Football's Magic Money Tree

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Chester Perry
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:36 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Wed Feb 01, 2023 1:28 pm
Miguel Delaney in The Independent with a thoughtful piece on Chelsea's spending (which he is being told is likely to continue for another two years and facilitated by the sales of its academy graduates - welcome Ian Maatsen) and taking in a number of broader concerns for the game domestically and internationally, all themes well established on this thread.

Why Chelsea’s obscene January spending is just the start
Chelsea’s eye-watering transfer window is damaging for the game, but the club’s new owners are not done yet after a record-breaking month

https://archive.is/YMnGJ
Sam Wallace of the Telegraph takes his turn - No guess as to who is the most upset in Europe

'The Super League is already here – and it's in England': How Europe reacted to Chelsea's spending
Chelsea's total spend, the biggest outlay by any club in January, was greater than the cumulative total in Italy, Spain, Germany and France

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fw ... pending%2F

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 12:08 am

The question of how do you punish a club for the rule breaking of its owners and/or its executives without punishing the players and fans has been a long running one in the English game without it having come up with anything suitable so the threat and imposition of points deductions remains. Italian fans of Juventus may have found a way of punishing everyone else too - if these reports are true

Il Giornale: 500,000 Juventus fans cancel TV subscriptions
https://archive.is/H1kTa

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 12:16 am

So we have read today about complaints particularly emanating from Spain and La Liga about the 'financial doping' in the Premier League - and to be honest i have some sympathy

Here is another report on what was said - this from the Guardian

La Liga chief attacks Premier League ‘doped market’ as Europe is left behind
- English top-flight clubs set new January record at £815m
- Chelsea outspend total of all clubs in other ‘big five’ leagues

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... pe-la-liga

but then you remember the Spanish clubs are legendary for charging away fans in European ties outrageous sums - in contravention of the spirit of UEFA's rules

Of course they don't just do it to foreigners - look at this twitter thread to understand why Real Betis v Barcelona tonight saw 12,000 empty seats in what was the biggest match of the day in Spain - we know football is expensive in this country but these prices are just outrageous

https://twitter.com/Millar_Colin/status ... 0455147537

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 12:24 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:36 pm
Sam Wallace of the Telegraph takes his turn - No guess as to who is the most upset in Europe

'The Super League is already here – and it's in England': How Europe reacted to Chelsea's spending
Chelsea's total spend, the biggest outlay by any club in January, was greater than the cumulative total in Italy, Spain, Germany and France

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fw ... pending%2F
The baton passes to Jonathan Liew in the Guardian for his slightly different take which acknowledges that football and the Premier League in particular is an entertainment product

Premier League’s spending bubble offers only cheap thrills in winter of disconnect
Like the City of London, the top flight is now an unregulated plaything with little relevance to the real world beyond it

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... fer-window

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 1:36 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 12:24 am
The baton passes to Jonathan Liew in the Guardian for his slightly different take which acknowledges that football and the Premier League in particular is an entertainment product

Premier League’s spending bubble offers only cheap thrills in winter of disconnect
Like the City of London, the top flight is now an unregulated plaything with little relevance to the real world beyond it

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... fer-window
Martyn Zeigler's report in the Times is much more more about getting down to basics, though I do think it is a bit mis-titled - Chelsea are for the most part introducing uge inflation just like their previous owner did

Ultra-competitive top flight forces Todd Boehly to outspend rest of Europe
https://archive.is/taQRt

probably of more interest was this follow up report from Zeigler

Chelsea in danger of breaching FFP rules if they fail to reach Champions League
Ziyech PSG deal collapsed after Chelsea ‘sent incorrect paperwork’

https://archive.is/AHXeX

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by RVclaret » Thu Feb 02, 2023 7:31 am

Sheffield United takeover close, £90m, African billionaire.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/afri ... -xkgp77lfc

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 8:18 am

RVclaret wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 7:31 am
Sheffield United takeover close, £90m, African billionaire.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/afri ... -xkgp77lfc
No name given

archive copy of the same article for those without a Times subscription

African billionaire’s Sheffield United takeover close
https://archive.is/hmLom

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by RVclaret » Thu Feb 02, 2023 8:21 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 8:18 am
No name given

archive copy of the same article for those without a Times subscription

African billionaire’s Sheffield United takeover close
https://archive.is/hmLom
Thoughts on this? 90m seems incredibly cheap for a club which is set to return to the PL?

It once again highlights there is plenty of money and keen investors in our football out there.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 8:26 am

It is no surprise that following the transfer window, fan angst in the particular region mentioned within and the prospect of finally getting the white paper re the implementation of the recommendations from the fan led review, that politicians are making noise about football.

from the Guardian

MPs urge football clubs to back fan recommendations over sustainability
Fan-led review in 2021 argued for independent regulator
Labour responds to ‘leaked’ white paper on owner criteria

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ainability

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 8:27 am

RVclaret wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 8:21 am
Thoughts on this? 90m seems incredibly cheap for a club which is set to return to the PL?

