City banned from Europe

Originally Posted by Patty_b

So people can break the rules, just as long as they do it in style? Good to know.

That's without going into the whole sportswashing side of it.

Football worlds gone mad.

Only good thing about this is I can't see most football fans from other teams letting this lie, and rubbing in the 'cheats' label at every opportunity.

the media in this country are a £#%&!ing disgrace.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

the media in this country are a £#%&!ing disgrace.

Have been staggered with the response to this. I haven’t found one dissenting voice - all of them saying they’re just too beautiful a team to be branded cheats.

I read ronay’s piece in the guardian and a little bit of sick came up.

Originally Posted by My Name is Keith

Have been staggered with the response to this. I haven’t found one dissenting voice - all of them saying they’re just too beautiful a team to be branded cheats.

I read ronay’s piece in the guardian and a little bit of sick came up.

David conn in the guardian gives balance

Originally Posted by signed dc

He won’t be on the payroll. They probably provide the best buffet for the jounos so that’s enough to get him to sing their praises and overlook their cheating.

No probably about it. They treat journalists like royalty. United won’t bother even fixing WiFi.

Of course, the owners of the newspapers they write for may well have some financial benefits from dealing with the Saudis. That’s the power of being a rich state.

Originally Posted by no fun

Yes but it’s an unjust law apparently

Ghandi, Martin Luther king, Pankhurst......pep

Pretty sure they all made a big public show out of standing up to the unjust law. Must be a new thing to make a stand by lying, cheating and trying to hide your actions from the authorities and then claim you’re making a stand when caught. Rosa parks got it all wrong.

Originally Posted by Drexl

Hopefully none

Clearly they were paying wages they couldn't afford through backhanders. Hopefully this means genuine (non abu dhabi sposors) start realising they have nailed their flag to the mast of cheats, and pull out, possibly claiming refunds.

Checkmate. If they hit that bullseye, the whole row of dominoes should come crashing down like a house of cards

Depends if the genuine sponsors were financially benefitting from other business deals with the Saudis in return for sponsoring city.

I like what red issue tweeted about, (I think). City inflating their value in American and Chinese markets in order to raise more money than they should have with honest valuations. I.e. city group selling 10% of the shares or whatever, which put the club’s valuation at over 3 billion. That could get messy if the companies involved kick up a fuss about fraud, as they should.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

we weren't at first. when we won our first after 26 years the press were very gushing...we were everyone's 2nd team.

but after 15 years of total domination everyone gets sick of you

The media were nicer than usual towards us in 1993, but it genuinely lasted a matter of months.

By the time Cantona got sent off twice in quick succession the following spring, they had reverted to the customary lynch mob.

Originally Posted by MagnificentSeven

i don't even think we're the most hated team in the country any more. these days most people seem to view us with indifference rather than hatred. us losing isn't even big news like it used to be, probably because it happens so often now.

When we hadn’t won the league for 25 years, lots of fans were desperate to stop us winning it. It was ridiculous. So I ‘m pretty sure nothing has changed now we haven’t won it for 6 years. It just has no need to raise its head until we threaten to win it again. And if it’s against city or Liverpool, we may be the favoured team anyway as I’m sure city are hated more and Liverpool at least just as much.

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

The media were nicer than usual towards us in 1993, but it genuinely lasted a matter of months.

By the time Cantona got sent off twice in quick succession the following spring, they had reverted to the customary lynch mob.

Rival fans were also quite nice in 95-96 when all the youth players became prominent. Then after a few months, they’d learnt to hate them.

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

The media were nicer than usual towards us in 1993, but it genuinely lasted a matter of months.

By the time Cantona got sent off twice in quick succession the following spring, they had reverted to the customary lynch mob.

There’s a bit of this covered in the excellent ‘Are You Watching Liverpool?’ which broadly agrees with that. Up until the time Cantona was stamping on players and Hughes booted one up the arse the press had been largely fawning and the relationship with Fergie was good. Convention held that he would condemn what both Hughes and Eric did but instead he blamed the opposition. In the eyes of a sympathetic press pack member that is where the relationship with the media changed.

