Financial Fair Play

Financial Fair Play

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Discussion

Pitre

Original Poster:

4,988 posts

241 months

Monday 15th January
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So. Everton have been charged again, and Forest charged too. Presumably a points deduction may be incoming?

I truly feel for the fans of those teams, but this is designed to level the playing field a bit amongst similar-sized clubs so arguably those involved are seeking to gain an advantage over the rest of us (I'm a Palace fan).

But....... what's happening about those allegedly huge offenders, Man City?

pinchmeimdreamin

10,197 posts

225 months

Monday 15th January
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juice

8,853 posts

289 months

Monday 15th January
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It stinks that the sports-washed clubs seemingly are getting away Scot-Free

bigpriest

1,799 posts

137 months

Monday 15th January
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If you accuse someone of breaking the rules you either have evidence that can't be disputed or you have to provide evidence and allow a right of reply.

Loading a club with massive debts (untouched by FFP) to allow you to free up funds to spend on the club could be seen as sports-washing as well.

Pitre

Original Poster:

4,988 posts

241 months

Monday 15th January
quotequote all
bigpriest said:
.....Loading a club with massive debts (untouched by FFP) to allow you to free up funds to spend on the club could be seen as sports-washing as well.
Very true.... Man Utd? Brighton? Chelsea?

NuckyThompson

1,706 posts

175 months

Monday 15th January
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I think Everton and forest only had a handful of charges and Everton admitted guilt which made the whole process straightforward.

City contesting all 125 of theirs ties the whole process up in litigation and lawyers for at least a year or 2

Challo

10,823 posts

162 months

Monday 15th January
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NuckyThompson said:
I think Everton and forest only had a handful of charges and Everton admitted guilt which made the whole process straightforward.

City contesting all 125 of theirs ties the whole process up in litigation and lawyers for at least a year or 2
Yep, and it’s become hard for them to prove which is why it’s taking longer to sort.


Puppisadeer

93 posts

38 months

Tuesday 16th January
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I’m a Forest fan and think if we have broken the rules, we should be sanctioned. But if the point of FFP was to prevent another Portsmouth, are these rules still necessary if the club has a wealthy backer? Otherwise if you believe the league isn’t competitive today, it will just be the commercial machines of Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal competing in future. Puts a breakaway league back on the table imo.

Terry Winks

1,437 posts

20 months

Tuesday 16th January
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It’s becoming a bit of a farce, not just for the fact the blatant cheats in are not yet punished. But who is it protecting now? Everton’s previous owner and forests current the monies being invested is a drop in the ocean for them.

Spare a thought for the worst effected clubs though, you know those who could spend a fortune but never will.

But look at Chelsea and United right now, spending fortunes on players that are not turning out to be good choices.


Challo

10,823 posts

162 months

Tuesday 16th January
quotequote all
Terry Winks said:
It’s becoming a bit of a farce, not just for the fact the blatant cheats in are not yet punished. But who is it protecting now? Everton’s previous owner and forests current the monies being invested is a drop in the ocean for them.

Spare a thought for the worst effected clubs though, you know those who could spend a fortune but never will.

But look at Chelsea and United right now, spending fortunes on players that are not turning out to be good choices.
I think its more to do with protecting the clubs for the long term. its all well and good have rich owners, but what happens if that rich owner runs out of money, or decides its no longer viable and stops picking up the cheques?

The clubs have contracts they need to keep and adhere too and once the owner pulls funding how do they pay the bills?

Its not perfect, and to a certain extent its protecting the big clubs but i think it tries to ensure the clubs have organic growth rather than the owner throwing aload of money at the club and then walking away.


TikTak

1,816 posts

26 months

Tuesday 16th January
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Did make me roll my eyes when they said that the new Forest and Everton breaches will be reviewed and actioned upon before the end of this season.

How about some urgency with the City ones?

SWoll

19,165 posts

265 months

Tuesday 16th January
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TikTak said:
Did make me roll my eyes when they said that the new Forest and Everton breaches will be reviewed and actioned upon before the end of this season.

How about some urgency with the City ones?
Not in the PL's interest though is it?

Easy to punish a few lower table clubs as who really cares, but admit that City have been cheating for a decade and won 6 or 7 titles in that time as a result and the reputational damage to the PL will be huge and the longer it drags on the worst the fallout will be.

