Sport

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

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.”

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.”

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”.

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

Explaining the ‘Poznań’ and why Oasis fans are doing it at their Live ’25 reunion tour gigs

Danny Jones Danny Jones

The sun is shining, Britpop is back on top and, more importantly, Oasis are BACK – plus, they’ve got thousands of people that aren’t even Manchester City fans doing the Poznań. Here’s why.

Before you jump down our throats, yes, we’re fully aware of what the popular Man City supporter celebration is (including the fact that it’s nicked); however, we have seen plenty of people confused over what it’s all about.

Including a few in our office who couldn’t give a monkey’s about football, which is fair enough.

So, if like lots of other non-footy-obsessed Oasis fans, you’ve also been wondering A) what the Poznań is and B) why people on the Live ’25 reunion tour have been doing it, here’s a brief explanation.

What is the Poznań celebration?

For starters, if you’ve been keeping off social media completely to avoid any spoilers whatsoever, first of all, well done, your willpower is much stronger than ours.

Secondly, if you’ve never seen it before at all, here’s what it looks like:

It came out of Poland, hailing from the place of the same name and popularised by Ekstraklasa (a.k.a. the Polish first division) football team, Lech Poznań, who have been doing it since the 1960s.

As you can see, the group – and in this case, stadium-wide celebration – sees supporters turning their backs on the pitch/the centre of the arena and linking by wrapping arms around each other’s shoulders and jumping up and down in one, massive, continuous wave.

It is quite a striking visual, no question about that.

Why are Oasis fans doing it?

Come on, you must have put two and two together by now.

Manchester City fans adopted this now iconic celebration more than a decade and a half ago, and have been doing it regularly during big games, big scorelines, and big trophy wins, of which there have been a lot since then.

In fact, aside from the Burnage boys being massive Blues, Liam Gallagher himself actually instructed the Cardiff crowds on nights one and two.

It’s actually said to originate from Turkey or Greece, where it is also fairly commonplace, being simply referred to as ‘la Grecque’.

They’ve even used some pretty biblical official photography from the opening weekend of the reunion tour as the cover art for a live recording re-released of ‘Slide Away’.

It might be the coolest album artwork we’ve seen in a while, to be honest.

The history of the Poznań and its connection to Man City

Be it at Wembley for a cup final or at the Etihad Stadium, where the majority of fans saw the supporter stunt for the first time, it’s become arguably even more synonymous with City than its creators.

It was 2010, and the blue half of Manchester was hosting Lech Poznań in the group stage of the Europa League, but despite a 3-1 victory on the grass itself, more eyes were fixed on the stands themselves.

An army of 6,000 loyal Lech Poznań fans travelled for the game and had the ground quite physically bouncing with a shade of slightly darker blue, so when Emmanuel Adebayor wrapped up a hat-trick, the home support decided to turn the jubilation on their opponents and do it themselves.

It was all in good spirit, of course, but it went down a pretty instant hit with City fans and has only grown more prevalent and regular ever since.

Perhaps one of the funniest sights in recent years is Noel Gallagher being too hungover to join in, which also led to one of the coldest-looking images of the songwriter ever, and one that was quickly dubbed a perfect album cover for the next High Flying Birds album or, who knows, maybe another Oasis record?…

Ok, this is still up there in the cover art competition too.

So, yeah: that’s pretty much the long and short of it, we just thought it would help if we quickly explained the Poznań to anyone wondering why Oasis fans have been doing it.

Basically, if it was that big over in Wales, don’t be surprised if you see a literal sea of people flood Heaton Park before turning their backs to the stage, which seems to be triggered once Liam introduces ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol.’ It’ll be interesting to see if Man United fans get involved.

And finally, just imagine how much more epic this is going to be back home in Manchester as we brace for quite possibly the biggest headline gig the region has ever seen…

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

Featured Images — TNT Sports (screenshot)/Oasis (via X)

Sport

Outdoor clothing brand Arc’teryx to open flagship store in Manchester this week

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Outdoor clothing brand Arc'teryx to open flagship store in Manchester this week

Premium outdoor clothing brand Arc’teryx is opening its first brand store in Manchester this week – and its first UK shop outside of London. 

In the brand new two-storey retail space, shoppers will find everything they need for their outdoor adventures, whether it’s hiking, climbing, or snow sports. 

The new store will be packed with technical, high-performance outerwear and equipment, from footwear, packs and accessories to Arc’teryx harnesses you can try out in-store. 

Everything is designed with a commitment to perform in even the most demanding of environments – and yes, that includes the brutal rain of the North West of England…

It’s a fitting location for Arc’teryx to open a milestone new store, just 25 miles from the Peak District and the gritstone climbs that helped to shape trad climbing in the UK.

Inside the 567 sq metre shop on New Cathedral Street, there’ll also be a ReBIRD™ Service Centre that will offer free gear repair, care, and washing services, ensuring your equipment stays in peak condition season after season.

That’s alongside a dedicated Community Area designed for events, movie nights, and gatherings, plus a local map that highlights the best spots for climbing, hiking and trail running around Manchester. 

UK athletes and local ambassadors will be sharing their favourite places to visit, inspiring your next adventure. 

Once inspiration strikes, you can pick up a local trail book in the community area, and buy these top-of-the-range bits of kit, choosing from Arc’teryx’s core assortment, including trail and climb gear, with snow gear to follow.

Local artists will be on hand to create inspirational artworks, starting in July with an installation from NOTS. 

Sven Radtke, General Manager Arc’teryx EMEA, said: “Manchester is a vibrant urban hub that serves as a launchpad for outdoor enthusiasts. Its proximity to diverse natural landscapes makes it a gateway to the outdoors and a haven for hiking, climbing and other activities.

“Our goal is to help our core communities get out, doing what they love, equipped with the most high-performance gear to reach their goals.” 

The Canadian brand is already distributing products through more than 2,400 locations worldwide, but this new Manchester opening is a key milestone for adventurers in the UK.

Arc’teryx opens on 6 New Cathedral Street on Thursday 10 July. 

OPENING HOURS

  • Mon – Sat: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
  • Sun: 11:30 AM – 5:30 PM

To celebrate the opening, Arc’teryx is running a series of events and experiences:

  • 10 July – Store opens
  • 17 July – Grand Opening Party (RSVP opens on 11 July and will be linked on Instagram @arcteryxuk)
  • 18 July – 6.30pm-9.30pm – Grand Opening Climbing Party at the Big Depot Climbing Centre
  • 19 July – Grand Opening Day in Store with several activations

Follow @arcteryxuk for more information about the opening celebrations, or visit the events page.

Featured image: Supplied

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