Kangaroo panel finds us guilty

[CTID Hants]

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DbvTkX7v6/

[Harry Dowd scored]

This is getting bizarre, Beeb guessing what would have happened if we hadn’t “cheated” what about all the clubs who have benefited via receiving our money from transfer fees. We are living in very strange times.

[bigblue]

Normally I think the level of discussion on the MCFC reddit is terrible but the current environment has brought together City supporters more than I've ever seen. And this is hilarious, maybe mancityfans.net should adopt similar policies:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MCFC/comments/ ... self_as_a/

[salford city]

This is getting bizarre, Beeb guessing what would have happened if we hadn’t “cheated” what about all the clubs who have benefited via receiving our money from transfer fees. We are living in very strange times.

Only strange in Mr Roan's head. He seems to be on a personal crusade at the moment & must surely be sailing close to the wind.
I see he has drummed up support from the Independant football regulator for foorball. Ah, the sweet irony badgering an independant regulator over potential political influence.

[TrueBlue4610]

Wow, BBC really has lost the plot

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... 5nljx7972o

the mind boggles. Dan Roan is living dangerously

Quite possibly one of the worst, most illogical and simply inaccurate and unprovable articles the BBC have ever written

And that really is saying something as there’s a lot of competition for that

Wonder when they're going to do the "how much has your club gained from City's tainted money" article, followed by the "when is your club going to repay the tainted money" article. I'll not hold my breath...

[Harry Dowd scored]

This is getting bizarre, Beeb guessing what would have happened if we hadn’t “cheated” what about all the clubs who have benefited via receiving our money from transfer fees. We are living in very strange times.

Only strange in Mr Roan's head. He seems to be on a personal crusade at the moment & must surely be sailing close to the wind.
I see he has drummed up support from the Independant football regulator for foorball. Ah, the sweet irony badgering an independant regulator over potential political influence.

What about Holt, every article is toxic bile about City, I think he is not right in the head, it’s to obsessive to be normal.

[nottsblue]

Normally I think the level of discussion on the MCFC reddit is terrible but the current environment has brought together City supporters more than I've ever seen. And this is hilarious, maybe mancityfans.net should adopt similar policies:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MCFC/comments/ ... self_as_a/

Very funny

[nottsblue]

Wow, BBC really has lost the plot

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... 5nljx7972o

the mind boggles. Dan Roan is living dangerously

Quite possibly one of the worst, most illogical and simply inaccurate and unprovable articles the BBC have ever written

And that really is saying something as there’s a lot of competition for that

Wonder when they're going to do the "how much has your club gained from City's tainted money" article, followed by the "when is your club going to repay the tainted money" article. I'll not hold my breath...

The money the Aguero goal garnered for the PL in extra TV money alone is likely to be in the hundreds of millions, if not actually a billion or more.

But that would be classed as a sane point of view which the baying hoards won’t accept

[bigblue]

No mention of the fact that chairman of the Independent Football Regulator, David Kogan, is a Spurs supporter?? How the fuck is that independent??

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... ge245n0gzo

[salford city]

No mention of the fact that chairman of the Independent Football Regulator, David Kogan, is a Spurs supporter?? How the fuck is that independent??

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/arti ... ge245n0gzo

Quelle surprise with that name but you could not make this shit up. A spuds fan eh - political no chance

[Blue Jam]

This 114 situation has been a rollercoaster and a half.so far.

A week ago I was very down about everything to do with the charges.

3 goals later and I'm laughing my tits off.

There you go.

Typical City.

And it's fucking brilliant.

[Sparklehorse]

Bloody brilliant piece this……

“If Manchester City supporters are firing back, it’s because we refuse, as Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News so eloquently put it, to “play the sad clowns that the deluded circus demand.”

And let’s be clear: this entire legal process, together with the relentless outrage from partisan media and punditry, has become a circus that stinks to high heaven.

Before Sheikh Mansour bought Manchester City in 2008, the Cartel was firmly in control of English football. The established Incumbent Four had won 15 of 16 Premier League titles. They occupied every Champions League qualification spot for three consecutive seasons. City had won none.

Then City emerged as a genuine challenger to the established order, thanks to an owner with the resources necessary to compete with the Incumbent Four.

And suddenly, protecting football’s “financial sustainability” became the great crusade.

Shockingly, the rules that emerged—tying permissible spending to existing commercial revenue—overwhelmingly favored the Incumbent Four. The clubs that had spent decades building their financial advantages could continue spending accordingly. Challengers seeking to close the gap would face an entirely different set of constraints.

