Manchester City fans face up to the reality of the guilty verdict in the 115 charges case

Manchester City fans have spent years living with a dark cloud that has now become real: the club has been found guilty of most of the 115 Premier League financial rule breaches. The decision, which emerged on Friday after a process that began in February 2023, hits hard for a fanbase that has gone from celebrating promotions from the old Second Division to ruling Europe. Beyond the legal battle, the debate now reaches the stands: what does it mean to support City when the success itself is being questioned?

• Manchester City have been found guilty of most of the 115 Premier League financial rule breaches.
• The charges relate to alleged irregularities between 2009 and 2018, a period in which the club won three Premier League titles.
• The club has always denied wrongdoing and is expected to appeal the verdict.
• Possible sanctions include a points deduction, financial penalties or even removal from the Premier League.
• Fans are caught between disappointment, a defence of their lived memories and unconditional loyalty to the club.

What the guilty verdict means for Manchester City

The ruling comes after the Premier League referred the case to an independent commission in 2023 over alleged breaches of its financial rules between 2009 and 2018. During that period, City won three league titles, including their first in the Premier League era, as well as one FA Cup and three EFL Cups. The club, backed by Abu Dhabi ownership, has always maintained its innocence and, according to reports, will appeal if the guilty verdict is confirmed.

The range of possible sanctions is broad. It goes from a points deduction and heavy financial penalties to the worst case scenario: Manchester City being removed from English football's top flight. While the club prepares its legal defence, the sporting impact threatens to mark a season in which the team sit top of the table with a perfect record after five league games.

The City fan dilemma: ten years of glory under suspicion

David Mooney, from the Blue Moon podcast, gives voice to a feeling shared by many supporters: a mix of shock and disappointment. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he admitted he felt stunned and said that, as time passes, the dominant emotion will simply be sadness. For Mooney, the doubt is uncomfortable because it questions the experience of an unforgettable decade: no City side has ever played such brilliant football or won so many trophies, yet every achievement is now viewed with suspicion.

If Manchester City are guilty then the City fans are just as much the victims as everybody else because their feelings have been used as well. The difference is they had a good time for ten years and now they have to face reality.

The feeling of being used runs through many conversations among the fanbase. They have enjoyed themselves like never before, travelled around Europe and watched their team reach the top, but the verdict forces them to look back and ask whether it was all legitimate. It is not an easy debate for those who have given their lives to the club.

From the old Second Division to the elite: memories of a hardened fanbase

Older fans keep intact the memory of a different Manchester City, one that survived far from the spotlight. In the late 1990s, the team were playing in the old Division Two and facing sides such as York City, Oldham Athletic and Chesterfield. Promotion through the play-offs at the end of the 1998-99 season was a turning point for a generation that now looks with some bemusement at a European giant.

That modest past explains why many supporters refuse to be scared by an uncertain future. Matt, another fan who spoke on the same station, recalled with real affection Paul Dickov's goal back in the Division Two days and insisted that, whatever happens, the fanbase will fight until the end. He even joked about the prospect of watching Erling Haaland score a hat-trick against Grimsby in the lower divisions if the hardest punishment were applied.

How fans are approaching the Liverpool trip and the immediate future

The fixture list offers no respite. Manchester City visit Anfield in their first game after the international break, a hugely demanding setting in which to measure the reaction of the squad and the supporters. Fans are wondering how the team will respond in such a hostile atmosphere. Irony is not in short supply: a fanbase used to booing the Champions League anthem is now asking whether it will do the same with the Premier League's.

On the pitch, the team arrive in excellent form. They have won all five of their league matches so far and boast a striker like Erling Haaland, who reached 100 Premier League goals faster than anyone in the competition's history. The challenge is to isolate the institutional noise and keep performing at the highest level.

The memories no court ruling can ever erase

There is one thing the fanbase will not surrender: ownership of their memories. John, a City season ticket holder, was in Istanbul in 2023 when the club won their first Champions League by beating Inter Milan. For him, what he experienced that day is untouchable. No tribunal decision or Premier League ruling can take away the emotion of the trip, the match and the celebrations that followed.

I was in Istanbul. Nobody will ever take that away from me: what I experienced that day, the build-up, the game, the day after and everything that went with it. Regardless of what has been decided in the courts or by the Premier League.

David Wilson, another devoted supporter, agrees that no one will ever be able to erase the moments and the trophies accumulated over the years. Those who were there in the dark days will stand by the club no matter what. Their demand, however, is clear: they want a convincing explanation of why the process has dragged on for so long and what real context lies behind each accusation. For them, lifelong fans will always love Manchester City, whatever anyone else says.

Frequently asked questions about the 115 charges verdict