Noel Gallagher urges Premier League to spare Man City fans after guilty verdict on 114 charges

Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges of breaching Premier League financial rules, following a three-and-a-half-year investigation by an independent commission — a verdict that has sent shockwaves through English football and prompted a public plea from lifelong City supporter Noel Gallagher.

The Oasis frontman, 59, urged the Premier League not to direct any punishment at the club’s fans or players. “Whatever goes on in the boardroom, it’s nothing to do with the supporters or the players,” Gallagher said. “Our focus as fans is always on the pitch and we know what we saw. They won it on the pitch.”

Gallagher, a close friend of former City manager Pep Guardiola, admitted the scale of the guilty findings had caught him off guard. “I’m sad for the fans and the players and a little surprised because all along the club reassured us and vehemently denied all the charges,” he said. “It was a shock to hear we were guilty on all but one of them.”

City, owned by Emirati royal Sheikh Mansour, are expected to appeal the verdicts. The club now faces a range of potential sanctions, including a substantial fine, points deductions, the stripping of titles won during the nine seasons covered by the charges, or even enforced relegation.

The fallout is already spreading across the top flight. At least four clubs — Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Tottenham — have reportedly preserved their rights to seek compensation for lost earnings under Section W of Premier League rules, with other clubs understood to be taking legal advice.

Former Liverpool, Chelsea, and Aston Villa executive Christian Purslow warned the verdicts could trigger a chain of consequences that would be “appalling for the game.” He outlined the financial stakes: every league position during the affected seasons was worth approximately £3 million, while clubs that narrowly missed Champions League qualification or were relegated could claim losses running into tens of millions.

“If you add all those claims up, over nine years, and that’s just in the Premier League, you can see that the potential here for this to spiral out of control is huge,” Purslow said, adding that he hoped “common sense prevails” as the situation develops.