 3rd party rules in both Zuccelini and Mangala. Well even I was aware that both players needed to have 3rd party issues resolved before they came here and it was reported at the time. Did we forget then? If we have dropped the ball here we will deservedly get pelters and a probable transfer ban. Someone should be sacked of course. Do I believe we have fucked up? No. We shall see.

That's my issue with this, the tone used by Der Spiegel shows that their desire is not to expose the truth but to attack the club.

The insinuations of guilt from the British press also sticks in the craw.