It once again highlights there is plenty of money and keen investors in our football out there.
you need to understand the debt would be my initial guess

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:05 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:36 pm
Sam Wallace of the Telegraph takes his turn - No guess as to who is the most upset in Europe

'The Super League is already here – and it's in England': How Europe reacted to Chelsea's spending
Chelsea's total spend, the biggest outlay by any club in January, was greater than the cumulative total in Italy, Spain, Germany and France

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fw ... pending%2F
The Athletic take their turn on this - unsurprisingly given the fact they have no printed issues it is much longer than many such reports that you may come across

How Premier League transfer spending is viewed in Europe: ‘It’s madness’
https://archive.is/psdJG

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:58 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Sun Jan 29, 2023 2:34 pm
During Covid a number of leagues courted and were courted by Private Equity funds and Finance Houses in fund raising/rights exploitation moves - Serie A was at the forefront of such moves, much like La Liga - unlike La Liga they did not take up an offer - But once again the Vultures are at the door

Exclusive: JPMorgan looking to finance Italy's Serie A for up to 1 billion euros
https://www.reuters.com/business/media- ... 023-01-26/
The sense of 'Vultures at the door' taken from the above is only increased when you read the following - wow Italian football really is still in a mess

Serie A’s nuclear winter: €32m gross spend and most expensive buy was sent to Watford
https://archive.is/6KUQM

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:25 am

there has been plenty of breathless reporting about this leek this morning since the Sun reportedly got hold of a copy of the White Paper - but this is the best reporting of it I have seen so far

Regulator will force potential owners to prove source of their wealth
Plans to give supporters a greater say in how their clubs are run, with power to block changes to logos and kit

https://archive.is/uQSa5

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:49 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:05 am
The Athletic take their turn on this - unsurprisingly given the fact they have no printed issues it is much longer than many such reports that you may come across

How Premier League transfer spending is viewed in Europe: ‘It’s madness’
https://archive.is/psdJG
Hopefully my last post on this subject - this is the take of Samuel Agini in the Finacial Times - the notion of the Premier League as a real Super League has been the common reference across all these pieces - I voiced the possibility a few years back on this thread and while I am not yet totally convinced - there are still some huge clubs out there in the other four big Leagues, which makes English dominance of UEFA's club competitions a far from sure thing you do wonder if that was to occur as well, just how many of these clubs will turn into the equivalents of Celtic, Rangers, Ajax, Red Star Belgrade, Benfica and what the make up of that Deloitte revenue list (it is not a rich list) will look like come the end of the decade

Chelsea FC’s transfers splurge pushes Premier League to new spending record
English top-tier clubs spent almost €830mn in January window

https://archive.is/DulCn#selection-1407.0-1413.60

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:28 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 1:36 am
Martyn Zeigler's report in the Times is much more more about getting down to basics, though I do think it is a bit mis-titled - Chelsea are for the most part introducing huge inflation just like their previous owner did

Ultra-competitive top flight forces Todd Boehly to outspend rest of Europe
https://archive.is/taQRt

probably of more interest was this follow up report from Zeigler

Chelsea in danger of breaching FFP rules if they fail to reach Champions League
Ziyech PSG deal collapsed after Chelsea ‘sent incorrect paperwork’

https://archive.is/AHXeX
Tariq Panja and Rory Smith in the New York Times wonder, like me if the new Chelsea owners are deliberately trying to inflate the market (again) to price out the competition. If this really is the case then the knock on effect will be interesting and challenging for clubs like ours you would think, considering the budgets we will likely be operating under.

Is Chelsea Setting the Market, or Breaking It?
The Premier League club’s American owners have splashed roughly $750 million on new players since last year. Puzzled rivals can’t see a strategy behind the spending.

https://archive.is/XXqJk

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:31 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 8:18 am
No name given

archive copy of the same article for those without a Times subscription

African billionaire’s Sheffield United takeover close
https://archive.is/hmLom
We now have a name - the potential buyer of Sheffield United is reported to be Nigerian businessman Dozy Mmobuosi, whose company has been valued at around £7billion

https://twitter.com/Lawton_Times/status ... 3uuf8sAAAA

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:53 am

Chester Perry wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:31 am
We now have a name - the potential buyer of Sheffield United is reported to be Nigerian businessman Dozy Mmobuosi, whose company has been valued at around £7billion

https://twitter.com/Lawton_Times/status ... 3uuf8sAAAA
The Times now with a full report, another billionaire in English football it would appear, just not from America, which makes a change and should the blades achieve promotion it may help engender greater interest (if that is actually possible) in the Premier League on that continent

Nigerian billionaire Dozy Mmobuosi’s Sheffield United takeover close
Technology businessman Dozy Mmobuosi’s company Tingo is worth $7.6 billion

https://archive.is/jUAzH

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Cubanforever » Fri Feb 03, 2023 4:55 am

Thanks for keeping this thread going Chester, there aren't many of us contributing but the pieces you put up make fascinating reading.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by clarethomer » Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:08 am

https://theathletic.com/4125651/2023/01 ... d=40812938

Interesting info about football club sustainability which has been referenced on this thread.

