PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[halfcenturyup]

The legal costs for the PL don't come out of prize money but the clubs still end up being worse off.

At the start of each season the PL puts around £10 million (guess) aside for unforeseen costs which may crop up in the following year. The legal expenses come out of that.

Usually, at the end of the year, the clubs get a windfall of say £500,000 each from the pot due to the fact that nothing cropped up. For the last few years there hasn’t been any/much windfall for the clubs because the PL has pissed it up the wall trying to enforce unlawful rules and chasing a handful of clubs around (mainly us)

I think I’ve remembered that right but I could be wrong.

Interesting. Any idea where you heard that?

I am not sure what the point of any of that would be? The result would be the same?

 

[Father Paul]

What i dont understand is how the pl approved our books each year. Then some how decide the the early books were cooked.
Where did the pl get this evidence, why did the pl miss the cooked books ?

You have clubs using other linked companies like Red Football Ltd books for the pl. You have clubs selling to themselves. You have clubs claiming 200million covid cover. You have other clubs claiming 50million to dig a hole for stadium development. You have a club admitting off the book payments that the pl never saw.

How come the pl missed Chelsea off the book payments but say City have done this to. Pl spot City but didn't spot Chelsea.

I also dont understand how the pl can't investigate dippers computer hacking as it was over the 6 year limit. But the pl ignored that rule for charge City.

Now if this shit show is purely based on cut n paste hacked emails, its ridiculous. Surely the pl would want to see all the 1000's of hacked emails involving other pl clubs ?

A man who may or may not be under police protection says hello.

 

[TinFoilHat]

If we win I would put a motion to the PL board that Arse/Dips/Spurs/Rags should be forced to pay the majority of the legal fees on behalf of the Premier League.

I reckon they'd get a majority agreeing.

:)

 

[mexico1970]

Is it even legal that City pay for their lawyers and part pay for pl lawyers ?

Dish the pl money out without the pl taking out say 20 million. Once all clubs are due their take the pl then take the fees from the other 19 pl pots, City then get the original amount before the fees are taken

The costs should be divvied up for payment between the other clubs we shouldn't have to pay jack shit, this is their doing not ours and when we win we should come out of it cost free.

I don't know if that's how it works just giving my opinion based on no facts at all.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Just to add about Brittain I asked ChatGPT about her role in the APT….

Brittain’s Role in Governance

As chair, Brittain is responsible for:

• Oversight of regulatory integrity — ensuring rules are lawful, consistent, and fairly applied.
• Safeguarding the league’s reputation — especially in high-stakes legal disputes.
• Ensuring procedural fairness — which the tribunal found lacking in the Premier League’s treatment of City.


Her silence during these episodes — particularly after the tribunal’s ruling — raises serious questions about accountability and transparency. Critics argue that:

• The Premier League has weaponized flawed rules against City.
• Meanwhile, competitor clubs voted to tighten those same rules, even after they were deemed unlawful — a move that arguably entrenched unfair advantage A.


Broader Implications

This isn’t just about City. It’s about whether the Premier League:

• Can enforce rules consistently, or whether it’s vulnerable to political and financial influence.
• Is structurally biased, allowing certain clubs to shape regulations to their benefit.

Whatever the flaws of the new regulator it has to come in now because the PL is unfit to govern and has been compromised. Clubs should never be allowed to take action against their commercial rivals.

 

[mexico1970]

Just to add about Brittain I asked ChatGPT about her role in the APT….

Brittain’s Role in Governance

As chair, Brittain is responsible for:

• Oversight of regulatory integrity — ensuring rules are lawful, consistent, and fairly applied.
• Safeguarding the league’s reputation — especially in high-stakes legal disputes.
• Ensuring procedural fairness — which the tribunal found lacking in the Premier League’s treatment of City.


Her silence during these episodes — particularly after the tribunal’s ruling — raises serious questions about accountability and transparency. Critics argue that:

• The Premier League has weaponized flawed rules against City.
• Meanwhile, competitor clubs voted to tighten those same rules, even after they were deemed unlawful — a move that arguably entrenched unfair advantage A.


Broader Implications

This isn’t just about City. It’s about whether the Premier League:

• Can enforce rules consistently, or whether it’s vulnerable to political and financial influence.
• Is structurally biased, allowing certain clubs to shape regulations to their benefit.

Once the "Rules" become complicated there will always be wiggle room to circumvent the rules, I have no faith in any independent body or assigned overseer in enforcing anything other than the status quo.

Expect more fines for long grass or fielding too many players with not enough consonants in their last name.

