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Nick McGeehan

@ncgeehan.bsky.social
1.5K followers 1.2K following 611 posts

Director @fairsq.bsky.social

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Reposted by Nick McGeehan
David Wearing @davidwearing.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The same British state ruled the UK and Mauritius for 158 years, but the two territories took very different "development" paths. This was not enlightened colonial generosity. This was exploitation. Exploitation justified by the same racism that Braverman has internalised and is now regurgitating.
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David Wearing @davidwearing.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A view of national/ethnic identity predicated on intra-group unity and intergroup incommensurability is literally and inherently racist. It is also a pervasive outlook with a long history, which means that many people have internalised it. Including those it most harms.
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David Wearing @davidwearing.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I share Braverman's Indian-Mauritian background. And if a family member of mine ever came out with this horseshit I would tell them, "yes, you are indeed being racist against yourself, and against us. Have some self respect".
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Karen Attiah @karenattiah.bsky.social · 22h
Today, 8 years ago, my friend, Saudi Journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered.
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 20h
Calling all NYC artists — painters, filmmakers, poets, musicians and more! Did you know our city provides grants to support your work every year? And this year, we're DOUBLING the amount — from $5,000 up to $10,000 per artist! Deadlines are approaching fast — apply today at nyc.gov/artistgrants.
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Sam Kunti @samindrakunti.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The City case should be a starting point for naming and understanding the ways in which football has been colonised by economic and political power and how we might resist them. By @davidgoldblatt.bsky.social for @josimarfootball.bsky.social josimarfootball.com/2026/10/01/y...
josimarfootball.com
You're Manchester City and we know what you are - josimarfootball.com
The City case should be a starting point for naming and understanding the ways in which football has been colonised by economic and political power and how we might resist them.
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Sam Kunti @samindrakunti.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
On the agenda of the FIFA Council in a fortnight.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The Manchester City case has to be the moment we revisit the issue of state ownership of football clubs, and demand they be banned and phased out. In 2023 @fairsqprojects.bsky.social wrote to the then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport making this argument. fairsq.org/fairsquare-c...
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Can somebody please please please ask Nigel Farage or anyone from Reform what they think about the Manchester City case. I have an inkling they will think City have been hard done by. 👇 fairsq.org/petropopulis...
fairsq.org
Petropopulism: FairSquare publishes new report on UAE links to Reform UK and the far-right
A new report from FairSquare highlights the extensive links between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the UK’s Reform party and the far-right, and calls for the UAE to be added to the “Enhanced Tier”...
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Great piece. My two cents on what explains their approach is that the Premier League's adversary is not Manchester City, it's the UAE. And this aggressive approach has consistently served them very well in multiple spheres. It is at the root of "we can do what we want."
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Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The cope from some Man City fans is that the sham sponsorship income meant the club overstated revenue and so overpaid corporation tax. So they are due a refund! Awesome! Um, no. City paid *zero* corporation tax because they lost buckets of money. The receipts:
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This entire City story - and especially the last stories of Etihad, Burnham and Khaldoon’s diplomatic immunity - crystallises why states and state actors should not be allowed own clubs The longer it goes, the more chaotic it gets www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...
independent.co.uk
Why Andy Burnham has got it wrong on Man City’s Abu Dhabi owners
Andy Burnham confessed he would be ‘really concerned’ if Man City’s Abu Dhabi owners sold but, as Miguel Delaney writes, the prime minister’s view clashes with those inside football and a pressing nee...
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FairSquare @fairsqprojects.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
“He’s quiet...and he’s always everywhere.” If you were worried about the UAE owning a football club, be extremely worried about the role they're playing in AI, spearheaded by the shadowy Sheikh Tahnoon Al-Nahyan. Brilliant and timely long read from Jack Shenker. www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
theguardian.com
Fixer, financier, spymaster: how the UAE’s Sheikh Tahnoon is setting his sights on AI dominance
The long read: The Emirati royal is increasingly influential on the world stage. Some see him as a visionary. Others compare him to a Bond villain. Who is he?