Shows Everton scoring highly in the PL and us in the Championship.

Rovers are less positively shown.

Sure Chester can put a link beyond the paywall but using the reader function in browser does this also.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Colburn_Claret » Fri Feb 03, 2023 9:48 am

Really depressing reading.
Grateful to the thread for keeping our eyes open, but in what should be a joy of the game it just leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
How did we allow football to be taken over by business men with no affection for the game.

I pray uefa, the fa, or the government can come up with a realistic ffp, that is enforceable.
It's giddy to imagine in a few months , little old Burnley will be swimming with these sharks again.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:23 am

clarethomer wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:08 am
https://theathletic.com/4125651/2023/01 ... d=40812938

Interesting info about football club sustainability which has been referenced on this thread.

Shows Everton scoring highly in the PL and us in the Championship.

Rovers are less positively shown.

Sure Chester can put a link beyond the paywall but using the reader function in browser does this also.
I really think Fair Game missed the target with this Index, though its much broader scope is very interesting, so many readers will just kook at the list without understanding the detail or the fact that it is historic particularly on the finances - They are aware of these issues and freely acknowledge them but the high positions of a number of clubs indicates that overall the game is in a real shoddy state.

Anyhoo for those without a subscription to the Athletic - you can still get one for £1.99 a month I believe (it is well worth the money) and for historic purposes here is the archive copy of their article on the subject.

The Football Sustainability Index: How well run is your club?
https://archive.is/SBv9e

FWIW I very rarely create these archive copies, the fact that they are so nay in the world of football finance shows that there are a number of people out there who are concerned about the game in general and not just their own clubs

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:38 am

Colburn_Claret wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 9:48 am
Really depressing reading.
Grateful to the thread for keeping our eyes open, but in what should be a joy of the game it just leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
How did we allow football to be taken over by business men with no affection for the game.

I pray uefa, the fa, or the government can come up with a realistic ffp, that is enforceable.
It's giddy to imagine in a few months , little old Burnley will be swimming with these sharks again.
I actually talk about some of this in my latest article for the London Clarets magazine 'Something to write home about'. I understand the article is going to be posted online, via their twitter account (https://twitter.com/londonclarets) in the coming days.

As for the games authorities they haven't been proactive in their understanding of the possibilities/threats to the game in over a century - now they are for the most part reactionary often just flailing around. In many ways Javier Tebas of La Liga is the most forward looking and effective administrator the game has seen in decades, but even his system has flaws eve Garlick era Burnley would have struggled to build what it under those rules and you can be sure he would be scrutinising our club very closely - even though operationally our clubs books are likely to prove very good from a regulatory perspective, the fiscal management will have continued at Garlick levels of discipline just under a different budgetary approach - it has to or the leverage will not work.
This user liked this post: Colburn_Claret

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:37 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Tue Jan 24, 2023 5:23 pm
More of the annual January football finance nonsense - This time it is Sportico's Premier League club valuations

The story

PREMIER LEAGUE VALUATIONS 2023: MAN UNITED LEADS AT $5.95 BILLION
https://archive.is/KvMpG

the full list of valuations - which for the most part don't look to off what you would expect- notice how far off Leeds are from the agreed price for a sale to 49ers enterprises next January ($530m)and Aston Villa to the capital funding received from their owners that now stands at just shy of £450m (£60m of which has been pumped in since August last year https://find-and-update.company-informa ... ng-history)
https://www.sportico.com/feature/premie ... 234707256/
as ever it is always intriguing to pair valuations between Premier League (worlds largest TV revenues) and MLS where until now TV revenues have been less than in the Championship and even under the deal with Apple are likely to be no more than double the Championship and still less than the Premier League receives from US broadcasters. It is amazing what closed leagues, very egalitarian revenue share and strong fiscal rules can do for franchise owners admittedly in what could be a huge domestic marketplace

Major League Soccer's Most Valuable Clubs 2023: LAFC Is The First Billion-Dollar Franchise
https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinbirn ... 9ab3a85324
https://archive.is/atbKJ

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:41 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:28 am
Tariq Panja and Rory Smith in the New York Times wonder, like me if the new Chelsea owners are deliberately trying to inflate the market (again) to price out the competition. If this really is the case then the knock on effect will be interesting and challenging for clubs like ours you would think, considering the budgets we will likely be operating under.

