Could independent regulation speed up 115 charges verdict?
- davidjwalker1
- Jul 23
- 5 min read
It was no coincidence that Manchester City were hit with 115 breaches of the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play regulations, just 17 days before the then Conservative Government issued a white paper, outlining sweeping reforms to English football.
The prospect of an independent regulator being appointed to oversee the governance of the game – primarily the ownership, financial stability and resilience of clubs – along with a brief to safeguard the heritage of football in England, was too much to take for those at the top of football’s financial pyramid.
The Premier League – formerly the Premiership until 2016 – had basically ruled the roost for more than three decades.
Here was the prospect, the very real threat, that they’d lose their status as judge and jury as to who should benefit from structures, first put in place in 1992.
Any outside ‘interference’ would – theoretically – bring greater transparency, honesty and accountability, replacing the secrecy, subterfuge and shenanigans long deployed to preserve the historical dominance of the so called Red Cartel. But that was before City's ascendancy.
The likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United were the big hitters – the clubs which held a global appeal for millions upon millions of fans. These fans, both at home and abroad, were the same people who paid their subscriptions to the TV companies who paid the big bucks to air the Premier League, projecting the 'product' and brand across the face of the earth.
When ‘little old City’ came along in 2008, flush with cash from Sheikh Mansour's takeover, it took just three years for them upset the apple cart, gate-crash the party and rain on the Reds’ parade – choose your own cliché.
Under the ‘leadership’ of Chief Executive Dickie Masters, the Premier League has always been willing to do the bidding of their red puppeteers. Imagine the blind panic and consternation of seeing their monopoly of manipulation snatched away.
So, in a pathetic attempt to show they were capable of policing football in this country they trotted out 115 charges against City.
The perceived wisdom would mean City were guilty of something – anything – the sheer volume of charges a damning indictment on their nefarious deeds.
If the Premier League could bring City to book, surely those championing calls for an independent regulator would see it wasn't necessary.
From the moment the charges were laid City have been presumed guilty by those who peddle an anti-City narrative. Jaundiced journalists, putrid ‘pundits' and social media keyboard warriors have been at it since Monday 6th February 2023.
The City detractors had the club in their crosshairs three years prior, when UEFA found the club guilty of breaching their FFP rules, banning them from the Champions League for two years.
The fact City overturned the ban with a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is conveniently forgotten – as the saying goes, ‘never let the facts get in the way of a good story’.
Way back in 2019, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak had the measure of the clubs who couldn’t beat City on the pitch and therefore resorted to dirty tricks off it.
After a clean sweep of all the major domestic competitions he said he would not accept his club “being used as a diversionary tactic on poor investment decisions” made by other clubs.
Khaldoon and City have been conspicuous in supporting the need for an independent regulator. Unsurprisingly Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have always been among those resolutely against.
City’s appetite for openness and willingness to outside scrutiny is hardly the actions of a club with something to hide.
The irony of those spewing bile and venom about City being cheats and throwing #115 all over the place is that many of them would be hard pressed to quote the charges.
They amount to:
54 charges for failing to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information between the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons.
14 charges for failing to provide accurate financial reports relating to player and manager compensation during the 2009/10 to 2017/18.
5 charges for non-compliance with UEFA’s Club Licensing and FFP rules from 2013/14 to 2017/18.
7 charges for breaching the Premier League’s Profitability & Sustainability Rules (PSR) between 2015/16 and 2017/18.
35 charges for failing to co-operate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 up to February 2023.
Essentially, they are multiple versions of five charges but a figure of 115 is a real eye catcher when it comes to capturing headlines.
In a nutshell the Premier League are charging City with inflating sponsorships linked to Sheikh Mansour, making secret payments to staff and players and falsifying the books.
If true it would mean Sheikh Mansour, the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates is party to fraud.
The same goes for Khaldoon, the CEO of the Mubdala Investment Company where he oversees a $330 billion global portfolio.
For the FFP rules to have been breached in the way alleged, it means City would have had to conspire with a myriad of highly respected accountancy companies and commercial partners, to commit fraud on an industrial scale.
Are individuals and corporate entities of such standing going to risk their reputations on what amounts to pocket change in the grander scheme of things?
Why would Etihad Airways – the company whose name is emblazoned on City shirts and has the naming rights to City’s stadium – be opening its books to float a stake of up to 20% on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)?
The independent commission hearing the 115 charges started on September 16th last year and finished on December 6th.
City have had to wait for a ridiculously long time to clear their name, but the time-honoured quote, ‘The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine’, is never more apposite.
Let’s face it, if the Premier League had scored anything even remotely resembling a win, the press, pundits and purveyors of anti-City sentiments would have plastered it all over the place.
As the wait goes on it remains to be seen what the Independent Football Regulator will be overseeing in the future.
If City notch up a seismic victory it might be the Premier League, but perhaps not the Premier League as we know it once Khaldoon & Co have finished.
By David Walker
'X' @ReadButNeverRed
'X' @djwskyblu
Absolutely nailed it , great insight great read !
Brilliant read that was , but like someone has already stated the narrow minded who are oblivious to the facts and the truth will always refer to our club as cheats because the football media have brainwashed them into believing their lies.
Definitely up to you usual standard! The result of the hearing won't change the minds of any of the City-haters - the shouts of "cheat" will continue; and like many other instances in today's society, trivial things such as FACTS and TRUTH won't count for anything in those people's narrow minds.
As always, hit the nail dead centre on the head.!! Well said David! We as fans should be apologised too with all the abuse we have endured!
Spot on Dave I agree with every word.
The Red cartel and there boy tried to stich us up good and proper. How are going to look when it comes crashing down around them. I just hope City sue every club journalist and anyone else that accused us of everything bar murder. I personally have one target myself I have let him rumble on for the last few years and said nothing. But as soon as we are cleared I am going to drop the equivalent of a nuclear bomb on him 🤣. Thanks again Dave another brilliant piece from you. You're getting good at these 🤣