Fans demand points deduction and asterisk after Manchester City verdict

Last Friday, Manchester City were found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them for breaching financial regulations, a seismic moment in Premier League history that has ignited a firestorm across English football with clubs and supporters demanding swift and severe sanctions.

Fan outcry across the league

Supporters of virtually every English club have taken to social media, calling for City to be stripped of any forthcoming silverware. Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal fans have been vocal, while even Watford and Sunderland supporters have joined the chorus. Even fans still bemoaning the relevance of PSR and SCR have brandished metaphorical pitchforks, demanding City pay with blood or at least points deductions.

The author argues that no team should receive a free trophy parade and proposes placing an asterisk beside Manchester City’s name in the record books. Such a mark would signal the club’s financial misconduct without awarding undeserved honours. Handing out trophies to runners‑up, he warns, would open a maddening spiral of nonsense with no clear line.

2017/18 season shows precedent

In 2017/18 Manchester United finished runners‑up, a massive 19‑point gap behind their noisy neighbours. That same campaign saw Swansea City relegated, a far more compelling grievance as they fell only three points behind 17th‑placed Southampton after losing twice to the eventual champions. The stark contrast highlights how close clubs can be to success or disaster in the same season.

City’s 6‑0 victory over Watford in the FA Cup final has prompted fans of defeated clubs to claim entitlement to the trophy. Hypotheticals abound that Brighton, Swansea or even Newport County might have reached the final in 2018/19 had City been excluded. Such a default trophy would ignore the fact City had to beat several other teams to get to that stage.

Personal reflections and trophy memories

Writing as a Newcastle fan starved of success for years, the author recalls seeing Fabricio Coloccini sheepishly lift the Trofeu Internacional de Futebol do Guadiana after a pre‑season tournament in Portugal. He also cites Dan Burn’s goal against Liverpool in the 2025 Carabao Cup final as a cherished memory that no parade for a court‑won trophy could match. He says he would be happy to take any piece of silverware, even a modest pre‑season honour, if earned on the pitch.

The piece calls for a massive points deduction, a meaningful financial penalty and the asterisk, rejecting any notion of awarding Brendan Rodgers a Premier League winner’s medal. It stresses that a parade for a trophy secured by arbitrators would be embarrassing and pathetic. For the author, justice lies in fair punishment, not in celebrating a victory bought in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Manchester City deny the charges and are expected to lodge an appeal, maintaining their innocence while the football world watches.