Labour’s deputy leader today insisted Manchester City’s trophies are not ‘tainted’ and backed the club to keep hold of their titles despite financial rule breaches.
Lucy Powell, a City season ticket holder, said the club’s trophy wins in recent years were ‘hard fought for’ and that she remained ‘proud’ of the glut of silverware.
She addressed questions over City’s recent success following last week’s news that the club had been found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges laid by the Premier League in February 2023.
The charges date back to the 2009-10 season, a year after a takeover of City by Abu Dhabi investors, since when the club has won multiple major trophies.
City have always strenuously denied the charges and the club’s chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, at the weekend said his ‘confidence and intent in proving the club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began’.
But there have been calls for City to be stripped of the trophies they won during the period the charges relate to, if they lose an appeal against the rule breaches.
Asked on Monday whether she would be lobbying Prime Minister Andy Burnham for City to be allowed to keep those titles, Ms Powell replied: ‘They were hard fought for trophies which I’m proud that we got.’
Speaking at a Labour conference fringe event in Liverpool, hosted by Politico, the party’s deputy leader added: ‘I don’t feel they are tainted at all.’
Ms Powell, who is also Education Secretary, went on to take a swipe at City’s bitter rivals Manchester United in the wake of calls by ex-United manager Jose Mourinho for his former club to be awarded City’s forfeited titles.
‘I think United were s*** in those years to be honest, as they still are now,’ she added.
‘I don’t think it was United they’d be going to. Although I know obviously all the United fans are absolutely gleeful this week but I think you’re going to have to try a bit harder really.’
Ms Powell’s staunch defence of City’s trophy wins contrasts with the response of both Mr Burnham and other Cabinet ministers.
The PM last week warned people should not ‘jump to conclusions’ on City, when asked whether they should be stripped of their Premier League titles.
He told ITV Granada Reports: ‘I’ve only just been made aware of it – I think these are reports at this stage.
‘But if they’re confirmed, obviously I will want to look at the report of the independent commission.
‘People shouldn’t jump to those kind of conclusions (about City having their titles taken off them).
‘I know, this has been a long process between the club and the Premier League. I think quite a contested process. So I don’t think it’s as simple as jumping to conclusions.
‘I think we would all need to study the independent commission’s report in some considerable detail before reaching any conclusions.’
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy told BBC Radio Five Live: ‘We do have a way to go with this, it’s very unsettling for football fans and I hope that it can be resolved as swiftly as possible.’
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