WrekinCrew

4,902 posts

157 months

Tuesday 16th January
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Pitre said:
....... what's happening about those allegedly huge offenders, Man City?
BBC Sport today: "City were charged in February 2023 with more than 100 offences relating to their spending, which date back to 2009 and include allegations of hidden payments and non-cooperation. It is thought unlikely there will be a resolution until the end of the 2024-25 season.

Because these are historic charges over multiple years, all of which are contested, the case is fundamentally different to the recently announced ones which are regarded as more straightforward, with the arguments over breaches likely to centre around differences of opinion over actual spending or the amounts that can be claimed back."

Ankh87

842 posts

109 months

Tuesday 16th January
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All this "what about Man City?" has to stop. I understand that people are frustrated but the Man City charges are different. That's why it is taking a long time.

As for Everton and Forest, all the other clubs had the same external factors such as war in Ukraine and Covid. All stayed within what is permitted.

CivicDuties

6,072 posts

37 months

Tuesday 16th January
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SWoll said:
TikTak said:
Did make me roll my eyes when they said that the new Forest and Everton breaches will be reviewed and actioned upon before the end of this season.

How about some urgency with the City ones?
Not in the PL's interest though is it?

Easy to punish a few lower table clubs as who really cares, but admit that City have been cheating for a decade and won 6 or 7 titles in that time as a result and the reputational damage to the PL will be huge and the longer it drags on the worst the fallout will be.
Ah, the Post Office approach. Always turns out well, that one.

Challo

10,823 posts

162 months

Tuesday 16th January
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Ankh87 said:
All this "what about Man City?" has to stop. I understand that people are frustrated but the Man City charges are different. That's why it is taking a long time.

As for Everton and Forest, all the other clubs had the same external factors such as war in Ukraine and Covid. All stayed within what is permitted.
The optics aren't great, and they do need to sort City asap but I agree its completely different to the ones for Forest and Everton.

Also the Prem changed the rules so that all clubs need to submit by 31st December, so that any issues could be resolved before the season ends.


Ankh87

842 posts

109 months

Tuesday 16th January
quotequote all
Challo said:
Ankh87 said:
All this "what about Man City?" has to stop. I understand that people are frustrated but the Man City charges are different. That's why it is taking a long time.

As for Everton and Forest, all the other clubs had the same external factors such as war in Ukraine and Covid. All stayed within what is permitted.
The optics aren't great, and they do need to sort City asap but I agree its completely different to the ones for Forest and Everton.

Also the Prem changed the rules so that all clubs need to submit by 31st December, so that any issues could be resolved before the season ends.
100% agree that it isn't great. Issue is that Man City are fighting it all and that it isn't just 1 charge.

End of the day all the other 18 clubs stayed within the limit (rightly or wrongly) and these 2 didn't so they know what might happen. It's rubbish for both sets of fans but those are the rules. Once this is sorted and if all the clubs stay within the rules, then the faster Chelsea and Man City get investigated.

Fast Bug

12,175 posts

168 months

Tuesday 16th January
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Puppisadeer said:
I’m a Forest fan and think if we have broken the rules, we should be sanctioned. But if the point of FFP was to prevent another Portsmouth, are these rules still necessary if the club has a wealthy backer? Otherwise if you believe the league isn’t competitive today, it will just be the commercial machines of Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal competing in future. Puts a breakaway league back on the table imo.
Portsmouth were only docked 9 points for going in to administration. Yet Everton are docked 10 points for a breach of regs which relate to interest payments on the new stadium.

I'll be surprised if City are handed any kind of punishment that reflects the years of blatant cheating.


SWoll

19,165 posts

265 months

Tuesday 16th January
quotequote all
Ankh87 said:
Once this is sorted and if all the clubs stay within the rules, then the faster Chelsea and Man City get investigated.
Why do you believe that to be the case?

Fast Bug

12,175 posts

168 months

Tuesday 16th January
quotequote all
Ankh87 said:
100% agree that it isn't great. Issue is that Man City are fighting it all and that it isn't just 1 charge.

End of the day all the other 18 clubs stayed within the limit (rightly or wrongly) and these 2 didn't so they know what might happen. It's rubbish for both sets of fans but those are the rules. Once this is sorted and if all the clubs stay within the rules, then the faster Chelsea and Man City get investigated.
Interest payments on a new stadium does not give you an advantage.

Being penalised for not selling a player 6 weeks earlier for £15m less to get them in to an earlier accounting period is fair is it? How can taking a third less on the sale of a player help the long term profit and sustainability of a club?

Meanwhile other clubs effectively sponsor themselves to dodge the rules laugh