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Newcastle United featuring prominently in tribunal ruling in favour of Manchester City against Premier League.
The decision of an Arbitration Panel has been published following a legal challenge by Manchester City FC against the Premier League Associated Party Transaction (APT) Rules (We reported on this earlier this afternoon – see below).
Nine separate Newcastle United references (see below) in the full lengthy tribunal ruling.
This includes confirmation that the Newcastle United takeover three years ago today, accelerated the whole PSR process (Reference 1).
The NUFC a ‘catalyst’ for the APT rules (Reference 6).
Interesting to see that Newcastle United were called as ‘witnesses of fact’ by Manchester City, along with Everton and Chelsea (see Reference 8).
Whilst maybe most interesting of all, Reference 9 showing that a written statement put in evidence by Manchester City (The Claimant) from Newcastle United.
Whilst written statements put in evidence by the Premier League (The Respondent) from Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham.
The Manchester City statement today following the ruling by the tribunal – 7 October 2024:
Following today’s publication of the Rule X Arbitral Tribunal Award, Manchester City Football Club thanks the distinguished members of the Arbitral Tribunal for their work and considerations and welcomes their findings:
The Club has succeeded with its claim: the Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules have been found to be unlawful and the Premier League’s decisions on two specific MCFC sponsorship transactions have been set aside
The Tribunal found that both the original APT rules and the current, (amended) APT Rules violate UK competition law and violate the requirements of procedural fairness.
The Premier League was found to have abused its dominant position.’
Rather bizarrely, the Premier League when issuing their own statement, were claiming today’s ruling as a massive win for THEM! Shades of Comical Ali (ask your mam/dad) it would appear…
You can read the entire Tribunal ruling HERE.
However, it is a ‘little’ lengthy and we have gone through it and picked out nine references to Newcastle United:
Reference 1:
Reference 2:
Reference 3:
Reference 4:
Reference 5:
Reference 6:
Reference 7:
Reference 8:
Reference 9:
The Mag report – Earlier today (7 October 2024):
Manchester City have defeated the Premier League in a legal challenge over rules about ‘inflated’ sponsor deals from companies linked to their owners.
This is Monday’s breaking news.
With The Mail (see below) the rest of the media reporting on what could be a seismic shift.
This could be a huge game changer for Newcastle United after Manchester City win APT appeal v Premier League.
The Premier League and certain leading clubs now looking to have acted in haste, without taking due care and attention, in their desperation to stop Newcastle United becoming competitive, whilst at the same time riling Manchester City as well.
The fact this breaking news comes on the third anniversary of the Newcastle United takeover is very APT!!!
The Mail report – 7 October 2024:
BREAKING NEWS
Manchester City DEFEAT the Premier League in legal challenge over rules about ‘inflated’ sponsor deals from companies linked to their owners – which threatens to blow up football’s financial regulations
Man City’s sponsorship rule win is separate to their 115 alleged breaches case
Manchester City have scored a seismic victory in their war with the Premier League after new rules on sponsorship deals were branded ‘unlawful’.
In a significant, landmark verdict that will send shockwaves through the top flight, a heavyweight panel of retired judges has ruled that regulations aimed at preventing clubs from inflating deals with companies linked to their owners breach the Competition Act – and that the top flight was wrong to stop two recent City deals.
The Abu Dhabi-owned four-in-a-row champions, currently facing 115 charges of breaking Premier League financial rules in a separate case, took the league to court earlier this year. They claimed the rules, brought in after the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle United and amended in February, were unfair.
And in a ruling that could spell trouble for others – not least rivals Arsenal – the system on Associated Party Transactions (APTs) was deemed unlawful. The panel gave a number of reasons, including the fact that the rules do not extend to loans from owners and shareholders.
Of £4billion borrowed across the league £1.5bn comes from shareholder loans – including all of the Gunners estimated £250m borrowings and almost all of Brighton’s.
City had argued that such payments were unfair and not at market value as they were often at zero or no interest or did not have to be repaid at all. If commercial rates are now applied – and those loans included in club’s profit and sustainability accounts – many could find themselves in breach of financial regulation in what could be a nightmare scenario that would heap pressure on Premier League bosses.
The verdict could also open the door for City and others to pen significantly higher deals with related parties.
Within the ruling it also emerged that Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, and West Ham gave evidence in favour of the Premier League, along with Brentford, Bournemouth, Fulham, and Wolves.
Among their arguments City said the changes were down to ‘fearmongering’ after the Saudi takeover at Newcastle. They had also claimed that the rules were specifically aimed at Gulf-owned clubs, citing an email from one club on behalf of 11 in total, but the panel found that not to be the case.

 