The established order had built its advantage. Now the rules would help preserve it.

In March 2019, the Premier League, with Richard Masters serving as interim CEO, opened an investigation into whether City had violated its financial rules. Masters would later become the League’s permanent CEO through an appointment process reportedly influenced by United and Liverpool.

Nearly four years later, on February 6, 2023, in the midst of what would become City’s historic treble-winning season, the Club was formally charged. The timing alone raises legitimate questions about the influence of partisan interests within the League.

The commission tasked with hearing the charges was then constituted under the authority of a Judicial Panel chair appointed through a process involving Masters and the Premier League.

And so the cloud hanging over City continued for an absurdly long time.

Finally, on September 29, 2026, we received a guilty verdict.

But that verdict came with a few rather extraordinary asterisks.

First, we don’t get to know who actually rendered the verdict. The identities of the commission members remain undisclosed.

Second, we don’t get to see the underlying evidence the commission supposedly analyzed—at least not yet.

Instead, we’re given a 40-page, heavily redacted decision setting out the commission’s findings, while the evidence underlying those findings and the supporting appendices remain outside public scrutiny.

We’re simply expected to accept on blind faith that an anonymous commission conducted its proceedings without bias, fairly evaluated the evidence, and reached conclusions fully supported by that evidence.

Perhaps it did. But how is anyone outside the proceedings supposed to make that judgment?

We’re talking about allegations carrying potentially devastating consequences for one of the world’s biggest football clubs. Yet the public is asked to accept the conclusions of unidentified decision-makers, reached through proceedings conducted behind closed doors, based on evidence that remains concealed.

And we’re supposed to regard this as a triumph of transparency and fairness?

Rather than wait for City—which maintains that the decision is factually and legally incorrect—to complete its appeal, the media and punditry, including former players associated with the Incumbent Four, are demanding immediate and severe punishment.

Many have spent years treating allegations as established facts. Now they treat a decision still subject to appeal as the final word.

This is a complete mockery of due process and fundamental fairness.

Even if City ultimately prevails, it will already have been punished in the court of public opinion. Years of reputational damage, attacks on the legitimacy of its accomplishments, and efforts to discredit the Club cannot simply be undone by a successful appeal.

And consider the broader picture.

A League historically dominated by a handful of established clubs adopts financial regulations that substantially favor those incumbents. Its chief executive, appointed through a process reportedly influenced by some of those same clubs, oversees an investigation into the challenger that broke their dominance. Charges arrive during that challenger’s greatest season. An anonymous commission, constituted under a disciplinary structure connected to the League, ultimately issues a guilty verdict based on evidence the public cannot examine.

Meanwhile, a partisan media and punditry demands that the Club be punished before the appeals process has run its course.

How could anyone reasonably expect City supporters not to question this process?

So, for those wondering why Manchester City supporters are sticking together, defending their Club, and refusing to accept the prevailing narrative, there’s your answer.

We’re entitled to demand transparency. We’re entitled to question whether the process has been fair. And we’re entitled to defend our Club against those who decided long ago what they wanted the outcome to be.

We will not apologize for any of that.

And we certainly won’t play the sad clowns that this deluded circus demands.

[sheblue]

That's a very good article.

[nottsblue]

^^^^^^^^^

Superb stuff Sparklehorse

[salford city]

https://youtu.be/jc9m35OLCU0?si=K88lXcv-WLSZzdCN

A follow on to Carl's piece.

[TrueBlue4610]

Bloody brilliant piece this……

“If Manchester City supporters are firing back, it’s because we refuse, as Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News so eloquently put it, to “play the sad clowns that the deluded circus demand.”

And let’s be clear: this entire legal process, together with the relentless outrage from partisan media and punditry, has become a circus that stinks to high heaven.

Before Sheikh Mansour bought Manchester City in 2008, the Cartel was firmly in control of English football. The established Incumbent Four had won 15 of 16 Premier League titles. They occupied every Champions League qualification spot for three consecutive seasons. City had won none.

Then City emerged as a genuine challenger to the established order, thanks to an owner with the resources necessary to compete with the Incumbent Four.

And suddenly, protecting football’s “financial sustainability” became the great crusade.

Shockingly, the rules that emerged—tying permissible spending to existing commercial revenue—overwhelmingly favored the Incumbent Four. The clubs that had spent decades building their financial advantages could continue spending accordingly. Challengers seeking to close the gap would face an entirely different set of constraints.