Is Chelsea Setting the Market, or Breaking It?
The Premier League club’s American owners have splashed roughly $750 million on new players since last year. Puzzled rivals can’t see a strategy behind the spending.

https://archive.is/XXqJk
The Athletic with a piece in a very similar vein

What do other Premier League clubs think of Chelsea and their transfer spending?
https://archive.is/KcAfV

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:47 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:38 am
I actually talk about some of this in my latest article for the London Clarets magazine 'Something to write home about'. I understand the article is going to be posted online, via their twitter account (https://twitter.com/londonclarets) in the coming days.

As for the games authorities they haven't been proactive in their understanding of the possibilities/threats to the game in over a century - now they are for the most part reactionary often just flailing around. In many ways Javier Tebas of La Liga is the most forward looking and effective administrator the game has seen in decades, but even his system has flaws eve Garlick era Burnley would have struggled to build what it under those rules and you can be sure he would be scrutinising our club very closely - even though operationally our clubs books are likely to prove very good from a regulatory perspective, the fiscal management will have continued at Garlick levels of discipline just under a different budgetary approach - it has to or the leverage will not work.
It is always a strange feeling when you find yourself largely agreeing with a statement from a source you rarely agree with - take this in todays Times - obviously at the behest of someone with a relationship/interest in the Premier League - Len Shackleton of the Institute of Economic Affairs, who were part of the brains trust advising the Truss-Kwarteng budget last year, wades into the Football Regulator debate.

Government interference does not prevent crises – football will be no different
https://archive.is/sAsqa

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 1:48 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:38 am
I actually talk about some of this in my latest article for the London Clarets magazine 'Something to write home about'. I understand the article is going to be posted online, via their twitter account (https://twitter.com/londonclarets) in the coming days.

As for the games authorities they haven't been proactive in their understanding of the possibilities/threats to the game in over a century - now they are for the most part reactionary often just flailing around. In many ways Javier Tebas of La Liga is the most forward looking and effective administrator the game has seen in decades, but even his system has flaws eve Garlick era Burnley would have struggled to build what it under those rules and you can be sure he would be scrutinising our club very closely - even though operationally our clubs books are likely to prove very good from a regulatory perspective, the fiscal management will have continued at Garlick levels of discipline just under a different budgetary approach - it has to or the leverage will not work.
and speaking of Javier Tebas - this is an intriguing occasionally tongue-in-cheek piece from Matt Slater today in the Athletic

Javier Tebas may be better off getting La Liga in order before taking aim at Premier League
https://archive.is/ba0F7#selection-311.0-311.91

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:47 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 8:26 am
It is no surprise that following the transfer window, fan angst in the particular region mentioned within and the prospect of finally getting the white paper re the implementation of the recommendations from the fan led review, that politicians are making noise about football.

from the Guardian

MPs urge football clubs to back fan recommendations over sustainability
Fan-led review in 2021 argued for independent regulator
Labour responds to ‘leaked’ white paper on owner criteria

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ainability
Chester Perry wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:47 pm
It is always a strange feeling when you find yourself largely agreeing with a statement from a source you rarely agree with - take this in todays Times - obviously at the behest of someone with a relationship/interest in the Premier League - Len Shackleton of the Institute of Economic Affairs, who were part of the brains trust advising the Truss-Kwarteng budget last year, wades into the Football Regulator debate.

Government interference does not prevent crises – football will be no different
https://archive.is/sAsqa
Media Interest in the white paper proposals based on the fan led review is going to surge in the next few days with lots of comments actually being used to promote very specific interest groups

as highlighted again by this in the Independent
Football given one last chance to save itself
The white paper on football being submitted to the government next week is a landmark moment in the game

https://archive.is/rKmxT

Even the political parties are not immune

Premier League and EFL financial settlement is urgent, insists Labour
- Party rejects idea that regulator could settle dispute in future
- Deferring solution could put clubs at risk, says Lucy Powell MP

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... sts-labour

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:58 pm

meanwhile this is an a very thought provoking ramble (which it definitely is) - about regulation in football for the most part - in the Unofficial Partner newsletter from yesterday - which points out that with a different set of regulation it is the Bundesliga that truly has the potential to knock the Premier League off it's perch simply because of the size of it's domestic television market

Regulation isn't about football; 50+1 doesn't add up; Reassuringly expensive right backs; Being Mo Salah's agent; The Bundesliga Fetish;
https://unofficialpartner.substack.com/ ... email=true

It has me intrigued so much I am now off to listen to the podcast that contributed to the thinking as well as covering a whole other range of subject matter contained in this thread

UP291 Mo Salah's Agent on the Meaning of Transfer Deadline Day
https://www.unofficialpartner.com/podca ... adline-day

the associated blurb

Mo Salah was a teenager playing for Cairo-based club Arab Contractors in the Egyptian Premier League, when he was spotted by Sascha Empacher, the founder of the SPOCS football agency.

