The Premier League and reigning champions Manchester City are locked in a series of legal disputes, with Oasis superstar Noel Gallagher now wading into the civil war
Oasis superstar Noel Gallagher has signed a petition calling for Premier League chief executive Richard Masters to be sacked amid the legal battle with Manchester City.
Reigning champions City are locked in a series of disputes with the league over their financial rules. A commission is currently investigating 115 charges of breaches of financial rules that the Premier League allege City to have committed over a number of years.
Both City and the league also claimed victory after a tribunal ruled on the rules around commercial deals earlier this week. City’s legal counsel then wrote to the other 19 top-flight clubs rubbishing the league’s statement on the judgement.
While the charges date back to Richard Scudamore’s time as the Premier League’s chief executive, it is Masters who has drawn Gallagher’s ire. The Oasis star is a prominent City fan and has now made it clear he wants the executive to go.
According to the Daily Mail, Gallagher has added his name to the list of City supporters who have signed a petition calling for Masters to step down. The account is understood to be Gallagher’s, rather than someone impersonating the 57-year-old.
The account wrote: “It has become clear that HE is merely a mouthpiece for the red Cartel. He has targeted and continues to target those that will shape the future of English football on behalf of those that are trapped in the past.”
Masters was appointed Premier League CEO in November 2019, succeeding Richard Scudamore, who had held the post since 1999. Club representatives will attend an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss next steps following tthe judgement around commerical deals.
HAVE YOUR SAY! What should Manchester City’s punishment be if they are found guilty of the 115 charges? Comment below.
Masters claimed the tribunal had, on the whole, backed their associated party transaction (APT) rules but ‘identified a small number of elements… which do not, in their current form, comply with competition and public law requirements’.
He added that changes could ‘quickly and effectively be remedied’. In response, City effectively accused the Premier League of lying in a lengthy message to all clubs and the League themselves.
In an email, the club’s club general counsel Simon Cliff wrote: “Regrettably the (League’s) summary is misleading and contains several inaccuracies. This is the time for careful reflection by all clubs, and not for a knee-jerk reaction.
“Such an unwise course would be likely to lead to further legal proceedings with further legal costs. It is critical for member clubs to feel they can have trust in their regulator.”
In their statement, the Premier League said: “The Premier League welcomes the Tribunal’s findings, which endorsed the overall objectives, framework and decision-making of the APT system.
“The Tribunal upheld the need for the APT system as a whole and rejected the majority of Manchester City’s challenges. Moreover, the Tribunal found that the Rules are necessary in order for the League’s financial controls to be effective.”
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