With the news of their numerous breaches of Financial Fair Play, the question on everyone’s mind now is what punishment could Manchester City face if found guilty?
The reigning champions were charged with more than 100 breaches of FFP regulations on Monday following the conclusion of a four-year investigation by the English top flight.
Despite the club denying the allegations as they did with the previous UEFA sanctions, eventually having their two-year ban overturned and the fine reduced by two-thirds, they cannot appeal the decision through the same means as last time and it looks increasingly likely that at least some charges will stick.
That being said, there a numerous steps that the Premier League, FA and other governing football bodies could take next if they are found guilty of even a portion of the offences.
Manchester City: The charges explained – and why it has taken so long. Background of the biggest scandal to have hit the Premier League:https://t.co/ex5hsZkhkj
Here are some possible options being suggested at present:
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What action could be taken against Manchester City?
1. Fines
The first and most obvious ramification for their alleged financial infractions is a simple fine: typically the most common outcome whenever clubs find themselves in hot water when it comes to rule breaches.
When they were alleged to have gone beyond UEFA’s FFP regulations back in February 2020, they were initially slapped with a £30 million fine before it was eventually reduced to £10m not long after.
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However, given the length and severity of this latest raft of accusations — at least a century of offences for nearly a decade — any penalt(ies) would likely result in a much more considerable total sum or even compensation paid to other clubs.
2. Points deduction
One of the most popular suggestions thus far is that City should suffer a points deduction in the current 2022/23 season, not unlike the action recently taken against Juventus for also failing to declare the full truth about the nature of their finances.
How the table could look if Man City were docked 15pts, as Juventus have been this season 👀📊 pic.twitter.com/HiImv9PPJR
The Italian giants were docked 15 points for “false accounting” and could even face a further 20-point bombshell for “undeclared wage payments” to players and other members of staff thought to date back to at least March 2020.
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City are accused of similar during Roberto Mancini’s tenure, the man who helped them lift their first Premier League title, as well as with members of their squad in at least two seasons, including as recently as the 2015/16 campaign.
Once again, the supposed offences committed at the Etihad are said to date from 2009 to at least 2018, when the club “stopped cooperating” with the inquiry. If the independent commission find evidence to punish for this period and perhaps beyond, it’s hard to say if points alone would be sufficient enough.
3. Stripped of titles
Alternatively, another possibility is that the now six-time Premier League winners could be stripped of every single one of their titles since their 2008 takeover, meaning the narrative of the last few years would look very different indeed:
While obviously a more severe choice, it is perfectly plausible — especially when considering Juventus once again, who were also hit with this punishment back in 2006 after the ‘Calciopoli’ scandal which saw them stripped of their previous two titles due to match-fixing, pressuring officials and more.
Given that the charges lobbied against City are strictly related to the Premier League, it would be unlikely that any of their other trophies won over the nine-year period in question would be rescinded, but you never know; the inquiry could spark further investigation.
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4. Relegation/expulsion from the Premier League
While many have mooted that they feel the Blues should be issued with a ban from the competition — the length of which could be significant given the prolonged offending period and for football fans to make peace with potentially 9-14 years of financial wrongdoings.
However, circling back to the Juventus example once more, the ‘Old Lady’ was also relegated to Serie B (the Italian second division) for the first time in their history after Calciopoli. If that was the judgement for two years of breaches, what sort of punishment would fit City after nearly a decade, maybe more?
Keeping that in mind, it has also been suggested that the club could be expelled from the league. Though a permanent expulsion would be extremely improbable, with this course of action by far the most brutal, the problem again is deciding how long to expel/suspend them and whether to do so immediately or for the following season(s). Again, this is the most unlikely outcome of them all.
While this list is obviously not exhaustive, Sky Sports shared a graphic on social media the various steps the commission could seek as Manchester City’s punishment.
The punishments that the independent commission could impose on Manchester City: pic.twitter.com/CsDzCmJ7PF
Moreover, as alluded to earlier, City cannot appeal CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) like they did last time according the current Premier League regulations. This means that, in theory, whatever the commission finds and the league ultimately says goes.
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You can see the full list of charges levelled against Manchester City HERE.
What punishment do you think would be suitable for Manchester City’s litany of FFP breaches?
The new and improved Station Hotel is looking to become the undisputed home of sport in Alty
Danny Jones
The Station Hotel is no new name on the lips of Altrincham natives or those in and around Greater Manchester; chances are, plenty of you have either been or at least seen the late 19th-century pub after getting off the tram around the corner, but it’s been reborn following major renovations.