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Does that mean it's likely that HMRC investigated this when the news first broke of the Mancini double contract?
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Daniel Trilling @trillingual.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Some news... 1. If We Tolerate This sold just shy of 5,000 copies in its first two months. Thanks to everyone who has read, responded to or shared the book so far. 2. If you haven't yet, it's only 99p on kindle for the whole of October. Get involved! www.amazon.co.uk/If-We-Tolera...
The cover of "If We Tolerate This: How the British Establishment Made the Far Right Respectable", which features the title plus an illustration of a frog in boiling water.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This feels like it could be a very big deal. And one would assume HMRC's investigatory powers, which are pretty significant, could reveal further instances of similar behaviour.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
A further impact of the Manchester City case is that an entire generation of young Mancunians are going to grow up not knowing the meaning of the word "irrefutable".
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
And a pretty significant actor in the Der Spiegel emails if memory serves!
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Christoph Becker @chwb.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Und @ncgeehan.bsky.social, neun Jahre alt, nicht weniger relevant medium.com/@NcGeehan/th...
medium.com
The Men Behind Man City: a documentary not coming soon to a cinema near you
I have had an idea for the opening scene of Amazon Prime’s in-production fly-on-the-wall documentary about Manchester City’s 2017/2018…
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Reposted by Nick McGeehan
FairSquare @fairsqprojects.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
In "Petropopulism" we explained how the UAE is turning its attention to Reform and the far-right, and how similar UAE meddling in multiple countries has undermined democracy and the rule of law, and led to it fuelling bloody conflict in Libya and a genocide in Sudan. fairsq.org/petropopulis...
fairsq.org
Petropopulism: FairSquare publishes new report on UAE links to Reform UK and the far-right
A new report from FairSquare highlights the extensive links between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the UK’s Reform party and the far-right, and calls for the UAE to be added to the “Enhanced Tier”...
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Reposted by Nick McGeehan
FairSquare @fairsqprojects.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
In "Easy Cities to Buy" we charted how Tony Blair sold the idea of UAE investment in Manchester and a whole bunch of pliant political leaders welcomed the UAE with open arms, and allowed them to buy up cheap land and buy off criticism fairsq.org/easy-cities-...
fairsq.org
Lack of civic leadership has enabled Manchester and Newcastle sportswashing projects
FairSquare report provides further evidence of the harms of state ownership of football clubs A new report published today finds that political leaders in Manchester and Newcastle have not only declin...
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FairSquare @fairsqprojects.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
It is a colossal political failure to have encouraged the UAE to buy up swathes of the British economy and prized cultural assets like Manchester City while evidence of its greed and brutality and contempt for the rule of law was all around. Two @fairsqprojects.bsky.social reports worth reading 👇
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Matt Ford @matt4d.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Already seen the caveat of "economic benefits for Manchester" doing the rounds re Manchester city*. But how good has Abu Dhabi really been for Manchester? Story with @ncgeehan.bsky.social & @fairsqprojects.bsky.social a few years ago: www.dw.com/en/sportswas...
dw.com
Sportswashing: Manchester, Newcastle 'easy' targets — report
A new report details how the takeovers of Premier League football clubs Manchester City and Newcastle United have been facilitated by economic austerity, supported by local politicians and not scrutin...
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Reposted by Nick McGeehan
Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is not merely the worst cheating scandal in English football history, it must have a claim to be one of, if not the, most sustained and serious act of cheating in professional sports history.
