Retired racing journalist, Man City fanatic, Lancs cricket lover. My new book on John Tommy Tyldesley is out now. Order from Red Rose Books or visit e-Bay
London
Joined October 2018
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Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Hey @SkySportsNews no inquiry on #refwatch for two blatant penalties for Man City in Brighton match !
Corrupt EPL
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
LONDON
Barnet Council in London voted 29-1 to explore twinning with Haifa in Israel.
This comes after Hackney's Green-led council began the process of ending its relationship with the Israeli city, dating back to 1968.
The Conservative motion at Barnet, proposed by CIIr Raffy Lachter, called Hackney's move "shameful" and backed exploring cooperation between hospitals, universities and faith communities.
All Labour councillors abstained from the vote while the lone Green representative typically opposed it.
Barnet will invite Haifa's mayor to discuss the proposal, with costs and practical arrangements still to be examined.
@BarnetTories @BarnetLabour
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
🚨🎙️Erling Haaland breaks silence on Manchester City’s future: “even relegation won’t make me leave;”
🗣️Erling Haaland: “No matter what happens to Manchester City, my loyalty will never change. Even if this club is relegated, I will stay and fight for it. To every club watching me and hoping to sign me, back off — I have no intention of leaving. I chose Manchester City, and I will stand by my decision!”
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
In case you do not understand the origin and nature of the so-called “115 charges” against Manchester City, allow me to clarify it for you. The English Premier League was formed in 1992. The purpose of the association was to create, centralize and distribute revenues for the member clubs. For the first 19 years of the Premier League's existence, the so-called “Red Cartel,” (Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United) dominated the Premier League and collected the vast majority of revenues. The Red Cartel clubs won 15 of the first 19 Premier League championships.
Then something happened. In 2012, Manchester City, the so-called “noisy neighbors” of Manchester United, won the Premier League title. The following year, Manchester United was able to scrape back a narrow victory in the Premier League but have never come close since. In 2014, Manchester City again won the Premier League.
Manchester City, owned by a rich Arab Prince named Sheikh Mansour, had put together a world caliber team using his own money. He did not spend more money than the Red Cartel clubs. He just spent it better, on better players, and started to win trophies. Around 2014, the Red Cartel clubs, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, then complained to the Premier League and pushed for new financing rules which were referred to as “financial fair play.” These rules were specifically designed to prevent a club owner from spending their own money to improve their football club.
Yes. You read that correctly.
In reality, these rules were nothing more than a straightforward “get Manchester City” scheme. They were designed to specifically target Manchester City’s revenue streams, effectively banning City from competing at the highest levels of the sport.
It did not work. Over the course of the next 10 years, Manchester City won 6 more Premier League titles, the Champions league, and the so-called “treble;” The Premier League, the Champions league, and the FA Cup in the same year, becoming only the second club to ever do so.
Manchester City had set up an arrangement which was legal under the Financial Fair Play rules. This involved the government of Abu Dhabi investing in advertisers, who then subsequently advertised with Manchester City, giving them revenue that they could then spend on new players. This was 100% legal under the Financial Fair Play rules.
However, in a case brought in 2018, the Premier League created an “independent commission,” which ruled that Manchester City had violated the byzantine Financial Fair Play rules. The so-called “independent commission” actually consisted of various officials who had either financial or cultural ties to the Red Cartel clubs (Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.)
Since 2012, the only non “Red Cartel” teams to win the Premier League title are Manchester City, Leicester City, and Chelsea Football Club.
Only two other Premier League winners besides Manchester City have ever been accused of violating the financial fair play regulations. Those other two clubs are Chelsea Football Club and Leicester City FC.
I hope this explains it.
@ManCity
@ManCityUS
@RealTalkMCFC
@ManUtd
@City_Xtra
@cityreport_
@LCFC
@ChelseaFC
@premierleague
@Arsenal
@liamgallagher
@LFC
@piersmorgan
@Erling
I presume the Premier League will disallow Mfuni’s goal for Coventry tonight as he’s on loan from Man City!!!!
The 18 - year-old is another talent from our amazing Academy production.