Today, Salah is one of the world's greatest players, after a series of transfers took from Basel, Chelsea, Roma and to his current home, Liverpool.

Empacher's business has also grown considerably, making him ideally placed to star in the recent documentary, called Deadline Day: Football’s Transfer Window, produced by Pitch International and available to watch on Sky Documentaries and NOW.

This is a conversation about the role of football agents, the myths and the reality of what they do, set against a backdrop of proposed legislation of the agency market by FIFA.

We discuss the impact of American ownership in the Premier League and compare that to the relatively sluggish financial performance of Bundesliga clubs and how that impacts on their ability to develop talent; what professionalisation of the agency market would mean and the complex job of nurturing, and marketing, footballers from Africa.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:42 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:31 am
We now have a name - the potential buyer of Sheffield United is reported to be Nigerian businessman Dozy Mmobuosi, whose company has been valued at around £7billion

https://twitter.com/Lawton_Times/status ... 3uuf8sAAAA
The Daily Mail with a report that is causing some concern for fans of Sheffield United and quite possibly the FA and EFL
as they progress with an Owners and Directors Test - you would think given the Blades League position that the Premier League are involved as well

Questions are raised about the wealth of potential new Sheffield United owner... after the value of Nigerian businessman's company dropped 94 PER CENT in the last year
- Mystery surrounds the wealth of the proposed new owner of Sheffield United
- Nigerian businessman Dozy Mmobuosi is set to buy the club for around £90m
- The value of tech company Tingo has plummeted by circa £6.7bn in the last year

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fw ... -drop.html

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:03 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:42 pm
The Daily Mail with a report that is causing some concern for fans of Sheffield United and quite possibly the FA and EFL
as they progress with an Owners and Directors Test - you would think given the Blades League position that the Premier League are involved as well

Questions are raised about the wealth of potential new Sheffield United owner... after the value of Nigerian businessman's company dropped 94 PER CENT in the last year
- Mystery surrounds the wealth of the proposed new owner of Sheffield United
- Nigerian businessman Dozy Mmobuosi is set to buy the club for around £90m
- The value of tech company Tingo has plummeted by circa £6.7bn in the last year

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fw ... -drop.html
while Blades fans are concerned about the takeover the aspect that most focussed their attention was the prospect of an 18 month transfer ban - which could play havoc if they are promoted

Report: Sheffield United facing 18-month transfer ban as takeover hangs in balance
https://www.sheffieldunited.news/news/s ... r-held-up/

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:11 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:03 pm
while Blades fans are concerned about the takeover the aspect that most focussed their attention was the prospect of an 18 month transfer ban - which could play havoc if they are promoted

Report: Sheffield United facing 18-month transfer ban as takeover hangs in balance
https://www.sheffieldunited.news/news/s ... r-held-up/
Elsewhere in the EFL is another takeover that is apparently going through the scrutiny of the Owners and Directors test - though it has to be said that hasn't really helped Morecambe in their two previous takeovers - this current one is perhaps a little more strange than even those - it was confirmed as complete subject to EFL approval this week

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... roval.html

however there are real concerns about it and the prospective new owner

https://twitter.com/uglygame/status/1621431137854783489

with this thread probably being the best summary of the concerns

https://twitter.com/SSTInvesting/status ... 3463233536

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:44 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 1:48 pm
and speaking of Javier Tebas - this is an intriguing occasionally tongue-in-cheek piece from Matt Slater today in the Athletic

Javier Tebas may be better off getting La Liga in order before taking aim at Premier League
https://archive.is/ba0F7#selection-311.0-311.91
Sam Wallace in The Telegraph with a somewhat different view to that expressed by Matt Slater

Transfer spending is out of control – clubs need saving from themselves
It cannot be healthy that the most lucrative league in history requires so much owner investment to keep it alive

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fw ... -saving%2F

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Feb 05, 2023 5:40 pm

So this is an intriguing opinion piece in the Financial Times from yesterday about the [Premier League] league: the last empire Britain has on which the sun never sets. I find myself in agreement with much of it

The Premier League is global because it is local
The world is drawn to its distinctiveness, and threatens it

https://archive.is/i5h4r

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by GodIsADeeJay81 » Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:21 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 5:40 pm
So this is an intriguing opinion piece in the Financial Times from yesterday about the [Premier League] league: the last empire Britain has on which the sun never sets. I find myself in agreement with much of it

The Premier League is global because it is local
The world is drawn to its distinctiveness, and threatens it

https://archive.is/i5h4r
That's a very thought provoking article.
With something like the City Group, would that cause a loss of the identity they talk about?

