Dr Dan: Man City and Newcastle ready to go ‘all the way’ in legal battle after ‘big’ development
Man City and Newcastle United are ready to go “all the way” in a legal battle with the Premier League over new commercial regulations.
That is the view of Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the restrictions on related party sponsorship.
The Times reported last Tuesday (14 December) that top-flight clubs have agreed new legislation to prevent inflated-value commercial deals.
A third party will now assess all new agreements against a database of previous deals to determine whether they constitute fair market value.
It is claimed that City and fellow gulf state-backed Newcastle see the new bill as commercially restrictive and are considering a legal challenge.
Plumley predicts that the pair’s enormous wealth will pay dividends in the courtroom.
“Money talks,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“City have taken on Uefa and won, and that shows the power dynamics here. It’s the bigger, powerful clubs that tend to put these legal challenges together.
“They can afford the best lawyers in the world to come and fight their case. The positive for City is that they have had a bit of success in this area already.
“We are seeing more and more of this sort of thing. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are going to court over the Super League.
“It is becoming a thing that happens on a monthly basis. The world of football and finance has collided with law in recent years.
“With independent regulation, there are only going to be more cases. This is not a Uefa issue at this stage, it’s a Premier League issue.
“But they could take it all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if they feel it is a big blow, in theory.
“Clubs seem to be prepared to push the envelope more and more. If they lose one case, they’ll go to a higher court.“
On the pitch, City are three points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Newcastle meanwhile are second-from-bottom and three points from safety.
In other news, medical expert issues verdict on “strange” Kyle Walker saga after Man City latest.