PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[eyalluvitt]

Arsenal, bankrolled by the mythical Rwandan tourist board, where even illegal economic migrants won’t go and who blew 72million on Pepe are now pontificating to us about financial frugality

 

[Plain Speaking]

TH to ask an obvious question why does this keep happening to us?
I really thought the UEFA case would be the last one and everyone was relieved when we won, now it's this
It's really draining

The UEFA case had certain issues 'time barred, also the illegally obtained evidence like hacked emails were inadmissible. This won't be the case with the PL case.

 

[Bez]

Apologies if this has already been covered.

I have worked for the same highly profitable large corporation business in a senior management role for the last 38 years.

Businesses don't make decisions or decide courses of action, Directors and senior managers do.

Exactly who in the PL management structure is driving this?

The Chairperson of the PL is a Man Utd fan. That's a good starting place. Appointed a year ago.

The PL was always set up to protect the old big 3. MUFC, LFC, AFC. These clubs are most likely pulling the strings in the background.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Regarding sponsorship, I’ve no idea but inflating deals has been alleged. Not sure the relevance of the value of the Etihad.

Etihad also get way more than a shirt sponsorship. They are on everything. Training ground, womens teams, NYCFC. At the time the deal was signed it was unique, absolutely by design, so nobody could point to another teams shirt sponsorship deal and say ours was inflated as the sponsorship was more all encompassing.

 

[GaudinoMotors]

This feels very different to the UEFA episode. Make no bones about it this is a complete witch hunt. During the last legal battle the owners/club remained dignified and followed the legal advice by remaining quiet and reserved through the media. What concerns me with the PL charges - being so many of them - is that this is an outright attack on the very fabric of the club, the soul of our beloved City is under siege. The press have been briefed and have gone into full vulture mode. I simply cannot believe that our owners after following the highest paid advice about the business would be so stupid to flout the rules so blatantly.

For me the time has come to fight fire with fire. We must get in front of this today. This will not go away and we need something more than a paragraph or two stating surprise at timings etc. We need a blunt media briefing denying it all. We are a professionally run organisation but one thing has always irked me - our media & communications team are not the greatest. From getting players name to pictures wrong on the official website to most importantly a reserved approach to many journalistic whispers of how bad an oil run club is - we have been treated at times like the devil and yet not once have really gone at the media about it.

I really hope that we don't, through any appeals process, take a plea and accept even one or two charges taking a fine or a small point deduction. This is different to Juve or Rangers cases because we know any admission no matter how minor will stick with us forever. There are those who are fully determined to ruin our club and send us back to where they see we deserve to be. Any admission of guilt will stay and our success will always be tainted. For this reason alone the club if truly innocent, need to act.

They need to publicly make a statement denying it all. They need to infer that there are fractions behind these accusations. They need to call out the role of other clubs in trying to stop us. They need to state how the club have always been run and what positives have been achieved for the community. They need to remind many how they have not run the club through debt.

Of course if they have conducted the business in line with other organisations, accepted standard practices if you will that blur the lines of legality they need to call out their advisors and accountants that must be party to it. They must similarly call out other clubs who follow similar industry practices. Yes they may risk action against such accusations but as I said this is a co-ordinated attack on our soul.

I'm not a legal guy but one thing is clear any amount of shit sticks and they need to act to stop it now. They must not let the manager or the players have to be the face of their club. I'm sure many fans like me have been inundated with friends who follow other teams jumping all over this with wild insinuations - easy to ignore but not nice to defend from afar.

Finally I know they will try and keep the playing and business side separate but perhaps we will learn a bit from the Villa game. If as with the last UEFA attack they come out and play as if under a siege we will know the exact discussions between owners and team. If the play with apathy or a resignation of the inevitable we should all be worried. I have to think it will be the former. Pep himself has shown signs of fatigue in recent weeks so I just hope he's up for another fight against the integrity of our success.

Indeed - missed this earlier.

 

[domalino]

I see every back page has us being relegated from the Premier League, I know this isn't the actual law but why is this reporting allowed? It surely has an influence on proceedings, there's no way this "independent" panel will find in our favour.

They're getting the green light to fuck us over because apart from the Club, staff and fans there's hardly anyone else who wishes to see us exonerated.

On the back of the bent goal against the Rags this is the biggest stitch up in my lifetime of following football.

It's part of the unfortunate hysteria of reporting.

Because there's no obvious rules around punishments, people let their imaginations run wild. There's a report in one paper about United staff wondering about getting winners medals for 2017/18.

The punishment could be a fine, points reduction, relegation, expulsion from the football system - even forcing the season to be replayed is theoretically within the Premier League's powers.

It's what makes people think they've been cheated when the club only gets a fine.

 

[Indaparkside]

Should have more likes this post.

Took me 10 minutes to read it

 

[Lavinda Past]

They actually requested jurors stand down if that was the case. It happened in Ben Stokes' trial a few years ago - any cricket fans were told to stand down.

That's crazy. That said; the law is known to be ass.

 

[Blue spoon]

I think d

I think you work in finance and accounting Colin? Do you know how long BDO have been our auditors and is it of any surprise that we don’t use one of the “Big 4” as our auditors? Which of course used to be a “Big 5” with Arthur Andersen (pre Emron)?

I understand that the club refuse to work with PWC as they were pivotal in producing a report for FIFA about our financial behaviour.

It’s mentioned here - https://amp.theguardian.com/footbal...accounting-sponsorships-uefa-champions-league

 

[Tolmie scores]

Its a massive back lash to Newcastle take over, arse, dippers Rags s*tting it...somehow they let Roman"s Chelsk go...as its posh London! Its a cartel racket stitch up too right it is. I couldnt give a toss re punishment, others will soon see what a racket the game is