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Morning all.
Speculation about the punishment Man City should receive has been rife since the day the guilty verdict news broke. Everything from hefty fines, points deductions, transfer embargo’s, to being thrown out the Premier League altogether, plus many other suggestions in between.
A fine, regardless of how big, would be pointless in my opinion. I don’t think relegation would be the answer either because they’d be back in the Premier League no sooner than they’d left it plus, I think it’s an insult to those clubs already in the Championship, League One etc etc. It also takes away those clubs chances of earning promotion themselves, after all, how could a club like Reading compete with a juggernaut like City in League One?
Strip away the titles they won during the periods stated in the cases listed within the charges? Absolutely yes in my opinion, including the domestic cups they won too but would there be any point in handing those trophies to the clubs who came second in league/cups? Isn’t part of winning something about living in “that moment”? Handing a Premier League trophy to Utd, Liverpool or Arsenal would just be about the history books changing because the elation of winning can never be experienced. We saw what it meant to the players, staff and fans back in May and that’s what makes winning so special, not being handed a trophy several years later.
When the name George Graham comes into your mind, what do you think of first? Him as a player, a manager or the man who got sacked because of what he did which earned him the sack? Maybe all three but my point is, mud sticks and as far as Man City are concerned, their reputation is tarnished for life. Anything they do from now on, regardless of whether it’s within the rules, people will wonder if it really is. This isn’t just about £20 in an envelope passing hands, this is about millions and millions of pounds and deceit. Lies, deceit and cheating. 114 times! All football fans should be angry, including, maybe especially Man City fans because they’ve been cheated too.
But I don’t want to see City relegated. No, I’d rather they stayed in the Premier League to face every club and its fans they’ve cheated. Next weekend will be the beginning of humiliating weeks and months ahead because football fans of rival teams will make their point from the stands. In a weird kind of way, I’m looking forward to it.
I know there is an appeal process to go through, but I can’t see every single one of 114 guilty verdicts being overturned, can you? As for their eventual punishment, yes, fine them in a big way and give the money to grassroots football but then I’d like to see them docked points and I mean a lot of points and for the same number of seasons they cheated in. Plus an inward transfer embargo for as many seasons deemed appropriate which in my opinion should again be the number of years they are proved to have broken the rules. That way, City would return to being a mid table club which is the best they were before they were taken over by their current owners.
Who knows, in time, they might find themselves in the Championship or League One but at least then it will because of what they’ve done and probably not with their current kind of squad which will be able to bounce back as quickly. If at all.
International football returns tonight. Two more games left for our players to get through and then domestic football returns. I’m looking forward to it…
Catch up in the comments.