The established order had built its advantage. Now the rules would help preserve it.

In March 2019, the Premier League, with Richard Masters serving as interim CEO, opened an investigation into whether City had violated its financial rules. Masters would later become the League’s permanent CEO through an appointment process reportedly influenced by United and Liverpool.

Nearly four years later, on February 6, 2023, in the midst of what would become City’s historic treble-winning season, the Club was formally charged. The timing alone raises legitimate questions about the influence of partisan interests within the League.

The commission tasked with hearing the charges was then constituted under the authority of a Judicial Panel chair appointed through a process involving Masters and the Premier League.

And so the cloud hanging over City continued for an absurdly long time.

Finally, on September 29, 2026, we received a guilty verdict.

But that verdict came with a few rather extraordinary asterisks.

First, we don’t get to know who actually rendered the verdict. The identities of the commission members remain undisclosed.

Second, we don’t get to see the underlying evidence the commission supposedly analyzed—at least not yet.

Instead, we’re given a 40-page, heavily redacted decision setting out the commission’s findings, while the evidence underlying those findings and the supporting appendices remain outside public scrutiny.

We’re simply expected to accept on blind faith that an anonymous commission conducted its proceedings without bias, fairly evaluated the evidence, and reached conclusions fully supported by that evidence.

Perhaps it did. But how is anyone outside the proceedings supposed to make that judgment?

We’re talking about allegations carrying potentially devastating consequences for one of the world’s biggest football clubs. Yet the public is asked to accept the conclusions of unidentified decision-makers, reached through proceedings conducted behind closed doors, based on evidence that remains concealed.

And we’re supposed to regard this as a triumph of transparency and fairness?

Rather than wait for City—which maintains that the decision is factually and legally incorrect—to complete its appeal, the media and punditry, including former players associated with the Incumbent Four, are demanding immediate and severe punishment.

Many have spent years treating allegations as established facts. Now they treat a decision still subject to appeal as the final word.

This is a complete mockery of due process and fundamental fairness.

Even if City ultimately prevails, it will already have been punished in the court of public opinion. Years of reputational damage, attacks on the legitimacy of its accomplishments, and efforts to discredit the Club cannot simply be undone by a successful appeal.

And consider the broader picture.

A League historically dominated by a handful of established clubs adopts financial regulations that substantially favor those incumbents. Its chief executive, appointed through a process reportedly influenced by some of those same clubs, oversees an investigation into the challenger that broke their dominance. Charges arrive during that challenger’s greatest season. An anonymous commission, constituted under a disciplinary structure connected to the League, ultimately issues a guilty verdict based on evidence the public cannot examine.

Meanwhile, a partisan media and punditry demands that the Club be punished before the appeals process has run its course.

How could anyone reasonably expect City supporters not to question this process?

So, for those wondering why Manchester City supporters are sticking together, defending their Club, and refusing to accept the prevailing narrative, there’s your answer.

We’re entitled to demand transparency. We’re entitled to question whether the process has been fair. And we’re entitled to defend our Club against those who decided long ago what they wanted the outcome to be.

We will not apologize for any of that.

And we certainly won’t play the sad clowns that this deluded circus demands.

Where's that from, Sparkle? Do you have a link, as I know a good few people that will be getting it sent to them!

[TrueBlue4610]

Not sure this has ever happened before but on Oddschecker - a site that groups all the betting company odds together - we're 2nd favourites at 4/1 to win the PL,

While also being 3rd favourites at 7/4 to get relegated!

Any betters/mathematicians among you know if there's a win/win amount to place on both outcomes?

[zuricity]

Not sure this has ever happened before but on Oddschecker - a site that groups all the betting company odds together - we're 2nd favourites at 4/1 to win the PL,

While also being 3rd favourites at 7/4 to get relegated!

Any betters/mathematicians among you know if there's a win/win amount to place on both outcomes?

It's a false premise. City will not get relegated.

[Crossie]

Holt, etc are trained to create emotion. The most powerful one being hate. Write a headline that grabs everyone’s attention and be paid by the modern currencies of clicks, likes and comments.

It’s hard to not engage but that’s what’s needed.

[salford city]

Holt, etc are trained to create emotion. The most powerful one being hate. Write a headline that grabs everyone’s attention and be paid by the modern currencies of clicks, likes and comments.

It’s hard to not engage but that’s what’s needed.

All true mate. Fuck them all.