PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[Prophet of Doom]

It didn’t stop UEFA, tbf.

Fair point Ric - but the PL have had 4 extra years to investigate as well as seeing the CAS case play out.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

you are a legal man - are you telling me that PL would have proceeded the way they have even if they were advised their case wasn’t strong enough ?

Four years to build a case and they went ahead even if advised what they have is not strong enough ?

The way the 115 were shoddily cobbled together and rushed out just as the govt was looking at independent regulation suggests the PL were panicking, in a rush to get something out, and didn't take the time to get the advice you suggest.
The charges would've at least referred to the correct rule numbers if there were any professional pre-publication legal input

 

[BAB.DAB]

Fair point Ric - but the PL have had 4 extra years to investigate as well as seeing the CAS case play out.

In fairness, the Premier league has to let a independent commission decide if offence has been committed

 

[tweety]

We can guess with some confidence that it's the red tops behind the charges, they formed the league and are still in charge. The premier league is merely a name that they hide behind, they consider it their property.
Hopefully the government regulator can see through their bullshit and dismantle the cartel.

 

[Ric]

Fair point Ric - but the PL have had 4 extra years to investigate as well as seeing the CAS case play out.

True, but I don’t think it’s a given that they only pursued this because they truly believed in the veracity of their case. It seems a bit more complex than that.

You have to factor in the pressure they were under from certain clubs and the media, as well as the looming threat of an independent regulator etc.

The fact that they seemingly rushed the announcement of the charges and had to subsequently correct themselves suggests that it wasn’t the result of a carefully drawn out, considered process.

That said, I don’t think anyone can say with any real certainty just how this will all play out at this stage.

 

[Prophet of Doom]

The way the 115 were shoddily cobbled together and rushed out just as the govt was looking at independent regulation suggests the PL were panicking, in a rush to get something out, and didn't take the time to get the advice you suggest.

I agree. Complete amateur hour at the PL. Masters has also embarrassed himself multiple times.

But the accusations are so serious they must have known what they were getting into - no matter how rushed it was getting it announced.

Hopefully it’s a sign of their whole case.

Not sure what I’m getting dragged into this in a negative way. I’m sure we will be found not guilty of the most serious charges.

I was only answering an earlier post of what will happen if it goes against us - which is a nightmare scenario.

 

[foggy1974]

FFS, they have hired lawyers who cost lots of money, we must be guilty!

Lawyers taking a case which they might not win, but still getting paid, who knew!

You need to give it a rest fella, making yourself look a tit…

I wonder how much Uefa paid expensive lawyers to take a flimsy case all the way to CAS

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

I agree. Complete amateur hour at the PL. Masters has also embarrassed himself multiple times.

But the accusations are so serious they must have known what they were getting into - no matter how rushed it was getting it announced.

Hopefully it’s a sign of their whole case.

Not sure what I’m getting dragged into this in a negative way. I’m sure we will be found not guilty of the most serious charges.

I was only answering an earlier post of what will happen if it goes against us - which is a nightmare scenario.

I don't think they did know. I think they live in a bubble of media, spin and corruption. I know we will not be found guilty of the most serious charges - a provincial towns solicitors offices legal secretary would have made a better job of putting them together and those accused would already be in prison or at least handcuffs for fraud on that scale.
Before masters was appointed the previous two or three appointees with unquestionable credentials mysteriously walked away from the job. Probably because they quickly saw how partisan, amateur and corrupt the pl was.

 

[Prophet of Doom]

True, but I don’t think it’s a given that they only pursued this because they truly believed in the veracity of their case. It seems a bit more complex than that.

You have to factor in the pressure they were under from certain clubs and the media, as well as the looming threat of an independent regulator etc.

The fact that they seemingly rushed the announcement of the charges and had to subsequently correct themselves suggests that it wasn’t the result of a carefully drawn out, considered process.

That said, I don’t think anyone can say with any real certainty just how this will all play out at this stage.

Completely agree. I just find it hard to believe they would pursue the charges purely to appease the pressure from the usual suspects no matter how rushed it was. They can’t win whatever the result of the hearing. But if it goes in favour of the PL it will be carnage.

They have had 4 years to get a case together - if it’s the same as what was heard at CAS surely they would not have bothered proceeding.

But who knows, maybe it was the pressure. Hopefully it was.

 

[BAB.DAB]

And the end of City as we know it. Would take a generation to recover on the pitch - - probably never off it.

The whole of English football would spend the next 5 years in court.

Probably why the charges won’t stick - but the PL knew all this before charging us and will know what the worst case scenarios are.

I wouldnt look into stadium development costs being a sign of City’s confidence either - there is far more at stake than the cost of the new stand.

Oh dear, the cost of stadium development is not a sign of City's confidence, why not?

 

[foggy1974]

Fair point Ric - but the PL have had 4 extra years to investigate as well as seeing the CAS case play out.

