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Manchester City win watershed case against Premier League over sponsorship rules

Before you get the wrong end of the stick, this is a separate case from their 115 FFP charges.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 7th October 2024
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Manchester City have landed an early blow in what is set to be a long and arduous series of legal proceedings over the coming months as they have won a case against the Premier League over their rules around sponsorship and related party transactions.

The current English champions, who have won a record four Premier League titles in a row, launched legal action against the division back in June after claiming that their restrictions around Associated Party Transactions (APT) rules and sponsorships were unfair and unlawful.

Now, as it turns out, an independent panel of three retired judges ultimately concluded that the rules were unlawful and, at least in part, contrary to the Competition Act 1998.

The details of the case are obviously numerous and complex but, in short, it has been found that Man City were unfairly blocked from moving forward with two huge sponsorship deals earlier this year.

Although the outcome has been somewhat debated by the league itself, it was decided that the imposed regulations were unfair and “discriminatory in how they operate, because they deliberately excluded shareholder loans.”

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Issuing a statement following the decision, the Premier League said they “welcome the Tribunal’s findings, which endorsed the overall objectives, framework and decision-making of the APT system”, adding that it also “upheld the need for the APT system as a whole and rejected the majority of City’s challenges” while reiterating that the rules are necessary for their “financial controls to be effective”. 

They went on to add that “the decision represents an important and detailed assessment of the APT Rules, which ensure clubs are not able to benefit from commercial deals or reductions in costs that are not at Fair Market Value (FMV) by virtue of relationships with Associated Parties.”

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Meanwhile, the City Football Group responded to the news in a series of bullet points, insisting that the “Premier League was found to have abused its dominant position, […] had reached the decisions in a procedurally unfair manner” and that they will now have to “restate the fair market value of two transactions entered into by the Club.”

Safe to say people have noted quite a distinct difference in tone when it comes to statements from the two parties regarding associated parties and their transactions with clubs but, nevertheless, it’s a victory for the Manc club could have a huge knock-on effect regarding how much teams can spend in the future.

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The Premier League have also reassured that two particular aspects of the existing rules that didn’t fully comply with the Competition Act will be rectified promptly and will be “conducting a process that can allow the league and clubs to enact those specific changes quickly and effectively”.

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Not only does this mean that CFG is likely to restart conversations with the two blocked parties – one being the Etihad Group and another with a bank based in Abu Dhabi – but that other clubs could now potentially look into further lucrative sponsorship deals, although ‘fair market value’ will still be assessed.

You can read page 164 of the document which summarises the full Tribunal HERE.

Meanwhile, the still outstanding case against Man City over their 115 charges regarding FFP breaches has now begun, though a decision is still a ways off.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Premier League

Sport

Travel warning issued ahead of huge sporting weekend in and around Manchester city centre

Danny Jones Danny Jones Travel advice issued by TfgM ahead of Super League Grand Final and MCR Half Marathon in Manchester this weekend
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With two huge sporting events taking place in and around the city centre this weekend, Transport for Greater Manchester has issued a travel warning to those travelling in and out of the area, along with some helpful advice to the thousands of spectators set to arrive from Saturday onwards.

In case you haven’t heard, not only will this weekend see Manchester host the 2024 Betfred Super League Grand Final over at Old Trafford but Sunday will also see 24,000 runners take on the 2024 Manchester Half Marathon, not to mention even more supporters set to line the streets.

With local side Wigan Warriors contesting the final for the 13th time against Hull KR, a crowd of more than 65,000 rugby fans is expected to fill up Old Trafford, with many of those travelling likely to arrive in the city a day prior.

All that being said, it’s going to be a massive sporting weekend in Manchester, so TfGM and the Bee Network are urging both those travelling into the region and locals to plan their journeys accordingly to avoid added congestion and delays.

Super League Grand Final travel info – Saturday

As always – not just with big sporting events but the usual weekend bustle – local authorities are urging people to take public transport wherever possible.

Those travelling to the Grand Final at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ are being encouraged to use the Metrolink network, which will be running trams every six minutes to Old Trafford on the Altrincham line.

There will also be services to the Wharfside stop right near the stadium every 12 minutes on the Trafford Park line and Exchange Quay along the Eccles Line.

For those who are driving into the city, be aware that there will be one lane out-of-use on the A56 heading northbound near Barton Road, with delays of around 10-15 minutes expected before the game which is set to kick off 6pm.

Less warning, more just good travel advice; you can find more info on the official Manchester Bee Network website HERE as well as an interactive map down below.

Travel advice for the 2024 Manchester Half – Sunday, 14 October

As for the Sunday and the return of the Manchester Half Marathon, with more than double the number of entrants this year, you can almost certainly expect even more people to turn up in support of those taking part, meaning the city and surrounding areas will be taken over by the event.

