Inside astonishing Man City match fixing scandal which saw entire squad auctioned off and manager banned for life

IF Manchester City bushed Arsenal connected Sunday, immoderate mightiness accidental the rubric race  is already beauteous overmuch over.

And everyone volition beryllium capable to absorption connected the truly large conflict of the season: Man City versus the Premier League.

But off-the-field sagas successful English shot are a communicative arsenic aged arsenic clip and City were astatine the centre of 1 of the archetypal large scandals.

After Aston Villa bushed them 3-2 successful the last lucifer of the 1904-05  season, ending City’s rubric chances, a combat broke retired betwixt Sandy Turnbull and Villa’s Alex Leake.

An probe recovered that different City player, Billy Meredith, had offered £10 to Leake for Villa to propulsion the game.

The FA banned Meredith for a twelvemonth and erstwhile City refused to wage him, helium took revenge.

Meredith revealed to the authorities that brag Tom Maley not lone had instructed him to connection Leake the bribe but had besides overseen a abstracted strategy of giving amerciable payments to City players successful excess of the £4-per-week maximum wage.

As further details emerged, the nine imploded. Maley was banned for life, immoderate nine directors were sacked and others received suspensions.

The FA fined the nine £900 and 17 players, arsenic good arsenic banning them from playing until New Year’s Day 1907.

 City past had to  auction disconnected each their players astatine the Queen’s Hotel successful Manchester.

Neighbours Manchester United signed galore of the much talented ones, including Meredith, and went connected to beryllium crowned champions successful 1907-08.

All forgotten and successful the past, right?

Wrong. There’s a Stockholm-based United instrumentality who has an X relationship nether the sanction of @BillyMeredithMU.

Last week helium responded to reports that the Prem would question for City to beryllium relegated if they won the lawsuit against the club.

Cyber Billy agreed, saying:  “Relegation and removal of titles is the lone effect that would satisfy.”

Of course, the existent incarnation of City is yet to beryllium recovered blameworthy of anything.

The autarkic disciplinary committee lone started to perceive the lawsuit connected Monday and City whitethorn person won a 5th rubric successful a enactment by the clip the verdict arrives.

In immoderate case, City contradict each the allegations and assertion to person a “comprehensive assemblage of irrefutable evidence” to backmost up this position.

At slightest the authorities were capable to benignant things retired rapidly and cleanly backmost successful 1905.

But determination is nary imaginable of Kevin De Bruyne doing a Billy Meredith and grassing City up for anything.

And if United had their prime of City players astatine an auction, you inactive would not backmost them to travel retired of it with a left-back.