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:57 pm

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:21 pm
That's a very thought provoking article.
With something like the City Group, would that cause a loss of the identity they talk about?
The problem in regard to CFG is that while football and Manchester City are taken by the media as being the the focal point - what you are actually seeing is the growth of a global entertainment/tech empire - look at it's partners and locations around the world and you begin to see a pattern (and yes there are a few purely farm clubs in the mix too. What you see at the Etihad campus is the real blueprint for the next step particular the new indoor arena in which Silverlake are the lead partner, expect this to be rolled out in other key CFG locations. But even that is still some way behind what I suspect they are really planning.

I posted many times about the Mubadala, Reliance Industries, Silver Lake, Softbank links that previously also included a more significant presence with China Media Capital (who still hold a minor stake). Here we see football being used as a relationship building tool for much more serious economic enterprise.

All this is what some would call sports-washing others like Simon Chadwick a legitimising conduit to a new socio-political economic reality and a very different way of doing business to what we have become accustomed to in the West. In many ways it feels more like the way city states in renaissance Europe acted. It is no co-incidence that Venture Capital and Private Equity Funds have looked at this ant though 'I want some of that'.

Naturally such distractions affect and dilute what has essentially been local communities in England testing themselves against one another for over a century in a way that saw clubs often become a fundamental means of identity for the local community. In some locations particular New York, India and China CFG are trying to build a lasting intrinsic positive ownership relationship with the community, local, regional and national.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Feb 05, 2023 8:16 pm

I cannot see many being surprised by this - Given Chelsea were put of FFP watch by UEFA last September - though you do wonder given that PSG Chairman Nasser AL-Khelaifi and LA Liga boss Javier Tebas are both on the UEFA Exco just how lenient UEFA will be with Chelsea, I suspect the Peemier League would be more pliable though stranger things have happerned

AHEAD OF THE GAME: Chelsea are set to ask for exemptions from the Premier League's spending rules... as the Blues claim they were unable to receive income while Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government
- Ex-Chelsea owner Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government last year
- The club argue this meant they were unable to receive income for three months
- They will try to seek exemptions from the Premier League's spending rules

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fw ... rules.html

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Crex901 » Sun Feb 05, 2023 8:39 pm

HA that last one is great. i think if you buy enough players and get banned for 2 years what does it matter? you have enough players for 5 seasons so just use 2 years to make a team out of them.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Feb 05, 2023 8:40 pm

Of course what Chelsea need to do is increase their income - particularly given the risk they are about to miss out on the Champions League gravy train next season. The obvious route for this is Sponsorships, such commercial deals are hugely important to all clubs, particularly those seeking to avoid the clutches of FFP when trying to invest for the future. They are about to lose a sleeve sponsor and will be looking to increase the value of their main shirt sponsor, but this is a very challenging market place and there are a lot of deals up for renewal so competition will be fierce. It is worth remembering that our clubs ownership group saw this as a growth opportunity for our club too, though it should be noted that our front of shirt deals were better than Newcastle, Southampton, Wolves and Brighton amongst others under Mike Garlick

from the Athletic

Premier League clubs scramble for sponsorship deals: ‘It’s almost like a transfer market’
https://archive.is/MdKMT

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by RVclaret » Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:12 am

Matt Slater and Joey D'Urso are reporting that the man linked with the Sheffield Utd takeover is a director of a "£1 billion" airline company but there's no evidence it ever flew a plane, the business address is "forged," and images of a 'Tingo Airlines' jet appear to be photoshopped.

https://theathletic.com/4157792/2023/02 ... -united-li

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Feb 06, 2023 11:37 am

RVclaret wrote:
Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:12 am
Matt Slater and Joey D'Urso are reporting that the man linked with the Sheffield Utd takeover is a director of a "£1 billion" airline company but there's no evidence it ever flew a plane, the business address is "forged," and images of a 'Tingo Airlines' jet appear to be photoshopped.

https://theathletic.com/4157792/2023/02 ... -united-li
I have been commentating on the due diligence within football for most of the life of this thread - it is truly shocking just how desperate the chase for money is at all levels

that article actually covers a broad range of points for a number of clubs

Bellingham future, Man United and Liverpool takeovers, Charlton’s £10m buyout
https://archive.is/N29aB

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Feb 06, 2023 12:10 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Sat Jan 07, 2023 9:48 pm
Martyn Zeigler in the Times reminds us that the Premier Leagues investigation into Manchester City (courtesy of 'Football Leaks') is now into it's 5th year without much in the way of a public statement throughout it's course. Fortunately, unlike UEFA, there is no time limit on such investigations, however many lawyers City employ to delay proceedings

