PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[Fred_Quimby]

Naturally, during cases evidence can come to light that attract the interest of the SFO (or others) or be escalated to them.

Investigations by regulatory bodies where their own powers are limited and where illegal activities are suspected, would normally be escalated to those who have greater powers of investigation and ability to seize documents etc. They will almost certainly have an obligation to do so where they lack the power.

At this stage there is no evidence to support criminal proceedings.

Thanks MB. I just wrote about that very thing.

 

[carlosthejackal]

Surprisingly I’m no finance / legal expert so I’ll leave it in the hands of the club’s highly qualified legal team , personally I’m avoiding the bull shit in the media or bar room experts .

 

[mosssideblue]

after taking a pinch last time regarding our accounts (2014 i believe) why would we run the risk of being stupid by hiding/making false numbers in our accounts knowing they are the most scrutinised in world football? How will our exterior auditors feel about this as well as their integrity is now obviously being called into question?

I agree. We are run by top people who will know the world is against them. I also believe culturally, we look to always abide by the rules.

It simply smacks of green eyed monsters looking to stir the pot.

I simply hope that once all charges have been proven to be wrong, we come out with a few home truths about regarding the PL, FA and others.

 

[J.G.Blue.]

I don’t think he will face them alone. Simon Heggie will sit next to him I imagine, and will nip it in the bud at the start of the presser, or at least try to.

The way Pep seems at the moment I wouldnt be suprised if he put the nut on one of the slimy twats in the press :-)

 

[hilts]

Loved Mancini - but was he really the worlds most sought after manager at the time he accepted the job at City ? So much so that to lure him we had to pay him a big salary and top it up with secret payments into an offshore account ?

All clubs especially those trying to compete will be up to something. We can only hope the owners have covered all bases because they are smart enough to do so.

I don't believe we are whiter than white but I don't believe anyone else is either. Unfortunately they are only going for us.

It's not about immorally breaking the rules it's about making sure that it can't be proved you have.

 

[champo]

Prem teams furious as Liverpool and United vet league CEO candidates

Liverpool and Manchester United have left their Premier League rivals furious after reportedly having had special access to weigh up the candidates to be new chief executive of the Premier League.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I am sure most of you have seen this and remember it coming out. A timely reminder of the influence these two clubs have and who are likely behind much of this. Both clubs have been significantly effected by our success. It’s corporate warfare and regardless of the outcome they know this will hurt us.

 

[Blue Mist]

He must have had the shits again. His actions potentially blocked the path of an ambulance going to an accident scene. Not much moral high ground there.

You do know he didn't stop on the hard shoulder don't you?

 

[waspish]

So, the new Manchester United-supporting CEO started last month and almost immediately we have this news. I wonder if that's a coincidence? Or did United and Liverpool have a chance to vet her, as was alleged in the media with regard to at least one previous appointee? And, if so, did the City investigation feature in those discussions?

It seems clear to me that by making the number of allegations the PL has, which cover matters going back to Mancini's contract in 2009, there's a clear aim to throw as much as they can at us in the hope that some will stick. But they've argued that we've filed dishonest accounts for nearly a decade. That's an incendiary allegation and they can't expect MCFC to do anything other than fight it with all the force we can muster.

I don't have any experience of prosecutions of directors for false accounting, but I'm led to believe that it's not conceivable that City's directors would be prosecuted for that offence in these circumstances. Nonetheless, the allegations, if true, presuppose that those directors committed actions that are in some circumstances viewed as a serious criminal matter punishable by several years' imprisonment. I can't see Khaldoon, for instance, taking that lying down.

One key thing to point out, as we did ahead of CAS, is that the reporting of this case fails to acknowledge that it's possible to work within rules to circumvent them. Instead, it's seems enough for our friends in the press that we've probably been in breach of the "spirit of the rules". But this is a bullshit concept that counts for sweet fuck all in the real world.

If UEFA or the PL want their rules to ban some kinds of sponsorship, the onus is on them to draft legal provisions which expressly say so. Otherwise, we're entitled to find whatever workarounds the applicable text of the rules allows. (To be fair, The PL have changed rules down the years to try and close what they see as loopholes).

As a defendant, what you have a right to expect when matters as serious as this are in issue is that there'll be a full and thorough examination by the panel empowered to hear the case. That could take months, if not years. Yet I see that the media this morning are suggesting that clubs want a quick resolution, with a punishment in place that applies to this season. If so, those clubs prove that they couldn't give a toss about due process.

I'm bound to say that, IF we end up being proved guilty of having falsified our accounts over many years, then one would have to say that we'd deserve a punishment of unprecedented force. But that's an extremely difficult thing for the PL to prove. We deny the charges, I believe (from my admittedly biased viewpoint) and, under any concept of due process, we're entitled to have our case heard properly before that assessment is definitively handed down.

The reaction of opposing fans, the press briefings of rival club, and the media glee at what's happened tells you that no one in this constituencies is the slightest but interested in fairness. At the moment, I'm bullish and look forward to the club approaching its defence of its position in the most forceful terms. Let's see how things look when we've done so.

In the meantime, we need to create a real siege mentality. Sometimes when one urges this, people accuse you of being paranoid. Well, in this situation, we know they really are out to try, at all costs, to damage our club irretrievably. Let's all - fans, management, players, directors, other club officials - pull together and really fucking stick it to our detractors.

Maybe they thrown these very serious accusations to somehow make take a quick deal say a 15/20 point deductions that will give the likes of Chelsea Liverpool Newcastle and spurs a better chance of top four and make no mistake this is all about money!

 

[chaddblue]

The PL are being used by the red shirts, this is clear. They are desperate to test City on the facts that were time-barred in UEFA's case against us because that, and City being "non-cooperative", is pretty much all they have. I think we have to be careful, though. Once it becomes clear that there's no case to answer, the PL will be a shell of its former self, weak in the eyes of those using it, and THAT is when the new European Super League will be announced - with or without us.

If that’s the result of us being cleared then so be it

 

[Levyblue]

Radio 5 live going to be a PHONE in at 9. Please delete if already been posted