Man United fans twist the knife into Man City’s misery as they revive iconic taunt
· Yahoo Sports
Manchester United fans have handed Manchester City fresh humiliation by reviving a brutal old taunt.
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Hot water
Last month, the Premier League issued a statement confirming that an independent commission had found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
The League announced that City had arranged “sham contracts” with multiple commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830 million.
It is understood that these “sham contracts” were intended to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs. United’s neighbours were also found guilty of all charges except one, which related to non-cooperation with the Premier League investigation.
Several City witnesses also gave false evidence on key points, and some knowingly provided untrue, dishonest testimony.
City continue to maintain their innocence and have since lodged an appeal against the independent commission’s verdict. As the fallout continues, some of the punishments that have been suggested for Enzo Maresca’s side include stripping all titles won during the period in question, severe points deductions, heavy fines, banishing the owners, and expulsion from the Premier League.
According to The Telegraph, United supporters have revived their “ticker” mocking City’s trophy drought amidst the cheating scandal.
Old taunt
In 2000, the upper tier of the Stretford End became home to a banner reading “24 YEARS”, a pointed taunt at the number of trophyless years City had endured since their 1976 League Cup final victory.
Year after trophyless year, United fans kept updating their ticker-style banner, with the number climbing relentlessly until it read “35 years”. The banner was taken down after City finally won the FA Cup in 2011.
Now, The Telegraph reveals, “The new banner, a teaser for which has appeared on TRA’s Instagram page, will be unveiled during United’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday tea-time.”
The newly created banner will read “51 years”, effectively nullifying and voiding all the trophies City have claimed since 2009.
Upon Roberto Mancini’s appointment as City manager in 2009, he claimed his priority was to remove the banner.
City have since been accused of providing Mancini with a “double contract”, whereby he was paid more for his consultancy work with Abu Dhabi club Al Jazira than for his managerial role at City, bonuses and incentives notwithstanding.