Reading the various posts related to the charges it is clear to see the damage that has been done regardless of the outcome. Everyone outside of the club and fans believe we are guilty regardless of what argument is put in front of them.
Like many on here I have encountered a wide range of fans who have quoted City bingo at me but when presented with facts refuse to listen. I had some doddering old Wolves fan muttering away at me on holiday, I have caught my local corner shop owner( a Villa fan) spitting bile to another fan and had to intervene and defend the club. I had a Norwegian (former) friend (Liverpool fan surprise surprise) quoting absolute bullshit during the UEFA / CAS case who I had to straight. I’ll be honest it really pisses me off that these stupid people can throw shit at me for the club I have supported all my life, like I have done something against them and their chosen club.
The people behind bringing these charges and those in the media presenting speculation as facts need challenging once we are cleared of any wrongdoing. There has to be some accountability for spouting thinly veiled hatred without any real facts. I doubt any retribution will occur but god would I love to see some metaphorical slapping by City.
Great post.
I think that it is now generally acknowledged that the whole purpose of these charges was to launch a systematic, cartel-led and media driven campaign to destroy our reputation as a football Club (ie Man City, fucking bunch of dirty arab oil cheat bastards) in parallel with denigrating our incredible achievements (ie it's not that we have the best coach and players playing the best football, or that the cartel clubs are utterly shit on and off the field, it's just because of those same dirty cheating arab oil bastards that this happened).
Obviously should they be successful, this would clear the field for the total domination of the premier league by the US-owned cartel clubs, who would then be left to do with football whatever they please.
But rather than playing victims to this, we need to be launching a sustained and high profile campaign that effectively counters both of these objectives. We should be hiring the same calibre specialists in the field of PR, marketing, brand management and promotion as we have done in the legal field, with the sole purpose of utterly destroying the impact that the cartel campaign has had so far and will continue unabated until we act.
This is a strategic approach and one that should be planned for 12-24 months, starting immediately and going into absolute overdrive as and when the outcome of these bullshit charges is announced. Naturally it sits alongside the work that will be needed on the legal side as well as maintaining excellence in all our on and off-field activities.
And keeping Pep for another 3-5 years or so will be absolutely critical.