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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I would encourage everybody to read the document. Despite some redactions, it's not long or complex. And it is extremely damning. From the moment they bought the club, City's owners implemented a scheme to cheat on a massive scale. resources.premierleague.pulselive.com/premierleagu...
resources.premierleague.pulselive.com
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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"The purpose of these schemes was found to have been to artificially inflate the club’s revenues, and reduce its costs, by more than £900 million." That is an absolutely massive sporting fraud. www.premierleague.com/en/news/4727...
premierleague.com
Premier League Statement: Manchester City FC
An independent Commission has found Manchester City FC guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
12. All of which is to say if UEFA has lied to the FAI about their regulations on racism, it's part of a shameful pattern of inaction on their part. The question is whether the FAI wants to make a big enough deal of this to force UEFA to finally suspend or expel the IFA. Doubtful.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
11. In March 2026 FIFA (yes,FIFA) published the most damning account of racism among Israeli supporter groups, saying among other things that the IFA “has become institutionally complicit in a system that violates the core values of the game.” UEFA did nothing. digitalhub.fifa.com/m/55d02150d7...
digitalhub.fifa.com
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
10. In November 2025, Irish clubs, led by @bfcdublin.bsky.social forced the FAI to complain officially to UEFA about two key issues, one of which was the IFA's "failure to enforce an effective anti-racism policy" UEFA did nothing. www.rte.ie/sport/soccer...
rte.ie
FAI to bring motion to ban Israel from Euro competition
The FAI has voted to submit a motion to UEFA to ban Israel from its European club and international competitions.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
9. You can read that report in full here givathaviva.org.il/wp-content/u...
givathaviva.org.il
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
8. In October 2025 further serious evidence of serious and worsening racism among Israeli supporters emerged. Again, UEFA was notified, and sent a detailed report on the issue by the Israeli NGO, Kick It Out Israel. UEFA, again, did nothing. www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
Research reveals racist chants on rise in Israeli football – with Maccabi Tel Aviv the worst offenders
Kick It Out Israel found 367 instances in the 2024-25 season – of those, 118 were observed in stands containing Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
7. In Sep 2025 @bfcdublin.bsky.social, Irish Sport for Palestine and @fairsqprojects.bsky.social wrote to UEFA highlighting Israeli supporter racism and the IFA's violation of article 7 of the UEFA Statutes, requiring firm action to tackle racism. UEFA did nothing. bohemians.ie/bohemian-fc-...
bohemians.ie
Bohemian FC, FairSquare and Irish Sport for Palestine call on UEFA to suspend the Israel Football Association for statute breaches - Bohemian Football Club
Measured, rules-based request; with escalation pathway that runs through the FAI General Assembly to UEFA Executive Committee Dublin, 18 September 2025 — Bohemian Football Club, FairSquare and Irish S...
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
7. After the serious violence in Amsterdam in November 2024, which was clearly instigated by Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters, UEFA said they would investigate. They didn't. @fairsqprojects.bsky.social wrote to them and asked them to investigate. They didn't reply. fairsq.org/wp-content/u...
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
6. This is a big deal. Irish players have been subjected (allegedly) to this racism because UEFA has repeatedly ignored the body of evidence pointing to serious and worsening racism among Israeli supporters, *including* a formal complaint from.....the Football Association of Ireland.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
5. So if someone at UEFA told the FAI that there was nothing they could do in response to apparently serious racism from Israeli supporters, they either don't know their own rules, or they deliberately lied about them.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
4. The UEFA representative was probably referring to a protocol introduced in 2019 to *stop* games when racist chanting is heard, which requires that a player report the racism to a referee. This has *nothing* to do with and does not preclude post-game investigations. www.uefa.com/news-media/n...
uefa.com
Empowering referees to act against racism: UEFA’s three-step procedure
Learn more about UEFA's three-step procedure to help match officials deal with racist incidents in stadiums.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
3. Here is the UEFA disciplinary code from 2026. Note Article 14(2) and Article 14 (3) in particular. And note there's nothing about racism having to be reported on the pitch in order for an investigation to take place. Because that would be absurd.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
2. This is how @rte.ie reported the incident after Adam Idah was allegedly subjected to monkey chants against Israel. (Others reported it similarly.) UEFA said no action could be taken because it wasn't reported on the pitch. This is a gross misrepresentation of UEFA's rules on tackling racism.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Has UEFA lied to the Football Association of Ireland about its anti-racism rules and protocols? If so, it should be a big problem for UEFA and the Israel Football Association. But only if the FAI takes this seriously and puts this latest incident in context. A 🧵 www.rte.ie/sport/soccer...
rte.ie
FAI investigating alleged racial abuse of Idah
An alleged racist incident involving Ireland goalscorer Adam Idah during the Israel Nations League game is being assessed by the FAI.