 

[cheekybids]

Whatever the flaws of the new regulator it has to come in now because the PL is unfit to govern and has been compromised. Clubs should never be allowed to take action against their commercial rivals.

I think how Stefan has described the scope & the budget then it set to fail.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Rag on talkshite just threw in there Man City cooked the books and they let it go without anyone saying you can’t say That!

You see big organisations now with the narrative that’s been pumped out for years thinks it’s fine for this without any come back that you can’t say that!

Heard that. No mention of United’s debt or their failure of FFP, or them loading costs onto another company based in the Cayman Islands. Apparently they can spend as much as they want “because of their history.”

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

I get the need for confidentiality but this process lacks transparency. How can anybody start a process without having a plan or a feel for key dates in that process. Yes, as a former IT project Manager, I know that dates can, and do move, but at the moment it feels like this has been swallowed in to a black hole and there is no sign of it ending

The Premier league could manage expectations by saying something like we expect a decision by such and such a date and then giving an update if the report / decision is going to be delayed without explaining why the delay.

It's what happens in the real world so why is law so different.

Isn't some of this just common sense or am I living on a different planet.

It has gone on for four years and each year they have to budget for legal costs so someone will have estimated timescales and there will have to be a broad timeline agreed. Of course delays can and do happen.

 

[Damanino]

I am sure the total legal costs added up a lot overall in last few years. our case, Chelsea's, Everton, Forest, Leicester etc
then hearings, panels, KCs, appeals, another panel etc.

between like 2010 and 2020 none of these costs had to be paid, but clubs voted for all this so fuck off and pay it...

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

It would be funny as fuck if the expensive lawyers that the EPL have used, turned round and said they couldn't clear their schedule for the next 12 months for such a frivolous case

More likely they looked at the PL's evidence and said "Fuck that. We aren't putting our experience and reputations on the line for this pile of shite".

 

[Gremlin]

Pannick is getting KDB money for this, the least he can do is aim for the side netting.

On the contrary, I hope Lord Pannick nets it top bins, and the PL team punts it into Row Z.

 

[JCB001]

Or it goes to penalties?

I hope the Lionesses ain't taking ours

 

[foggy1974]

More likely they looked at the PL's evidence and said "Fuck that. We aren't putting our experience and reputations on the line for this pile of shite".

You would presume that the highly experienced lawyers that the EPL employed would have advised that the chances of landing the major charges of false accounting after CAS ruled it extremely improbable as about 1%. Masters, pressured by the cartel clubs, ignored this advice, so their lawyers just went ker-ching

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

You would presume that the highly experienced lawyers that the EPL employed would have advised that the chances of landing the major charges of false accounting after CAS ruled it extremely improbable as about 1%. Masters, pressured by the cartel clubs, ignored this advice, so their lawyers just went ker-ching

I'd be amazed if even the PL were chasing the fake sponsorship line, unless they've got pretty solid evidence that CAS didn't.

I think it's far more likely they're going down the Related Party route, as that's been brought up a number of times but has never been properly tested in a court or tribunal.

 

[jamielowndes]

On the contrary, I hope Lord Pannick nets it top bins, and the PL team punts it into Row Z.

I'd expect the John Terry slip and slide from the UCL final by the PL given how they've handled this.

 

[foggy1974]

I'd be amazed if even the PL were chasing the fake sponsorship line, unless they've got pretty solid evidence that CAS didn't.

I think it's far more likely they're going down the Related Party route, as that's been brought up a number of times but has never been properly tested in a court or tribunal.

Even that seems unlikely & their lawyers would be well aware of the apt rules that are legal when it comes to accounting.

Seeing as even though Uefa were unhappy that Etihad wasnt considered an APT it was considered fair market value & then you add in that since th EPL through the book at us, those related party rules have been shown to be illegal due to shareholder loans.

 

[Mcfc1.9.8.0]

If we win I would put a motion to the PL board that Arse/Dips/Spurs/Rags should be forced to pay the majority of the legal fees on behalf of the Premier League.

I reckon they'd get a majority agreeing.

:)

Fuck that although they were the main ones running with this you had the small clubs like place Brighton etc backing them up let them get hit in the pocket and teach them a lesson they had numerous chances to vote with us and back us up but hid behind “the big boys”

 

[foggy1974]

On the contrary, I hope Lord Pannick nets it top bins, and the PL team punts it into Row Z.

It's looking more likely that the EPLs wall has jumped & Pannick has slammed it under the wall & into the bottom corner

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Because it's run by fucking lawyers......

The Golgafrinchans had the right idea. Unfortunately they all ended up here.

Let’s hope there’s a dirty telephone handy…