Back to city, obviously they have been paying their players off the books but I don’t understand why some players haven’t agitated you leave regardless. Ronaldo, Neymar, Kroos to name three have left much bigger clubs and not necessarily for more cash. Not every player is interested in more money, yet their big players barely get linked with other clubs. Can only think of Tevez and Sane that seemed to want out.

Some lawyer claiming theyve breached the players contracts so they'd all have a case for walking away for free.

Originally Posted by Switching Off

Some lawyer claiming theyve breached the players contracts so they'd all have a case for walking away for free.

oh man. This is getting better and better.

Originally Posted by Zorg

oh man. This is getting better and better.

Reality is it would have to go to fifa and could get tied up for months. No player will want the hassle, but night mean they can hold the club over a barrel for wage rises, bonuses etc. Who knows? Funny though.

If city win the Caribo cup and the fa cup this year, will both losing finalists qualify for the eurodisney?

Originally Posted by Chris Quayd

There’s a bit of this covered in the excellent ‘Are You Watching Liverpool?’ which broadly agrees with that. Up until the time Cantona was stamping on players and Hughes booted one up the arse the press had been largely fawning and the relationship with Fergie was good. Convention held that he would condemn what both Hughes and Eric did but instead he blamed the opposition. In the eyes of a sympathetic press pack member that is where the relationship with the media changed.

Back to city, obviously they have been paying their players off the books but I don’t understand why some players haven’t agitated you leave regardless. Ronaldo, Neymar, Kroos to name three have left much bigger clubs and not necessarily for more cash. Not every player is interested in more money, yet their big players barely get linked with other clubs. Can only think of Tevez and Sane that seemed to want out.

Still genuinely hilarious

Originally Posted by no fun

If city win the Caribo cup and the fa cup this year, will both losing finalists qualify for the eurodisney?

Villa won’t (or so I read yesterday?)

Not sure about the fa cup though.

Originally Posted by AK14

Villa won’t (or so I read yesterday?)

Not sure about the fa cup though.

Same for FA Cup I think. Real possibility now that 8th will get Europa League.

Originally Posted by Switching Off

Same for FA Cup I think. Real possibility now that 8th will get Europa League.

Bloomong:

Anti UEFA demonstration at Madrid game

- Don’t fret Eccles Blue - I will shout in Madrid for you! Here are some things I think we should do:

1. Make sure the Sheikh attends. I for one will drop the club a line as you can all do too. He’s only been once - against the dippers if my memory serves me well! That would be statement number one - all in this together.

2. We are City til we die. We fight this together - whether we are screwed out of it or not is totally irrelevant. The footballing world is looking to us as fans to make a statement. We make that clear at the Etihad - loud and proud.Whistles, boos whatever it takes - we need to make some noise and make it as toxic in there as possible.

3. The club should do a ‘Wolves’ - dim the lights, get the blue moon on the screens and the best rocking anthem they can find to get that party atmosphere started. ‘Boys in blue’ just won’t cut it - sorry.

I was there when we were nothing. I was there when we were the best the world has ever seen. Fans around the world should recognise that we have brought the best football possible to their TV screens and get behind us too. This is about fighting injustice. It is THAT which needs kicking out of the game.Otherwise it’s finished.

I don’t get how they think its unjust to be caught and punished for cheating.

Originally Posted by Hands of Scone

I don’t get how they think its unjust to be caught and punished for cheating.

They equate wilfully misleading a governing body, revelling in the death of one of it's members and directly benefiting from this deceit with getting done for going a mile over the speed limit.

Originally Posted by Hands of Scone

I don’t get how they think its unjust to be caught and punished for cheating.

I suppose getting an apology out of them at this juncture might be a bit of a struggle.

Originally Posted by Pop

The footballing world is looking to us as fans to make a statement.