Protracted Manchester City investigation is ‘damaging English game’
https://archive.is/O9J9W
So this has exploded today as the Premier League has (finally) formerly charged Manchester City on over 100 counts between 2009 and 2018, these charges are entirely dominated by 'withholding information' issues

Premier League Statement
https://archive.is/WJkO6

and naturally it has provoked a lot of reporting and historical references from those who have been pursuing these issues for many years

Tariq Panja for one has referenced Pep Guardiola and his bullish attack after UEFA's defeat by City at CAS on a technicality

https://twitter.com/tariqpanja/status/1 ... 8576463872
Image

we have reports from the Telegraph

Man City charged by Premier League with breaches of FFP rules
Premier League champions have also been charged with failing to co-operate with four-year investigation

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... ffp-rules/

and the Times

Manchester City charged by Premier League with breaking financial rules
Four-year investigation finds more than 100 alleged breaches

https://archive.is/wf3eA

and though this investigation and the Football Leaks data it emerged from have been a feature of this thread for years there has now been a separate thread initiated after todays news

http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboar ... =2&t=67332

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Feb 06, 2023 1:33 pm

A good column in the Guardian by Grimsby owner Jason Stockwood about some of the structural changes that are currently up for discussion - all points discussed before in this thread but certainly the right time for them to be more seriously considered - though I an sad to say I cannot see anything other than a reduced top flight in the medium term, 18 teams is the likely compromise though there is pressure for it to be 16 from FIFA, UEFA and the greedy 6

Promotion and relegation changes up for debate as Premier League and EFL talk
Grimsby’s owner on the sensible efforts to self-regulate – and why the outcome could benefit National League clubs

https://www.theguardian.com/football/bl ... d-efl-talk

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Feb 06, 2023 3:05 pm

With much of the initial furore of Chelsea's transfer spending this season starting to ebb, Swiss Ramble seeks to find out

How Much Money Did Chelsea Really Spend?
Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine

https://archive.is/AtABu

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by KRBFC » Mon Feb 06, 2023 3:11 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Mon Feb 06, 2023 3:05 pm
Hello Chester, have you looked at the Morecambe takeover? really interesting thread on it here.....

https://twitter.com/SSTInvesting/status ... svVhGOoHEg

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Feb 06, 2023 3:17 pm

KRBFC wrote:
Mon Feb 06, 2023 3:11 pm
Hello Chester, have you looked at the Morecambe takeover? really interesting thread on it here.....

https://twitter.com/SSTInvesting/status ... svVhGOoHEg
it is a little bit up this page - it is a classic strange case scenario and the 3rd such one on the trot for that club - much like Charlton
This user liked this post: KRBFC

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Feb 06, 2023 3:20 pm

Well this is something of a surprise given that the message was this was due to be published tomorrow - has today's statement from the Premier League re Manchester City contributed to this? if so that was a hefty card to play, though there have been plenty of other things happenings in the background

Government pushes back publication of White Paper on football
The decision is understood to relate to the volume of other Government business

https://archive.is/nH6M9

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Feb 06, 2023 4:31 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:37 pm
as ever it is always intriguing to pair valuations between Premier League (worlds largest TV revenues) and MLS where until now TV revenues have been less than in the Championship and even under the deal with Apple are likely to be no more than double the Championship and still less than the Premier League receives from US broadcasters. It is amazing what closed leagues, very egalitarian revenue share and strong fiscal rules can do for franchise owners admittedly in what could be a huge domestic marketplace

Major League Soccer's Most Valuable Clubs 2023: LAFC Is The First Billion-Dollar Franchise
https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinbirn ... 9ab3a85324
https://archive.is/atbKJ
Here is an American view on those MLS franchise values and the contrast to the Premier League from the Huddle u/p newsletter - it is always good to have another perspective

How LAFC Became Major League Soccer's First $1 billion Franchise
https://huddleup.substack.com/p/how-laf ... email=true

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by jrgbfc » Mon Feb 06, 2023 4:40 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Mon Feb 06, 2023 1:33 pm
A good column in the Guardian by Grimsby owner Jason Stockwood about some of the structural changes that are currently up for discussion - all points discussed before in this thread but certainly the right time for them to be more seriously considered - though I an sad to say I cannot see anything other than a reduced top flight in the medium term, 18 teams is the likely compromise though there is pressure for it to be 16 from FIFA, UEFA and the greedy 6

