Martin Samuel: The plot to shackle City & Chelsea

[tornandfrayed]

This twat has one interest in mind no matter how he tries to spin it: Manchester United. Can't believe he's allowed to be second-in-command at the FA, it's a farce. The worrying thing is he has so much power and influence now that I can see him getting Premier League FFP passed.

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David Gill has further fanned the flames surrounding Financial Fair Play (FFP) by claiming Premier League clubs wanting to control player wages will have to sign up to UEFA's controversial initiative.

It was revealed on Tuesday that Gill's club Manchester United were part of a 'Gang of Four' - including Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs - who wanted the Premier League to implement the new rules that would require all clubs to break even.

Other clubs such as Sunderland are more keen on capping wage increases for players but Gill said that would be a "quid pro quo" with those clubs having to agree to financial fair play.

A smaller group of clubs - Chelsea, Manchester City, Fulham and West Brom - are opposed to any form of regulation but it looks likely that a compromise will be agreed at the next meeting on February 7 which would allow owners to cover a fixed amount of losses.

Gill said: "It's a debate - we're having a discussion on financial fair play. The impact of the new TV money has clearly focused the minds. Seven or eight clubs are going to have to abide by UEFA's regulations in any case.

"The league are working on this and will put a paper together to be discussed at the February meeting. Whatever's decided is dictated by 14 clubs.

"On wage cost protocol it's a quid pro quo. It depends what direction you come from. If they get that we will want the other. In my opinion it's a joint program, and the two things are linked."

Gill confirmed that he had suggested to other club chiefs the Premier League could use UEFA's systems to implement similar rules - but denied a report that he wanted the European body to administer the English rules too.

UEFA's regulations are being monitored by Jean-Luc Dehaene, the former Prime Minister of Belgium.

Gill added: "That was totally wrong. What I said was if we subscribed to the UEFA system we could use their computer systems and analysis on things like related party transactions but the control and the decisions will be made here.

"I wasn't saying 'give it to Mr Dehaene'. I was saying we could piggy back on their system."

He seems to be presenting some form of regulation as a fait accompli, which until there's an actual vote is a curious thing to do, unless he knows something we don't.

Lot of lobbying to be done yet, I'm sure of it.

Could anyone (PB maybe) tell us what this is all about. Why do they need a computer system to analyse related party transactions?

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Could anyone (PB maybe) tell us what this is all about. Why do they need a computer system to analyse related party transactions?

It's a load of complete and utter bollocks. "Er what I meant was...no I didn't mean that I really meant...I didn't make myself clear...etc, etc."

First of all, each national association monitors FFP compliance for its member clubs. UEFA can audit their processes and individual clubs but, for us, it's the FA who are primarily responsible for monitoring things.

Second, related party transactions are declared in club accounts under existing accounting standards and the requirements of the Companies Act. So it doesn't need a Cray supercomputer to monitor them.

It's not the hardest thing to set up an Excel template and send it out to each of the PL clubs. Job done.

 

[Plain Speaking]

David Gill...has one interest in mind no matter how he tries to spin it: Manchester United. Can't believe he's allowed to be second-in-command at the FA, it's a farce. The worrying thing is he has so much power and influence now that I can see him getting Premier League FFP passed.

...and it wont be long before he's No1 in the FA with even more power.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

David Gill has absolutely no interest whatsoever in what's good for the wider game of football. None.

He made a conscious decision a decade or so ago, to ignore his own advice, namely that "debt is the road to ruin" and take the Yankee dollar instead. One can only guess at what incentives he's been offered to ensure united's hegemony in the domestic game, but anyone who can't see his motives in this, is deluded and naive beyond words.

 

[laserblue]

David Gill = Chief Executive of Manchester United = Vice Chairman of the FA = Related Party Transaction.

Stammer your way out of that one Gill.

 

[BlueAnorak]

David Gill = Chief Executive of Manchester United = Vice Chairman of the FA = Related Party Transaction.
Stammer your way out of that one Gill.

Not that I in any way want to get Gill out of the mire (I don't - he's a sh*t), but being the Devil's advocate for a minute, you could also say that David Bernstein = Former Chairman of Manchester City = Chairman of the FA = Related Party Transaction.

 

[nijinskybell]

David Gill = Chief Executive of Manchester United = Vice Chairman of the FA = Related Party Transaction.
Stammer your way out of that one Gill.

Not that I in any way want to get Gill out of the mire (I don't - he's a sh*t), but being the Devil's advocate for a minute, you could also say that David Bernstein = Former Chairman of Manchester City = Chairman of the FA = Related Party Transaction.

Former is exactly that, so in no way is it related.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

David Gill = Chief Executive of Manchester United = Vice Chairman of the FA = Related Party Transaction.
Stammer your way out of that one Gill.

Not that I in any way want to get Gill out of the mire (I don't - he's a sh*t), but being the Devil's advocate for a minute, you could also say that David Bernstein = Former Chairman of Manchester City = Chairman of the FA = Related Party Transaction.

Bit different. Gill is a current, paid employee.

 

[NorCalBlue]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned somewhere in the preceding 41 pages, but I'd love to see the reaction of these teams if someone suggested the NFL model (I think the NBA as well) of salary caps that can be afforded by every team in the league. That would be much closer to an even playing field, thereby making it extremely unlikely that those teams who rely on the CL would be able to get a top 4 spot every season. It might even put some of them out of business (shame...).

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

David Gill = Chief Executive of Manchester United = Vice Chairman of the FA = Related Party Transaction.
Stammer your way out of that one Gill.

Not that I in any way want to get Gill out of the mire (I don't - he's a sh*t), but being the Devil's advocate for a minute, you could also say that David Bernstein = Former Chairman of Manchester City = Chairman of the FA = Related Party Transaction.

Bernstein hasn't been in situ at City for nine or so years now, whereas Gill is trying to influence policy now against the backdrop of his current roles for united and within the FA.

I would be much less bothered about this from an ethical point of view if, say Maurice Watkins, was to become involved at the FA again, because of the effluxion of time since his active involvement in united. It makes sense for people with executive backgrounds within the game to be involved at the FA, and I very much include senior figures at united in that. Whatever we, as City fans, may think of them as individuals it would be foolish to say their experience wasn't of any value to the FA.

It is the juxtaposition of Gill's role at united, his role within the FA and his lobbying for change which causes me, and I imagine many others, such disquiet.