The EPL would have thrown the book at us along time ago if they had the evidence that you think they have

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

The EPL would have thrown the book at us along time ago if they had the evidence that you think they have

And had a duty to report to HMRC and the police

 

[foggy1974]

And had a duty to report to HMRC and the police

I still believe that the EPL piggybacked on Uefa 2 year ban & had they been successful at CAS, the EPL would have followed suit & we wouldn't be where we are now.

Once that didn't happen the EPL hoped that it would die a death. The red cartel didn't want that & who knows what pressure their puppet in Masters has been subjected to especially after the failed big picture & secret meetings for ESL.

 

[Prophet of Doom]

Oh dear, the cost of stadium development is not a sign of City's confidence, why not?

If ( and a big if ) we are found guilty then the repercussions will cost CFG billions in lost asset value and revenue. Just think the financial commitment to the new stand will be small in consideration in the big picture and the hotel is more linked to the opening of arena than the stadium

Agree it is a good sign of confidence though - although I’m sure it would have gone ahead regardless of confidence.

 

[wolviedinho]

I’m just looking at worst case scenario and I’m confident we will not be found guilty of the main charges.

But what must be considered is that the PL have paid multi millions for legal advice on this matter. Their annual accounts show a huge increase in legal costs.

Their legal advisors must be confident of this case. They simply would not have gone this far if they weren’t.

I know we have theories on who has pressured them - but there is not a chance we have got to this stage if their lawyers weren’t confident of their case.

Jesus mate give it up. We get it you are a doom monger. The league is fucking loaded and will think nothing about throwing millions about to appease the clubs that have lost revenue due to city’s rise.

 

[Combat Carl]

The way the 115 were shoddily cobbled together and rushed out just as the govt was looking at independent regulation suggests the PL were panicking, in a rush to get something out, and didn't take the time to get the advice you suggest.
The charges would've at least referred to the correct rule numbers if there were any professional pre-publication legal input

One thing I don't understand is did City having the charges filed against us stop the government's proposals being released?

 

[BAB.DAB]

If ( and a big if ) we are found guilty then the repercussions will cost CFG billions in lost asset value and revenue. Just think the financial commitment to the new stand will be small in consideration in the big picture and the hotel is more linked to the opening of arena than the stadium

Agree it is a good sign of confidence though - although I’m sure it would have gone ahead regardless of confidence.

Changed your mind then, on the confidence of the stadium development, funny that

 

[halfcenturyup]

They are in too deep to stop. UEFA spent millions on lawyers but when it came to CAS they literally had no evidence. Don’t underestimate how stupid Masters is. The lawyers are always happy to get paid.

This is really the only explanation, imo, why they are continuing. They started the investigation, found some things that needed explanation but the club didn't provide the proof to support the explanations because they aren't required by the PL rules, or by UK law so to do, it being information held externally. So what do the PL do? Finish the investigation without a proper conclusion, which is a terrible situation for a governing body? Or continue with the disciplinary process, incur huge legal fees, and then "lose" the case, which is a terrible situation for a governing body.

The club has stitched the PL up good and proper over this, I think. We really have some clever people running the club.

 

[Keeper!]

you are a legal man - are you telling me that PL would have proceeded the way they have even if they were advised their case wasn’t strong enough ?

Four years to build a case and they went ahead even if advised what they have is not strong enough ?

They were pressured to make the charge, is that not obvious?

My take is the sound of the jungle drums is changing it's beat, just this week several media outlets saying the relationship with the rags is changing to almost cordial, not a coincidence and not just because Omar is going over there.

When we are cleared there will be a lot of clubs/individuals looking over their shoulders and worrying, some unpleasant and dam right lies have been put out in public about the actions of our club and owners.

What our club has achieved since the takeover is nothing more than magnificent and should have been lauded and used as an example how a modern football club should be run and with the incredible benefit for the City of Manchester and the UK in general.

We have raised the bar higher than it's ever been, we have cemented the PL as the best league in the world and revolutionised how the game is played in the UK at every level of the pyramid and beyond.

 

[halfcenturyup]

I agree. Complete amateur hour at the PL. Masters has also embarrassed himself multiple times.

But the accusations are so serious they must have known what they were getting into - no matter how rushed it was getting it announced.

Hopefully it’s a sign of their whole case.

Not sure what I’m getting dragged into this in a negative way. I’m sure we will be found not guilty of the most serious charges.

I was only answering an earlier post of what will happen if it goes against us - which is a nightmare scenario.

My advice would be not to get drawn into discussions like that. The first hundred pages of this thread were about what will happen if the allegations were true. It's not healthy, especially when the chances of that happening, imo, are so small as to be almost inconceivable.

You can't stop people worrying about it, but we shouldn't be encouraging them with doom mongering. All imho, of course.