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FairSquare @fairsqprojects.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"A Reform London will remember you." That's what Nigel Farage told UAE officials at a private GB News party in Dubai in January. Our new report, 'Petropopulism', sets out the UAE's connections to Reform UK and the wider far right. Read the full report: fairsq.org/petropopulis... #politics #media
A gold, paper-textured dossier graphic with punched holes and a black-and-gold portrait of Nigel Farage. Headed “Petropopulism: The UAE, Reform UK and the Far Right,” it lists a December 2025 Abu Dhabi-funded Grand Prix trip, a January 2026 GB News event in Dubai, a May 2026 meeting with the UAE foreign minister, and Farage’s ongoing GB News role. A highlighted quote reads: “A Reform London will remember you.” The graphic directs readers to fairsq.org for the full report.
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Jules Boykoff @julesboykoff.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My latest, co-written with @edgeofsports.bsky.social: "Irish Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu’s Refusal to Play Against Israel Puts Him on the Right Side of History." For @thenation.com www.thenation.com/article/soci...
thenation.com
Irish Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu's Refusal to Play Against Israel Puts Him on the Right Side of History
Bazunu's decision raises the perennial question: Why is a country that is currently committing a genocide allowed to compete in the first place?
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Gavin Bazunu's refusal to play against Israel merits a lot more attention, as does the fact that gross UEFA/FIFA misgovernance is (yet again) at the root of things. @julesboykoff.bsky.social and @edgeofsports.bsky.social give Bazunu the credit he richly deserves www.thenation.com/article/soci...
thenation.com
Irish Goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu’s Refusal to Play Against Israel Puts Him on the Right Side of History
Bazunu’s decision raises the perennial question: Why is a country that is currently committing a genocide allowed to compete in the first place?
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Tristan Grayford @tristangrayford.scot · 29/09/2026
It is "electoral suicide" to drop the triple-lock, but apparently not to blow a hole in the side of public finances with a xenophobic campaign to make the whole UK hostile to immigration
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Mohamad Bazzi @mbazzi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
“Show This to Anyone Denying Genocide” — front page of @scotnational.bsky.social
“Show This to Anyone Denying Genocide” — front page headline of The National, Scotland
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
UAE's respect for rules, exhibit 115: "The suspected infection at the UK prime minister’s office was associated with a Pegasus operator we link to the UAE." (findings of the award-winning digital investigators at @citizenlab.ca) www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
No 10 suspected of being target of NSO spyware attack, Boris Johnson ‘told’
No 10 subjected to UAE-linked spyware attack, says report, but Israeli firm suggests allegations are false
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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 28/09/2026
When Andy Burnham was Mayor of Manchester he said that ethical concerns about UAE investment were an issue for the UK government to address rather than a city mayor. Now that he's in charge of the UK government, I'd love to see him address them. www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheu...
tiktok.com
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham skirts question on Abu Dhabi human rights. From a previous episode of Pod Save the UK, available wherever you get podcasts. #Podcast #Podcasts #Football
TikTok video by Pod Save the UK
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Dave McGrath-Boyle @theboyler.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
When he was FA Chair, David Triesman told me he was more concerned about state ownership of football than anything else - at the time mainly for its ability to drive and absorb inflationary pressures on player salaries beyond what was reasonably able to be competed with
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The Manchester City case has to be the moment we revisit the issue of state ownership of football clubs, and demand they be banned and phased out. In 2023 @fairsqprojects.bsky.social wrote to the then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport making this argument. fairsq.org/fairsquare-c...
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Owen Jones @owenjones.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Why is the far right rising? The West rigged the economy, then launched a series of catastrophic wars. The far right found someone else to blame.
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