The MCR Half 2024 officially gets underway from 8:55am on Sunday but road closures will be in effect from the day prior, with traffic already being impacted by the rugby, so there’s lots to take into account if you’re travelling into any of the affected boroughs (mainly Manchester and Trafford).

For starters, the A56 (North and Southbound) as well as the M60 Junction 7 will be closed until the late afternoon. You can find more travel warning details and timings around Manchester road closures HERE.

As for the trams, runners should aim to use Old Trafford, Trafford Bar and Imperial War Museum as their closest stops when arriving ahead of the starting gun; access to other nearby stops like Pomona, Cornbrook, Exchange Quay and Wharfside will be challenging due to the half marathon course.

If you’re a spectator on the other hand, official cheering zones are located right near the Deansgate-Castelfield Interchange as well as Wharfside near the White City starting line in Trafford. You can find another interactive map to help plan your journey down below.

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Director of Customer and Growth at TfGM, Frank Wilkinson, said of the upcoming busy weekend of sport: “It’s shaping up to be a really exciting weekend with two wonderful events that thousands of people will be heading out to enjoy – showcasing what Greater Manchester is all about.

“We want everyone to have a great time and avoid hold-ups and delays wherever possible, which is why I’d encourage anyone travelling in the half marathon area, in particular, to plan ahead and allow themselves plenty of time for their journey.

“Tram will definitely be the best way to get around and if you’re coming to cheer someone on why not avoid the busy start and finish points and cheer on your runner from one of the lovely places along the route, such as Sale or Chorlton.” She also added that those who do end up driving should make use of the park-and-ride sites – there are 24 of them across Greater Manchester and you can the full list HERE.

We wish all those taking part in the Manchester Half Marathon the best of luck and hope everyone turning up to cheer them gives it their all too; as for the Super League Grand Final, it’s sure to be an amazing game and we’re also buzzing to hear that the future will be remaining here for the foreseeable.

Rugby Super League Grand Final to stay at Old Trafford
Travel warning aside, Manchester will remain the home for one of the biggest fixtures in rugby.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Mtaylor848/Spamuel 99 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sport

Rugby Super League Grand Final to stay at Old Trafford

Danny Jones Danny Jones Rugby Super League Grand Final staying at Old Trafford until 2027
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Greater Manchester-based rugby fans will be relieved to hear that the Betfred Super League Grand Final will be staying right here in the region following a new agreement being reached.

With the Super League Grand Final between the Wigan Warriors and Hull KR coming up this weekend, Old Trafford is set to host the fixture for the 27th time, having been held at the legendary football ground event since the competition began back in 1998.

However, there was some uncertainty around whether the massive rugby league game would carry on at the iconic stadium as the existing contract ticked down, but a new deal struck between the RFL (Rugby Football League) and Manchester United has now reassured that the match isn’t going anywhere.

Confirming the news on Monday morning, the RFL revealed that the Super League Grand Final will be remaining at the Theatre of Dreams for the immediate future.

As detailed in an official Super League press release, a new three-year agreement will see the game stay at Old Trafford until at least 2027.

Wigan Warriors – who happen to be competing in their 13th concluder to date this Saturday – actually took part in the very first Grand Final all those years ago and while a number of other multi-purpose arenas could have housed the competition, few have Old Trafford’s history or capacity.

Rhodri Jones, the Managing Director of RL Commercial, said: “It’s perfect timing for us to be able to confirm this extension of Super League’s partnership with Manchester United ahead of Saturday’s Grand Final, as we look forward to another fantastic occasion at Old Trafford this weekend, with our biggest Grand Final crowd for at least seven years.

“Rugby League’s relationship with Old Trafford stretches back well beyond the Super League era, and since 1998 it has gone to another level as the Grand Final has become established, with so many unforgettable moments – including the brilliance of Rob Burrow in two Player of the Match performances for Leeds Rhinos.”

He went on to note that one of the biggest highlights from the upcoming clash will be the introduction of the new Rob Burrow Award for the Player of the Match, which was announced shortly before his passing earlier this year.

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As for Man United, Chief Operating Officer Collette Roche added: “We are proud to continue the tradition of hosting the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford for another three years.” This will also mean that

“It is always a special event in the national sporting calendar and this weekend will be particularly poignant with tributes being paid to the late Rob Burrow and so many other Rugby League legends”, he continued.

As for local side Warriors’, it’ll be a historic day for their opponents as Hull Kingston Rovers will be playing in their first-ever Betfred Super League Grand Final following an electrifying end to their semi-final against Warrington Wolves. You can watch the highlights down below.

As for one remaining home team, Wigan kick-off against KR at 6pm on Saturday, 12 October and it’s sure to be another blockbuster.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Mtaylor848 (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group

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