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Institutional bias, bigotry, jealousy & fear driven by a cartel of 4 clubs influencing the Premier Leagues strategy. Some things are worth fighting for! Cmon Citeh!! #Together 🩵
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
🚨🚨🚨 رابطة 1894 لجماهير مانشستر سيتي تطلق دعوة عالمية لجماهير النادي:
ارتدوا ألوان السيتي في يوم المباراة أمام ليفربول. لن يتواجد في أنفيلد سوى 3,000 مشجع من جماهيرنا، لكن خلفهم ملايين المشجعين حول العالم سيتابعون المباراة ويدعمون الفريق.
ستجتمع روابط المشجعين الرسمية في مختلف أنحاء العالم لمتابعة المباراة، ونريد أن نرى صور تجمعاتكم من نيوزيلندا وأستراليا وآسيا وأفريقيا وأوروبا وأمريكا الشمالية والجنوبية، وبالطبع من المملكة المتحدة ومانشستر.
سواء كنتم تثقون بإدارة النادي بشكل كامل أو لديكم بعض الشكوك، لكنكم تريدون الوقوف خلف النادي والفريق، فهذا هو الوقت المناسب لإظهار دعمكم.
ارتدوا قمصان السيتي، اذهبوا إلى أماكن تجمعكم المعتادة، رددوا الهتافات وأظهروا ألوان النادي بكل وضوح.
لطالما كان المشجعون جزءًا أساسيًا من مانشستر سيتي، ومع الأحداث التي شهدها النادي خلال الأسبوعين الماضيين، قد يشعر البعض بالقلق أو عدم اليقين. لكن بإمكانكم أن تكونوا جزءًا من الدعم.
هناك حملة إعلامية عدائية ومتواصلة ضد النادي، ومن يقفون خلفها يريدون رؤية السيتي يتفكك. لذلك، إذا كنتم تتساءلون عن أبسط طريقة للمساهمة، فابدؤوا بإظهار ألوانكم يوم 11 أكتوبر.
سيصل صوتكم إلى اللاعبين، وسيعرفون أن من يقف خلفهم ليس فقط 3,000 مشجع في أنفيلد، بل ملايين المشجعين حول العالم.
[ @WeAre1894 ]
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Delighted to announce the gorgeous paperback of the double award-winning Victory in Australia in out today. It has a new foreword by Mike Atherton. Thanks to all at @BloomsburySport for their hard work.
@DLuxAssociates @sportsbookaward @CricketSociety @MCCOfficial
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Sergio Agüero on the charges against Manchester City: 🗣️
"These charges were created just to bring down the team, and none of them are true. I spent 10 years at this club, and I know how everything was done, and we won everything the right way.
There are clubs standing behind all of this just to bring down City, because they couldn't handle our success. It's just jealousy, nothing more."
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
Sergio Agüero has not made this statement. His actual comments on the charges (from 2024) were that the team's achievements "were won with effort and sportsmanship, fair and square."
stake.com/blog/sergio-ag…
manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football…
mirror.co.uk/sport/football…
No such quote appears in recent coverage of the verdict or on Agüero's account.
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Number 1 Priority is Onfield Success. 2023 AGM
Winning at least one men's trophy in the next three years was the minimum target.
We're 17th, 9 points from bottom. We've never finished bottom nor 17th.
The Board rejected help from former Club greats. Time for some fresh eyes
JJ Gabriel says he won’t be joining Man City as he reckons he wouldn’t get into our Carabao Cup team
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Dame Agatha Christie (born #onthisday 1890) loved cricket. The 1976 tour of the England Young Cricketers Club to the West Indies was financed by Agatha Christie Ltd according to the provisions made by the writer in the her will.
#cricketcounts #Caribbeanmystery
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Apparently, now that City have won the PL transfer window, the window licking, saliva drooling, special needs British media and x accounts have started another narrative designed to feed the masses.
“Chelsea are bigger than City”.
So let’s break that down.
Pre-takeover, City already had more trophies than Chelsea (12 to 9). 2 League titles to 1, 4 FA Cups to 3, 3 community shield to 0.
City have won more trophies than Chelsea overall (37 to 35).
City have more Premier League titles than Chelsea (8 to 5).
City are now level with Chelsea on FA Cups (8-8) — got there by beating them in this year's final.
City have more Carabao Cups than Chelsea (9 to 5).
City have won more consecutive league titles than Chelsea (4 to 2) — an English top-flight record.
City have completed The fourmidables", aka the internal quadruple, with no other club on record winning all major trophies in England across 1 season.
