I was wondering, is it within the PL’s powers to deny City membership for x number of years? Like, could they say, you’re guilty of 9 years of cheating, so you can’t play in the PL for at least 9 years?
Could perhaps get around the promotion spots issue in the Championship by just taking City’s position out of the equation wherever they finish in the table?
You say that like that is a reason why it must not happen. They killed the PL for half its history. They deserve to be punished without regard to whether it may ‘kill’ them. FFS Rab, you are usually a fairly sound contributor but you seem (to my rabid taste at least) far too lenient on cheaty.
I disagree with that view. I think they’re overlooking just how extensive the powers of the IFR are. Understandable given it’s a new authority and these are unprecedented issues.
But I’m still sticking with my initial views on what sort of sanctions we’re likely to see.
I agree with the general principle. It has to be a multi-season punishment, whatever form it takes.
Apropos of nothing, I always try to be the bigger man and not say I told you so…
That sounds like admirable restraint except that…
Another good piece by Rory here knocking back another angle on the “red cartel” defenses of city’s behavior
I don’t see why they should have gratification of winning the Championship and having a year in the Prem, before getting relegated again, at the expense of some Championship club that has done nothing wrong.
Anyway, it wouldn’t kill the club. It would just greatly reduce it and force whoever owns it to rebuild over several seasons. Just like the former Glasgow Rangers.
They should…they would chase after any normal person…
I’ve no idea who this guy is and am getting my apologies in early if some find it inappropriate to be posting a Utd fans’ podcast on here. I came across it on the Caf and thought he does a pretty good job of trying to explain the weird cognitive dissonance now affecting those City fans who see themselves as victims and are not shy about putting their loyalty to the UAE ahead of their own country. (And a lot of them being Reform voters no less.) Strange days indeed.
Haha. I get people are out for blood and I can understand that. I just think you completely kill them they could phoenix it, come back without the stain and basically claim a clean slate.
I’d much rather they continue to exist with a black mark against them for the rest of their history and spend the next five years pointlessly bouncing up and down with a half empty stadium and players leaving like rats escaping a sinking ship.
Humiliate them.
Nothing can really be done mid season as there are no gaps. The FL does allow for a cut off that the National League might accept.
Dazn have Tv rights so might fancy a name like Man City in there. Doesn’t much benefit the FL until league 2 as there are plenty of names floating around the Championship and League 1. I would assume the best course of action and one probably open to the leagues as it already exists is restricted promotion.
So Man City can finish 1st over 3 years but the PL ain’t taking them.
At that point the FL financial fair play stuff would hurt them enough to be probably back to the level they were perhaps even a relegation to league 1.
Though I believe the FL position is they wouldn’t want them. Ebbsfleet have struggled financially recently and there are always one or two teams that will go under in the north/south of the NL.
It’s a very good piece (although I wish YouTube’s subtitling worked better!) It actually touches on the weird dissonance that football fans in general have.
I just wonder what his opinion on Jim Ratcliffe would be? Essentially another dishonerable oil-cunt.
Equally contemptuous I’d guess… he does seem to be a pretty stand up guy.
If they get expelled its who excepts them the football league is fully entitled to say nope which would leave National league as an option.
This is correct, but it’s important to draw the distinction between expulsion and relegation. If the punishment is a massive points deduction, then City would still get to play their PL games (and cup and CL matches) this season, but their relegation would effectively be sealed provided the deduction is big enough. Then the normal procedure would follow, they’d drop to the Championship - the EFL can decide if they wish to enact any sanctions, though i’m not sure how much scope they have since this was a PL investigation, etc.
If the punishment is explusion from the PL, then City are literally just kicked out and I’d imagine their remaining fixtures are just voided (or maybe automatic wins for their remaining opponents? not sure). They can then apply for acceptance to the Football League, and the rule states that - unless a majority of the 74 member teams vote otherwise - they’d have to enter at the lowest level, that being League 2. HOWEVER, a majority of the 74 teams have to vote to even accept them to League 2, and if that doesn’t happen, then City would need to continue the application process for each subsequent tier in the non-leagues.
My absolute wet dream is expulsion, and I pray that the PL and the independent panel have the balls to do it. Would send a message loud and clear - that this unprecedented scale of cheating and lying needs to be met with (almost) unprecedented punishment (Leeds were kicked out of the leage way back in the pre-war days, for financial infractions). It would also be an effective death penalty to City’s current owners and ownership structure, and will liekly see the club have to be wound up and a new co formed in its place - see what happened to Rangers a while ago.
If it comes down to being a persistent points deduction over x years that sees them relegated each time they come back up for a while, I worry that’ll be fought in the courts for years and whittled down to where the impact is lessened and they continue to exist in their current form. They need to be destroyed, utterly and completely, because if not, there’s no way the game can heal and move on.
Expel them. They’re shit.
They’ve got that one covered already