PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[TFC]

I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who don't believe that the media indulges in systematic bias against certain clubs, when they absolutely do. I'm similarly amazed by those people who will acknowledge the possibility of political bias on the front pages of particular newspapers, but deny the same possibility when it comes to the back pages.
Just taking the Mail as an example, every article comes with a comments section. The paper's aim is to ensure that as many people as possible click on those articles, in order that they might maximise the advertising revenue central to their continued existence. It does this on the front pages by appealing to its largest readership demographic. Endless negative stories about lefties, teachers, lazy public servants, Meghan Markle, soft judges, asylum seekers, the cancel culture, 'militant' unions, remoaners, Gary Lineker etc etc are always the order of the day, because the Mail knows its foam flecked gammon army will hammer away with such fury that their keyboards will catch fire.
As to the back pages then, which two clubs have far and away the biggest fan bases in this country? And which club do you think is an oven ready enemy for both, having deprived them of hundreds of millions in prize money and trophies since 2011? Once you've joined the dots by answering those two questions, the penny should drop. City have been portrayed as football ruining, cheating, nouveau riche, sportswashing, plastic, no European pedigree, obscene spending (complete with squad cost comparisons, once famously when we weren't even one of the teams playing), human rights abusing, dodgy Arab owned, corrupt, 'dirty' oil money funded, success buying filth, non-stop for 15 years now, and our 'guilt' as regards the current PL investigation has long since been declared as fact.
Other papers, most notably the Guardian, have clear editorial policies when it comes to City and I defy you to find a single article from Miguel Delaney, Barney Ronay, Jonathan Liew etc that doesn't contain at least one of the phrases "state owned project", "oil funded" or "sportswashing". I've seen other journalists call our fans 'grubby apologists' and 'filthy rats', I've seen domestic broadcasters stuff their panels with rag pundits for our European games and listened to them call us mercenaries and wait until the half time interval to pan the camera around the crowd and sneer at us for having empty seats, and I've turned on the radio and heard us called "disgusting" and a "Frankenstein club". It's been relentless and no other club has ever had to put up with an onslaught of even remotely comparable degree. It doesn't mean that all journalists and broadcasters are out to get us, but compared to our immediate rivals we're a country mile ahead in the vilification stakes

'Foam flecked gammon army' is possibly the best combination of 4 words we've ever had on here.

 

[SWP's back]

I’d prefer us to be cleared because we hadn’t broken the rules rather than having significant political and financial leverage. Then again, being cleared is the crucial bit!

I don’t give a fuck about their rules to be honest when changed 120 years of status quo (allowing owner investment in their own business) with the sole intention of stopping City from competing with them.

 

[Centurions]

I’ll take that!! Rather like your edit. Feeling nicely smug now :)

I really do believe that City's owners talk softly but carry a big stick. There have been various refs and officials who have been quietly moved on elsewhere who have crossed us in the past. They can't all be coincidences.

 

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

Spot on. Get cleared first and foremost. If that happens, then destroy those clubs who tried to destroy us. Of course, if United get bought by the Qataris in the meantime we might leave them alone but the thought of that scrawny-necked **** John W. Henry's head on a fucking stick and Liverpool financially fucked will be a decent consolation prize! Not forgetting Spurs and that interfering boot-licking prick Levy ;)

If United get bought out by the Qatari bidder I think it will motivate our management even more. The UAE and Qatar don’t have a cordial relationship, Mansour and Khaldoon will want to inflict more misery or the raggy hordes.

 

[Centurions]

I don’t give a fuck about their rules to be honest when changed 120 years of status quo (allowing owner investment in their own business) with the sole intention of stopping City from competing with them.

I've not given a fuck since '92 when the FA Premier League was announced. They certainly can't blame that on us.

 

[CC1]

I really do believe that City's owners talk softly but carry a big stick. There have been various refs and officials who have been quietly moved on elsewhere who have crossed us in the past. They can't all be coincidences.

Hope to see huge changes behind the scenes in English football, when we are cleared - including the likes of Mr Parry.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

I’ll take that!! Rather like your edit. Feeling nicely smug now :)

I think @Centurions' amendment is about right.

There isn't any practical way to go after individual club(s), and it's wishful thinking that that was an aim.

More likely is that they'll aim to reduce their influence by revision to PL structures. I think they would also use it to lean on the media more about their reporting.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Hope to see huge changes behind the scenes in English football, when we are cleared - including the likes of Mr Parry.

I suppose they could use it as leverage "we'll support reform in favour of the EFL if Parry isn't there" type of thing.

 

[Rory Bluelow]

Abu Dhabi has announced changes at two of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). The moves put prominent members of the ruling family in charge of strategic investments worth some $1 trillion, and they may also hint at more leadership changes ahead in the oil-rich emirate.

Mubadala, conversely, was created to be a more nimble investor with a greater appetite for risk than the conservative Adia. It was spun off from the UAE Offsets Group in 2002 and since then it had always been headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, who oversaw its expansion into a fund with a $284 billion portfolio and a presence in over 50 countries. From an early stage, Sheikh Mohammed entrusted Khaldoun Mubarak with the day-to-day management of Mubadala, and he will retain his position of managing director in the reshuffle.

Sheikh Tahnoon and Sheikh Mansour very high profile positions in managing the current and future wealth of the country, with combined assets of the funds totaling more than $1 trillion. It also demonstrates that they remain trusted lieutenants of the Abu Dhabi ruler, close observers say.

Sheikh Mansour is the deputy prime minister of the UAE, and has been an active international investor for decades, his best known acquisition perhaps being the British soccer club Manchester City in 2008.

So that’s Bellingham sorted then -:)

I think the premier has picked a fight with the wrong people! Masters, levy, Glazers, Fenway hahahahah!

Landmark Shake-Up At Abu Dhabi Wealth Funds

Abu Dhabi has announced changes at two of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds.

www.energyintel.com

Very interesting. How incredibly lucky we are to have Mansour as owner and Khaldoon as Chairman of our wonderful club - & How lucky is Manchester to have these global giants active and investing in the City. If ever the EPL etc has bitten off more than they can chew it’s taking on these guys - to be clear, Mansour and Khaldoon are serial winners… definitely not losers. Never mind the fine legal points, in the end I‘m guessing this will be resolved in City’s favour by good, old-fashioned political leverage, followed by a bit of process “window-dressing” to square things away.

 

[Prophet of Doom]

I really do believe that City's owners talk softly but carry a big stick. There have been various refs and officials who have been quietly moved on elsewhere who have crossed us in the past. They can't all be coincidences.

Who are these mystery officials that have been ‘quietly moved on’ after we have wielded a big stick ??