02 Oct 2026 16:46:45
Hi All,
Given the 'Sham City' situation has come to a head i thought i would see if i could find if the great Ed002 had give one of his detailed (and usually correct) explanations of the situation, i have managed to find the below nugget of info
RIP Ed002 / Keep up the good work Eds
"{Ed002's Note - Yes, Liverpool will continue to look to improve the side but won't buy for the sake of it. They need to settle on clear targets.
As for Manchester City, I don't expect there will be any consideration to "title stripping" but if found guilty the potential punishments are slapped wrist (they need to clear out the charges which are simply noise and that may deal with those), fine (that could be negotiated to avoid any appeal - an option Nottingham Forest were looking to, but they were harshly treated), transfer ban (unlikely given a previous transfer ban for another club went horribly wrong for the authorities), points deduction (if found guilty of some of the serious issues and the most likely punishment I would think) and in theory relegation by expelling them from the Premier League if found guilty of multiple serious charges (could potentially happen but it would cause a huge problem with the EFL and the EFL clubs) or having their license cancelled completely (it has happened to Bury, Anzhi Makachkala and others over the years - but won't happen to Manchester City). Manchester City will claim, and subsequently use the claim in an appeal if necessary, that the charges are largely the result of criminal activity where computers were hacked - legally that puts the Premier League in a difficult position which may encourage some sort of settlement). Going down the appeal route will not suit anyone.
The huge difficulty with the concept of "title stripping" or any retrospective punishment is that it would be necessary to remove Manchester City from the equation for the Premier League for certain years by deleting all of their results, goals scored and conceded and re-adjusting the points and the prize money allocated. This would retropspectively impact which clubs qualified for the Champions League and other European competition - and again gained prize money from it, it may well also impact the relegation of teams and therefore impact the integrity of the Championship and lower leagues in subsequent seasons. It would mean years of liturgation and the relaunch of the pan-European league again.}."
02 Oct 2026 17:27:03
You've rendered us all a tremendous service Maxi, thank you.
02 Oct 2026 17:36:01
I think the titles will be stripped, it's not as difficult as recalculating and handing out trophies, think the league as a whole will agree 'years x, y, z titles are void'.
This won't be an easy fix for city, they've lied to the Premier League, their sponsors like that saying one thing to the UK and another to the USA about their funding of the airline itself (a different case but shows they're liars).
I'm not convinced there will be a Manchester City when this is all over.
The players will probably find legal footing to leave the club too.
Good riddance too I say, their cheating gave the league an Agueroooo moment and the cost of a Liverpool team that would have been undeniably the best single season of a team league team ever.
They voted for the rules, broke them, tried to hide it and are now trying to swing their political weight around.
02 Oct 2026 18:01:53
Everyone played by the Rules
But Man City cheated
Kick them out of the league, strip the titles, ban them from signing players for 5 years.
02 Oct 2026 18:49:46
If the League is going to take this as seriously as they should, I don't see how anything other than relegation to League 2, a 5-year transfer ban and a 30-point deduction for 5 years could be sufficient, should be 10, but that won't happen, and that's being very lenient in my opinion.
They cannot simply be granted the opportunity to make their way back to the PL within 12-24 months, that would make a complete mockery of the entire proceeding, the rest of the teams who follow the rules, the league, the FA, the whole lot.
The owners and anyone else involved need a lifetime ban, that's non-negotiable. Trophies stripped and awarded appropriately. No time for this "I don't want those trophies" nonsense some people are spouting, saying, "it dosn't feel the same", of course it's not the same, we were robbed, it's justice, and justice is imperfect.
02 Oct 2026 19:34:04
If the owners walk away like LIV golf or even just disengage - which might be happening at Newcastle - Man City's existence would be in doubt.
A settlement will have to be reached IMO.
02 Oct 2026 19:56:08
I think some of you are going to be disappointed.
02 Oct 2026 21:23:56
The owners should be kicked out, how can they possibly be allowed to continue after this?
That does probably mean City is finished as a club though.
Hopefully a deal can be had where the owners are booted out and city are allowed time to move on their players and balance the books to stop a billion pounds worth of dept and the players wages instantly crippling them. Alongside a deal where every other club agrees not to sue them to oblivion?
I do think the titles should be stripped as well. They can't possibly stay on the record.
Alongside a relegation.
Ed002s insight would have been amazing right about now. I remember him posting that post a while ago, new information has come to light since then though.
It wouldve been interesting to have his take on City's mental appeal approach today.
02 Oct 2026 23:08:46
Why people think city will have their own way is beyond me.
Looking at it in any sensible way .
Other clubs want them taking the cleaners, politically UAE is struggling. To deal with the mess that is the Middle East, the evidence is stacked against the club.
Nobody wins if city get off easy bar the club, UAE and Burnham.
They're going to be taken the cleaners and be lucky if the club still exists by time this is done, that's just fact. Good riddance too! The cherry on the top being the two mancs who call themselves a band will be heart broken too!
03 Oct 2026 08:57:44
I think after what Burnham said and the fact the City chairman was in Downing Street days before the guilty verdict, they will get a less harsh punishment. I think it will be a negotiated settlement to draw a line under it.
It seems Ed002 was leaning towards a points deduction as the most likely - which I agree with.
It could be a huge one this season effectively relegating them. Then would their players try? Would teams who have already lost to them object? Would this effectively force the owners to leave, which we know Burnham wants to avoid.
I think they will get away with a less harsh punishment, something along the lines of 30 points per season for their next 3 - 5 PL seasons.
Whether they be consecutive seasons or not (if they got relegated).
It would give them a tiny chance of winning the league, it would give them a chance of continuing in the CL. It's very unlikely to relegate them.
Then they'll reform the rules again and make another pig's ear of it. There will need to be set punishments IMO.
03 Oct 2026 09:49:55
Hello, Sailor.
Man City will still exist after any sanctions. I will guarantee you that.
And I don't think the war in Iran will go on forever. It's affecting a lot more people than just the UAE.