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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 4h

* Which players got robbed by Man City? * City won the title three times in the years 09/10-17/18. The three teams that came second contained 33 players, including Gerrard, Suárez, Zlatan, Rashford, Pogba and Mata, who never (or haven’t yet) won a Premier League winners medal. It's quite a list.

Man U finished second in 2011/12 but every single squad member who made 5 or more appearances had already won or would go on to win a Premier League title.

Liverpool – 2013/14
Steven Gerrard
Luis Suárez
Philippe Coutinho
Daniel Agger
Lucas Leiva
Martin Škrtel
Simon Mignolet
Joe Allen
Martin Kelly
Jon Flanagan
José Enrique
Mamadou Sakho
Luis Alberto
Iago Aspas
Aly Cissokho

Man U – 2017/18
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Marcus Rashford
Scott McTominay
Paul Pogba
Juan Mata
Romelu Lukaku
Daley Blind
Luke Shaw
Ander Herrera
Alexis Sánchez
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Marouane Fellaini
Marcos Rojo
Anthony Martial
Jesse Lingard
Victor Lindelöf
Eric Bailly
Matteo Darmian

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

"The money flowed around football. It made a lot of other clubs richer. It helped teams everywhere and especially in the Premier League." Seems a bit weird to build an entire piece around a Man City-friendly claim yet be unwilling or unable to cite anyone making it. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

bbc.co.uk

Man City guilty charges: Which clubs did 'inflated' money flow to in transfer market?

BBC Sport follows the trail of transfer money flowing to other clubs during Manchester City's period of financial rule-breaking.

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markburland.bsky.social @markburland.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Not many clubs can say they have a literal war chest.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Newcastle United's owner plans to deploy 100,000 Yemeni troups in on-going conflict with the Houthis. After an uneven start to the season, the club lies in ninth place, with eight points from five games. uk.news.yahoo.com/saudis-plan-...

uk.news.yahoo.com

Saudis plan assault on Houthis to break Red Sea chokehold

RIYADH, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is planning an offensive against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, with options being considered including a coastal push to secure the Red Sea shipping rou...

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Well, that's something, at least.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

It's perhaps worth recognising how much worse things could've been had Starmer not removed from the Independent Football Regulator legislation the Tory's requirement that ownership tests "have regard to the government's foreign and trade policy." Burnham can genuinely plead the IFR's independence.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Absolutely hooted at this story about Patrick Kielty and Buzz Aldrin from yesterday's Guardian Football pod.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I don't think there's any value in responding to this as if it's a good faith attempt to interrogate national identity. It's nothing more than an attempt by Braverman to get publicity for herself by coming up with a formulation that gives her supporters a fig leaf for their racism.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It's remarkable what is and isn't obvious depending on how invested you are in maintaining the story. Feels like this idea could be a chapter in a book on smart thinking by someone with a prize-winning first from Oxford.

MATTHEW SYED

Greatest manager of all time? No, Pep is either a fraud or myopic

It is hard to believe Guardiola was not aware of City's cheating-his legacy is tainted by revelation the 'magic' was performed not by him but by accountants

MATTHEW SYED

Matthew Syed, Sports Columnist of the Year Tuesday July 26 2016, 5.00pm BST, The Times

If you think Sky use drugs, prove it

n a series of posts this week, Ross Tucker, a South

<

African blogger and academic who often retweets individuals who insinuate that Team Sky are involved in systematic doping, attempted to deal with a wrinkle in that argument: not

a single whistleblower has

emerged from the massed

ranks of Tear

0

aliegatons.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Richard E. Grant pulling a Reverse Shaggy was a bold move.

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barry novibes @iaindowie.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

sportswashing works because the clubs involved have fanbases so desperate for success, for their own spell in the limelight, that often have a sort of small man syndrome because of the decades of underachievement or the success of neighbours. they were targeted rather than bought by coincidence.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Incredible to think that it's 59 years since Man City won the title.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Incredible to think that it's 59 years since Man City won the title.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Having initially misread this, I will now never forget what "Stan" is a mnemonic for.

Photograph of a white van, with a graphic of a man in a hard hat and the words:

Stop
Think
Assess
No excuses

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Rob Davies @byrobdavies.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Huge blunder by UK bookmakers that have railed against the dangers of the black market, as it emerges that a company part-owned by Ladbrokes, Entain and Betfred boss Fred Done has a deal with Santeda, singled out as perhaps the biggest black market operator targeting UK customers.

theguardian.com

UK bookmakers that warned over illicit market had deal with offshore casinos

Content provider part-owned by Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfred owner signed deal with Santeda network, Casino Secrets leak reveals

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I have argued for some years that one of the key problems with having football clubs owned by foreign rulers isn't just their limitless wealth, it's the special legal status it confers on them. www.ft.com/content/1256...

ft.com

Manchester City chair shielded by diplomatic immunity

Khaldoon al-Mubarak was granted immunity six years ago, protecting him from potential legal proceedings in the UK

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"There appear to be good grounds for a criminal investigation of the circumstances under which a sham arrangement was put in place and tax was not paid when it should have been." taxpolicy.org.uk/2026/10/01/m...

taxpolicy.org.uk

Did Manchester City cheat HMRC out of £12m?

