PL charge City for alleged breaches of financial rules

[Shirley]

The M/cr Evening News just set me on the edge of a heart attack with its headline "City to be stripped of Premier League titles?" I missed the question mark and read on to find the article say that this is in fact "unlikely." But bastards, tossers and rag-lovers (who continue to this day to defy the alphabet by putting "Man u****d" before "Man City" in their headings), it made me drop my McVities in my tea and my yell of anguish woke the missus, here at gone midnight in the usa.

This is the tool who wrote it…

GEORGE SMITH

Senior Football Writer



Topic ExpertiseManchester United



Local ExpertiseManchester football



George is a Senior Football Writer for the Manchester Evening News, mostly covering Manchester United. He previously worked for football.london before joining the MEN team in July 2021. As well as covering United, George is a Championship-enthusiast and co-hosts The Championship Chat Podcast (@Champchatpod24), which you can find on all major podcast platforms.

 

[halfcenturyup]

After two long winded attempts to answer I found this explanation which sums it up far more succinctly than my attempts
Edit - just noticed it’s an American piece but the mechanics are the same.

Can a Case Be Both Criminal and Civil? | Adam Kutner Injury Law

Our experienced Las Vegas injury lawyers explain how a case could be both criminal and civil. Here's what to know about criminal and civil cases in Nevada.

www.askadamskutner.com

Don't want to bother @gordondaviesmoustache again, the poor bastard has wasted enough time on me, so it's your turn. Surely the rationale behind the burden of proof being lower for a civil case is that the sanctions are less severe. In City's case, I would have thought that the football world would consider locking up the directors of a club for committing fraud would be a more fitting punishment than punishing the club itself, its fans and its community with a sporting sanction that effectively puts them in the wilderness for, say, ten years? Way to look after a community asset.

And that, I think, is where the IR may come in.

I find the law so confusing sometimes, when it comes to conclusions that seem counter-intuitive.

 

[cheekybids]

I'm not at all sure that these charges are a direct result of either rival clubs (usual suspects) putting pressure on the PL or the fact that a United fan is the chair really. They must think they have a case as it makes no sense to launch a suicide mission against the leading club just to placate some others knowing it's doomed to failure. You'd imagine the top legal team they've assembled might have mentioned it too if they thought it was a no-hoper.

It might be a comforting thought that Alison Brittain said 'let's stick it to the Berties' but again how realistic is that? They are going all out with no expense spared and it's going to be legal warfare.

The fact they got the charges wrong makes you realise they didn’t get a solicitor to have a look at it….

“This one about the fa cup…. Are you sure they didn’t play?”

 

[CatMan]

Whilst I like the cut of your jib mate, the PL don't have to prove we've committed 'fraud on an industrial scale'. Indeed they don't have the authority or competence to do this.
The independent panel they have appointed only has to decide by majority verdict and on the balance of probability that some of our transactions broke FFP rules.
And that is a much lower bar.
Like you I'm still confident that the club will be cleared of these charges.

You are suggesting shades of grey here and that wont be the case.

Given that our evidence is apparently irrefutable, then it is impossible that 2 out of 3 independent minds can come to a 'balance of probability' that we are guilty, as they would have to give written reasons for their judgement. Just saying 2 of us think City are probably guilty because, irrespective of irrefutable evidence, we think there is no smoke without fire. That simply won't cut it and be thrown out by any appeal.

In short, if we are innocent, we will be proved innocent.

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

The fact they got the charges wrong makes you realise they didn’t get a solicitor to have a look at it….

“This one about the fa cup…. Are you sure they didn’t play?”

The PL undoubtedly rushed out the charges and made a balls of it but there is no way they hadn't had a top class legal team looking at the case for years to establish if they could make charges stick.

Look at what the cost will be to the PL from the charges onwards. As well as paying a world class legal team to represent them (one that won't be inferior to ours) they are paying the huge cost of the panel and all the support staff for as long as it takes (many years maybe). The PL will be outspending the club in this process so cost isn't an issue. The PL has lots of money so if it cost say 250 mill from start to finish they won't bat an eyelid. All I've been trying to point out in my last few posts is that in my view these aren't just a back of a fag packet charges that we can swat away whilst Pannick et al are laughing their bollocks off. Even one substantive charge landed would be catastrophic for the club. Breezy over-confidence is fine for a forum but I'm sure that the club is well aware of what's at stake here.

 

[Coatigan]

The fact remains that only one club in Manchester (Trafford) has been found guilty of breaching ffp and punished for it, and it's not city.

Both have, we were punished in 2014. They did it without rules being changed within a reporting period though.

 

[Ric]

Let’s keep the thread on topic, and not give Nick Harris the attention he obviously craves.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

It was always a laughable notion that the PL wouldn’t be able to afford a legal team every bit as strong as ours.

And yet, I’ve never seen it mentioned what their ‘day-rate’ is. You’d imagine it’ll be broadly similar to what we’re paying but only one sides fees are ever mentioned….

 

[Eric Hitchmough]

Up the fucking Blues. Come what may I love ’em to bits.

I loved City when Lee Bradbury missed sitters at Maine Road every bit as much as I loved City when Sergio made history. And everything in between.

So they can write what they want and send us where they want. We’re Manchester fucking City and we’re the bollocks.

 

[bluemc]

Let’s keep the thread on topic, and not give Nick Harris the attention he obviously craves.

Absolutely this. If it wasn't for this thread, I wouldn't be aware of what Harris and the likes are saying during their obsessive Twitter rants. And as his latest posts show, he's doing it for a bite and when he gets it playing the victim off it.

The man clearly isn't well. But we should leave him in the playground of the unwell with his pals, rather than giving him and his "friend" reason to venture over here.