Not satisfied with a simple lick of paint or a new menu, Alty’s beloved Station looks, by and large, totally brand new, from the bar itself and every single piece of tiled floor to the brand new sports space.
There’s not only a shiny new glow coming from the soft-lit remodel; there’s now an added sense of warmth to The Station, and they’re looking to extend that welcoming feel not just to locals but the wider sporting community as well.
Having already been a go-to pre- and post-match pint spot for Manchester Storm and Alty FC, both of whom are seeing a huge surge in popularity of late, the team are looking to capitalise on those crowds and go one further.
As for catering to that audience, there’s no better example than the dedicated sports room, where, besides several of a dozen total screens, there are two fresh and premium standard pool tables, as well as one of the best examples of pub sports we’ve come across, maybe ever.
If you’re wondering what we’re on about, they’ve got actual interactive darts that don’t just give you some nice visuals, but that can be played head-to-head, against bots (yes, you can set the computer difficulty) and even online.
How does that work? Well, thanks to a built-in function on the display, you can literally face off against another player somewhere else in real-time.
So, say you happen to be throwing a few arrows in The Station comes the weekend, another punter happens to be at the oche in another Blind Tiger Inns venue – The Grosvenor over on Oxford Road in Manchester city centre, for instance – you can challenge them to a number of different games digitally.
Very cool.
Better still, the darts and the pool are completely free to use Monday to Friday right up until 7pm, and a mere £1.50 at the weekend. No wonder they had a busy opening night.
And then there’s all the deals on drinks: two for £12 on spritzes, £14 bottles of prosecco throughout the week until that same cut-off time, as well as £4 beers and large glasses of wine for as little as £6.
Be rude not to for those prices…
We especially love how the section of the pub where the old pool table and single darts board used to live is no longer the cold, almost cut-off section of the pub that used to be – it’s now one of the cosiest and most colourful parts, with a 360-padded seat, bright new mural, and one that opens out onto
Arguably the best bit, though, is one we’ll have to wait to see in its full glory just yet: the transformed patio area, with wall-to-wall bi-folding doors that will no doubt prove perfect for the summer and for when the World Cup rolls around.
Blind Tiger have, rather fittingly, played an absolute blinder with this one, and we expect the place to start a whole new chapter and fresh new reputation.
See you for a few scoops before a Storm game soon!
Manchester Marathon found fresh community fund following milestone charitable efforts
Danny Jones
The Manchester Marathon has begun a new community fund following more than a decade of incredible charity efforts.
Known as the Trafford Active Fund for the last 10 years or so, the initiative covers not only the city and its wider boroughs’ annual 26.2-mile long race, but various other sports and activity-based schemes across the region.
Now, though, the fresh Manc Marathon Fund is evolving in partnership with the existing Trafford Moving Fund and MCRactive arm of Manchester City Council by expanding its vital charity work further afield than ever before.
Launching ahead of the 2026 event this spring, runners will once again be behind crucial funding across the Greater Manchester region and beyond.
The new Manchester Marathon Community Fund logo (Credit: Supplied)
For context, back in 2024, the MCR Marathon raised nearly £30 million for the local economy and roughly £3.7m for charities like the Alzheimer’s Society; last April, that figure surpassed more than £4m, and the fundraising numbers only continue to increase with every year.
With that in mind, more than £60k is distributed to various partner programmes that “inspire movement, improve wellbeing, and create meaningful change for local people”.
Moving forward, not only will £1 from every paid entry into the Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half continue to go directly into the Manchester Marathon Community Fund (MMCF).
Andrew Smith, Chief Executive of A.S.O. UK – organisers of the MCR Marathon and Half – said: “We’re incredibly proud of the positive impact the Trafford Active Fund has delivered locally over the years, and we’re excited to extend that impact across both Trafford and Manchester City [Centre].
“By broadening our reach, the MMCF will help even more people to get active and contribute to a legacy of movement and wellbeing. Our relationship with Trafford remains as strong as ever, and we look forward to continuing to support the brilliant community projects that make a real difference there.”
Community groups and projects in Trafford or the City of Manchester can apply for funding via the Trafford Moving Fund and MCR Active (dependent on their location).
A panel from each organisation reviews applications and selects projects that best demonstrate lasting impact.
We share stories from funded projects throughout the year, so you can see the difference your event entry makes.
We love how much the North West regularly dedicates its charitable efforts, both socially and physically, towards important causes throughout the year.
Danny Jones -
6th February 2023 
