Noel Gallagher admits 'shock' as Man City found guilty on 114 Premier League charges

Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 Premier League financial charges brought against them in February 2023, according to reports on Friday — a verdict that drew a candid response from prominent supporter and Oasis musician Noel Gallagher.

Speaking on the Let Me Talk podcast, Gallagher said the outcome came as a genuine surprise given the club’s repeated and emphatic denials. “A little surprised when I heard it on the radio,” he said. “Surprised because only that the club have assured us all along that they vehemently denied any of these charges. So it was a bit of a shock to find out that we’ve been found guilty of all but one. But really overall just quite sad really. Sad for the fans and for the players.”

When asked whether the verdict casts a shadow over historic moments — including Sergio Aguero’s title-winning goal in 2012 — Gallagher was defiant about what he witnessed on the pitch. “Our focus as fans is always on the pitch and we know what we saw — they won it on the pitch. Whatever goes on in the boardroom, it’s nothing to do with the supporters or the players.”

He acknowledged, however, that others may view those memories differently. “Does it taint it? I suppose in the eyes of everybody else in England it would, but I know what I saw and I know what I felt.”

Former City chairman David Bernstein added a sterner note, warning that the club faces a “drastic” punishment if their appeal is unsuccessful. Speaking on Times Radio, Bernstein stressed that the appeals process must be resolved quickly. “This whole process has taken too long already. The appeal process cannot go on for year after year — I think that would be a disaster. Not just for this particular case but for English football generally.”

Bernstein, who described City as his “beloved club”, was unsparing about the potential consequences. “If they are found, after the appeal, guilty of 115 charges, my beloved club is going to face a very severe penalty. All I would say is that money is not sufficient — it would have to be something, unfortunately, more drastic than that.”

City have consistently denied the allegations since they were first published. The club is expected to appeal the verdict.