City's current Champions League presence streak is 16 years running, every season since 2011-12. Chelsea are on 0 — missing Europe entirely this season.
City have a higher net league position than Chelsea over the last 19 years (average finish 2.8 to 4.4).
City have a bigger stadium and higher attendance than Chelsea (61,474 to 40,034, running near 99% full).
City have a higher revenue than Chelsea (€829m to €584m, Deloitte 2026).
City have a bigger social media presence than Chelsea (160m to 142m combined followers).
Rodri is City's first ever Ballon d'Or winner (2024). No Chelsea player has ever won it while at the club.
City have a better academy than Chelsea, full stop — Chelsea have spent £300m since 2023 buying six City academy graduates (Palmer, Lavia, Gittens, Adarabioyo, Delap, Rogers) because their own academy isn't producing first-teamers.
City have better training infrastructure than Chelsea, and City Football Group has replicated it across a global network Chelsea has no equivalent to.
City have had far more staff stability than Chelsea — 2 head coaches since 2016 (Guardiola, then Maresca) to Chelsea's 11.
City have won more Community Shields than Chelsea (6 to 5).
City hold the Premier League record for most points in a season (100, 2017-18) and most goals scored in a season (106, 2017-18) — records Chelsea don't hold a competing version of.
City completed the Treble in 2022-23 (Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League) — only the second English club ever to do it, after Man United in 1999.
City have won 19 major trophies under a single manager (Guardiola, 2016-2026). Chelsea have had 11 different head coaches in that same span.
City have had one ownership group for 18 years (Abu Dhabi United Group, since 2008) with zero changes. Chelsea have had two owners in the same window, including a forced sale in 2022 after their previous owner was sanctioned by the UK government.
City completed a stadium expansion in 2026, taking the Etihad to 61,474. Chelsea's own plan to expand Stamford Bridge to 60,000 has been stalled since 2018 with no timeline to restart.
City are heading into next season with European football secured for a 16th straight year. Chelsea are heading into next season with none — their first year with zero European competition in a generation, costing them an estimated £80m+.
Deloitte have ranked City among the world's top handful of clubs by revenue in every recent edition of the Money League; Chelsea have never cracked the top 8 this decade.
City's kit deal with Puma (€75m) is worth more annually than Chelsea's with Nike (€70m).
I'll give one to Chelsea however, they have sold more hotels than City to themselves.
But yeah, Cheslea is bigger than City. Apparently.
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Brilliant Metro Bank semis. We have a Leics v Middx final. Smallest county v Skintest county
Middx first one-day final since 1990
Great atmospheres at both, especially Leics
…BECAUSE COUNTIES MATTER
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Who has seen any social media adverts encouraging people to go to tomorrow's QF? I've seen one.
How many member emails have been sent out? We have around 9000 members across all categories. It's very cheap £8, £6 concession.
It should be a fantastic game.
Stuart Brodkin retweeted
Why does the One Day Cup feel so much fun this year?
Well, for a start it’s not trying to be something it’s not. It’s developed its own character and fanbase organically over the last few years (with minimal promotion and backing from the ECB, I might add). County fans have taken it, run with it and made it their own.
It’s also revived “festival cricket”, with many matches being staged at picturesque outgrounds in a relaxed atmosphere — very much Cardus’s “field of tents and waving colours”.
Young players are getting genuine opportunities. Instead of carrying drinks, academy graduates — the stars of tomorrow — are batting in the top order and opening the bowling.
But it’s not simply a youth tournament. Established county stalwarts have been playing alongside younger teammates while still producing match-winning performances. That blend of emerging talent and seasoned county pros has been one of the competition’s greatest strengths.
And it’s proper 50-over cricket. Innings have time to develop. There’s time for momentum to swing several times before the finish, and spectators get to enjoy a full day watching a game. The ability to watch a full day of play and see a result is perfect for high summer.
And — here’s the key — at a time when people are carefully watching their budgets, it’s a relatively affordable day out. Tickets are generally inexpensive, children often get in very cheaply, and supporters can watch from smaller grounds where they are much closer to the action than at many major venues.
The One Day Cup has become a celebration of county cricket for those who feel disenfranchised: festival grounds, emerging talent, experienced campaigners and a format that rewards patience and skill. It has a charm and an authenticity all of its own.
The Metro Bank Fever is strong and it appears to be spreading 🔥