Promotion and relegation changes up for debate as Premier League and EFL talk
Grimsby’s owner on the sensible efforts to self-regulate – and why the outcome could benefit National League clubs

https://www.theguardian.com/football/bl ... d-efl-talk
With the standard in the National League now you could easily just merge it with league 2, and have a league 2 North and South, with 2 teams promoted from each. Plenty of local derbies and would avoid clubs having to cover the cost of long away trips.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Feb 07, 2023 3:03 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Sun Jan 29, 2023 2:34 pm
During Covid a number of leagues courted and were courted by Private Equity funds and Finance Houses in fund raising/rights exploitation moves - Serie A was at the forefront of such moves, much like La Liga - unlike La Liga they did not take up an offer - But once again the Vultures are at the door

Exclusive: JPMorgan looking to finance Italy's Serie A for up to 1 billion euros
https://www.reuters.com/business/media- ... 023-01-26/
You would think that football, certainly in Europe's major leagues was beginning to recover financially from the lockdowns of Covid, if that is the case why are these kinds of things happening - is just that they are trying to compete with the Premier League? either way the Vultures are are back at the door

Sixth Street among firms preparing bid for German football media rights
US group to join discussions as Bundesliga seeks to attract investment

https://archive.is/TXyjV#selection-1407.0-1413.70

What is interesting about this is that during the pandemic the 36 Bundesliga clubs turned down such offers, possibly because they though they were undervalued and or predatory

Bundesliga clubs vote against private equity investment
German football league rejects interest in international media rights

https://archive.is/eX1Fu

perhaps the Bundesliga members are now more in agreement about the partnership they are looking for and better prepared for negotiating on that point, that make this a more strategic move targeting growth rather than reactionary move of financial desperation - we do know that this process. in its current guise, has been going on for some time

German football reopens its door to private equity
Bundesliga in talks with buyout firms about multibillion-euro investment as it seeks to catch up with rivals

https://archive.is/y4EX4#selection-1413.0-1419.108

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Feb 07, 2023 4:33 pm

As you would expect there has been an awful lot said about the Manchester City charges in the last 30 hours or so, I have found these particularly more interesting than most
This from yesterday is essential reading in understanding the charges (all 115 of them)
Chester Perry wrote:
Mon Feb 06, 2023 4:52 pm
Anyone wanting an understanding of the full meaning of today's statement from the Premier League may find this piece useful

The Premier League’s Manchester City statement — a line-by-line annotation
https://archive.is/8Ml5Z
Miguel Delaney in the Independent

‘Going to war with the champions’: Why the Premier League is taking on Man City, and what comes next
The Premier League now faces the ultimate test of itself in a pivotal moment for the game

https://archive.is/MaHpG

This Sport unlocked podcast with Rob Harris, Tariq Panja and Martyn Zeigler is worth a listen for some of the old history that is feeding into all this and perhaps most notably a passing reference why the Premier League made the announcement in the way it did - it all points to the Premier League wanting to scrupulously follow its own rules so the legions of lawyers that City will inevitably employ have few technical issues with which to stop or overthrow proceedings.

Manchester City charged: The Premier League's financial wrongdoing case against the Premier League champions explained & analysed. What the commission will assess & potential actions against the club
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m ... 0598356372

Panja's own piece for the New York Times misses that point but provides plenty of historical context

Manchester City Charged With Years of Financial Violations
The Premier League accused City of breaking rules related to revenues, sponsorships and contracts. One potential penalty is expulsion from the league.

https://archive.is/PNov7

Simon Chadwick has, over the years, repeatedly pointed out that there huge cultural differences in the way these issues are resolve in the East and West - quite often when it came to UEFA and their clashes with PSF and City - in the end they always seemed to be resolved in the Eastern way for the most part - here is Chadwick again following the revelation of the charges against Manchester City and he remains consistent in his view

https://twitter.com/Prof_Chadwick/statu ... 8743365632

none of that thread from Chadwick will be of surprise long time readers of Footballs Magic Money Tree and it is interesting that there is already plenty of articles across the media about titles not being taken away. So, what we are likely to see is an outcome where the disgust of fans (and their desired retribution) will be the last of the considerations.

There are other issues and questions that feed into this whole process and will need answering at some point (as this piece by Barney Ronay in the Guardian clearly illustrates), but not by this cases proceedings

If Manchester City are guilty they have betrayed football as a spectacle
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... -spectacle
https://archive.is/iAHle

the vested interests, many not directly involved in English football will spend a lot of time trying to make their grievances heard as this case progresses at a pace that many will complain is too slow - but the Premier League have only one chance to get this right if they are not to be defeated on technicalities. Whatever the outcome what is really needed is a clear judgement on the merits of the cases and evidence presented, Such an outcome has greater opportunity purely because the procedural issues that collapsed the UEFA case at CAS are not relevant under the operations, rules and by-laws of the Premier League.

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