Manchester City’s sham consultancy raises questions about £12m in unpaid UK tax. We examine the evidence - and the case for a criminal investigation.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I think this will be one of the defining images of the Premier League's void years: a proudly working class fanbase celebrating that the ruling family of an oppressive regime had hired a barrister on £10,000-an-hour to try and prevent them suffering consequences for their cheating. Embarrassing.

A bunch of mugs celebrating their perceived impunity

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Interesting to see that even the most aggressive and high-profile of the anonymous City supporting Twitter accounts seem not to be waiting for the appeal and have thrown in the towel. No one not on the City payroll appears to be holding out hope of a reprieve.

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Against League 3 @againstleague3.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Can City get expelled from the Premier League? What competition would they go into? What role does the independent regulator play? Who knows? Well I do, because I checked. Come, join me on a guided tour through the chaos...

static.klipy.com

Usagyuuun's Fiery Smile

ALT: Usagyuuun's Fiery Smile

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Stanis Elsborg @staniselsborg.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

With the breaking news about Manchester City's cheating, I think its time to make all of you aware of this group of people! The City case underlines the value of persistent investigative journalism. Great initiative by @philippeauclair.bsky.social go.bsky.app/6oxTr7j

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This is astonishing and wildly improper behaviour from a member of the House of Lords, albeit one on sabbatical.

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RG @geezypeas.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

We’re gonna rock down to The inland revenue They’re winding up Man City

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J @konstanho.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

They’re calling them The Pepstein Files.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

An absolutely vintage night for any long-time Red Rifle appreciators.

Passing stats from the Eagles-Bears game, showing Andy Dalton with one attempt, no completions and one interception.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Khaldoon Al Mubarak releases statement.

The David Perdue campaign meme, but with the text changed to read:

Manchester City
TOTALLY EXONERATED,
NO WEONGDOING
On 1 of 115 charges

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John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 28/09/2026

I think the story of our era will be of a political class that were not only not up to the times they faced, but often wilfully blind to them.

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jon christian @jonchristian.net · 28/09/2026

NEW: After we published an investigation into Brown Brothers Media, a company that buys struggling news sites and turns them into AI-powered content mills, we got a tip that completely gobsmacked me: one of the brothers has extensive connections to Ghislaine Maxwell futurism.com/artificial-i...

futurism.com

You Know Those Three Brothers Who Buy Struggling News Sites and Turn Them Into AI-Powered Content Farms? It Turns Out One of Them Has Extensive Connections to Ghislaine Maxwell

Ideapod, a cornerstone brand of Brown Brothers Media's AI empire, has deep ties to convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

This was when Mike Carlson dubbed him Interceptosaurus Rex.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Three Thames Water vans arrived, put up some barriers and then left.

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Brendan Hark! T'is nearly Halloween. @brendanjharkin.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Just to fully underline how spiteful this shit is for those unaware: On the left is the route the Orange Order have been ordered to take for the past 3 decades without trouble. On the right is the route that has brought hundreds of cops to Drumcree. The only motivation is sectarian antagonism.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Israel's genocide in Gaza has killed more than 300 footballers. Its deliberate obliteration of civil infrastructure and cultural identity has destroyed every stadium and training pitch. A yet Fifa and Uefa take no action. youtu.be/cfjDXFif8Yw A powerful film from @thepitchinspection.bsky.social

youtu.be

Gaza's Vanishing Stadiums. The Football Story That Is Being Ignored.

YouTube video by The Pitch Inspection

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Khaldoon Al Mubarak releases statement.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Essential reading on all the many other questionable things City have done under this ownership group.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

A club guilty of a decade-long scheme to submit false financial information to the league, for the purpose of securing an unfair on-field advantage, should not only be thrown out of the league and have all its titles vacated, its owner should be compelled to sell the club.

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Ian King @twoht.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

An FA sub-committee have made a decision over a refereeing mistake in an FA Cup qualifier which could end up having far-reaching consequences. unexpecteddelirium.substack.com/p/the-fa-hav...

unexpecteddelirium.substack.com

The FA Have Just Opened a Can of Worms That They May Find Difficult to Close Again

A dodgy penalty decision in an FA Cup qualifier has led to an even dodgier decision by a Football Association sub-committee.

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Philippe Auclair @philippeauclair.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

You want your heart to sink? Look at this. Auctioning your baby's name...to a gambling company. Bonnie Blue did it. Sad, desperate, tragic beyond words. Via @stevemenary.bsky.social.

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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Watching someone paint themselves into a corner like this for diminishing political returns might almost be grimly entertaining were the consequences for so many black and brown English people not so serious.

Suella Braverman

@SuellaBraverman

As I've said before, I'm not English.

I'm proud to be British. My family and ancestors have a link to Britain which spans centuries.

But in no way are we English. Yes, I was born in England, speak English and support the England football team. And indeed, I love England and the English people.

But to say I'm English is to take a 'laissez-faire, anything-goes' attitude to ethnicity, citizenship and identity. It also denies me my Asian heritage. The liberals (many of them in today's Conservative Party) take this cosmopolitan approach to Englishness. They're terrified of being called racist so they say that anyone, as long as they're born here, can be English.

I take the conservative approach. Englishness is an ethnicity. There have been English people for centuries and we need to recognise this more if we are to start taking a more muscular approach to citizenship and nationality. And no, it's not racist to say this.

Other countries have no qualms in limiting who can be part of their citizenry and use ethnicity and culture as criteria. Here, the dogma of multiculturalism has been so corrosive that some people don't actually know who we are anymore.

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