PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[Dribble]

Doubt it. It's not their job. You wouldn’t go to your local Nick and say “can you give me a certificate saying I’m not a crim." Proving a negative is notoriously difficult and I'm not sure that GMP or any other force would devote valuable resources to showing that no crimes had been committed. The best they could say, in any event, is that there is no evidence (or insufficient evidence) to show any crime has been committed.

I very much doubt as well that City would bring a libel claim arising out of these matters in any event. But even if they did, the absence of any criminal proceedings is rarely in itself sufficient to show there has been any libel because the allegation in a civil context has a lower standard of proof - ie Plod has to persuade a jury that it is beyond reasonable doubt that X committed an offence. If plod thinks it's more likely than not that X committed an offence, but it is unlikely that they would prove that to the criminal standard, charges would not be brought.

You have on a number of occasions likened the PL rules to the rules of a private members club, and if I may say so I don't think that the analogy is helpful. It is better if you think of the PL's rules as the terms of the contract between City and the PL. That is effectively what is at the heart of all this - an allegation we have breached the contract under which we compete in the PL. The reason this isn't proceeding in the civil courts is that the contract also provides for its own dispute resolution method, namely the independent panel. But that panel will also apply the laws of England generally (eg as regards limitation periods and the standard of proof) because that's what the contract also provides.

In terms of contracts, don't they have to be in accordance with UK Law?

EG: "In our street racing contract, you're limited to speeds of 100mph, but we clocked you at 110mph on Hyde Road, so you're in breach."

If the police picked up on this, could the street racer in breach not say it's none of their business, it's a private contractual dispute?

I looked at the CPS definition for Malicious reporting, which made me look again at several of the carefully crafted statements by the PL, which verge on accusations of "fraud" (I'm not saying you're guilty of arson, but I saw you set fire to your own house).

Where's the line drawn between essentially an inference of fraud in a contract between parties, & the CPS definition Malicious reporting, in the public interest (the courts deemed the issue could be reported on), leading to wasting police time & reputational damage?

The scenarios I put forward are done so for clarification by BM legal/finance experts (of which I'm not one). I'm merely a fan who's sick & tired of the bullshit & just wants to get back to the football.

In truth I have an element of legal & finance training as part of my job which gives me a VERY light laymans working knowledge.

When situations like this arise, like many City fans struggling to get their heads around this, I take my head out of the weeds, stand back & take a global over all view of what's happening.

Cutting to the chase, FFP/PSR is a bullshit witch hunt specifically crafted to stop Manchester City Football Club, & to protect the G14 & Spuds from ever being challenged. That's the short & tall of it.

Sometimes we've gotta stop getting dragged into football's silly legal/contractual/accounting games & call out FFP/PSR for the protectionist con it is.

Most opposition fans couldn't care less about the detailed minutiae contained in this thread, because in their minds we've been correctly accused of cheating, dominated football unfairly & only won what we have because we're crooks, & there's little any of us can say which'll change their minds.

Ultimately my suggestion of calling in the authorities to look at our business because of all the spurious public allegations made, which are causing huge reputational damage & hurt to our fans, can be characterised by the bolded type in your quote above.

That's all it takes to switch the spotlight of guilt by Manchester City, to the feeling of a witch hunt by the PL.

If the UK courts deemed the PL tribunal could be reported on because its in the public interest, surely City calling in the Feds to see if we have a criminal case to answer, would settle this farce legally, which would be in the public interest & considered a fair conclusion?

 

[Centurions]

You have any links?

Edit: Not doubting you, but have never really followed that case.

Etihad Airways: Do not prejudge outcome of US ‘open skies’ review | The National

Etihad said it hoped no one would prejudge the outcome of a review of claims made by US airlines, and that it was committed to setting the record straight on what it called 'unsubstantiated allegations'.

www.thenationalnews.com

And 4 years later:-

U.S. and United Arab Emirates Reach Deal to Solve Open Skies Spat

Emirates and Etihad Airways will use globally-accepting accounting practices for annual reports and open their books to outsiders as part of an agreement negotiated by diplomats from the United States and the United Arab Emirates that could end years of friction.

skift.com

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Thoughts for the brains in this thread?

FAW loses court case

The High Court in London yesterday ruled in favour of three non- League clubs - Newport AFC, Caernarfon Town and Colwyn Bay- in their challenge to the Football Association of Wales, writes Rupert Metcalf.

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Centurions]

Where are development that were said 2 weeks ago ?

That was from the Telegraph and was probably concerning the Ceferin interview. Yes, that was it in it's entirety.

 

[KS55]

It did for the one who fired the shot!

Wasn’t he posthumously pardoned?

 

[halfcenturyup]

Etihad Airways: Do not prejudge outcome of US ‘open skies’ review | The National

Etihad said it hoped no one would prejudge the outcome of a review of claims made by US airlines, and that it was committed to setting the record straight on what it called 'unsubstantiated allegations'.

www.thenationalnews.com

And 4 years later:-

U.S. and United Arab Emirates Reach Deal to Solve Open Skies Spat

Emirates and Etihad Airways will use globally-accepting accounting practices for annual reports and open their books to outsiders as part of an agreement negotiated by diplomats from the United States and the United Arab Emirates that could end years of friction.

skift.com

Thanks, but it was more the "our owners" comment. Thought I had missed something ....

 

[WRicko]

I Doubt it, we have been accused in an internal business matter between the Prem and one of its members, only if they can prrove guilt of fraud and wrong doing would/could it be passed on to authorities.

At present the HMRC, SFO and police are not accusing us of anything or feel need to investigate us for any wrong doing, that is up to the prem to prove, then they may get involved.

The premier league have affectively accused us of fraud it gos beyond internal rules

 

[WRicko]

I think thee are two things we as fans could do. We could make a complaint against the club to the police. Anyone can make an allegation to the police. I think it has happened to a few celbs and politicians by members of the public with other motives where a possible crime has been committed to some unrelated to the complaining person but the incident was in the public domain. The police would then have to investigate and clear or not city.

I don’t think this is a good idea risks wasting police time and what if we have done something wrong.

However we could write to our MPs and lay out the issues especially law point around the allegations but also the other technical stuff I don’t think MPs have a clue

 

[meltonblue]

Thanks, but it was more the "our owners" comment. Thought I had missed something ....

It was the Executive Council that was alleged in Open Skies to have paid for the sponsorship, not Mansour.

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

This thread has now entered a whole new parallel universe.

So the club should contact the police / HMRC and ask them to conduct a thorough investigation into our finances on the basis that we are completely innocent and have nothing to hide so that it can be shown that the PL are acting in bad faith? Alternatively, we as fans should demand such an investigation.

Summer 2025 or whenever the judgement will be handed down can't come soon enough.