‘Is the greatness of the Premier League a myth?’: Ed Aarons answered your football questions
With the Premier League back on Saturday, football writer Ed Aarons answered your questions on what the Man City verdict means, whether referees will be stricter, and whether Don’t Look Back In Anger was prophetic
Fearandloathingpart2 asks: Given the political pressure that is inevitably going to be placed on Man City, do you think the independent regulator will take action? If they don’t, they lose any credibility but it just seems unlikely to me they’ll take serious action against the ownership. Am I being too cynical? Any thoughts?
MademoiselleK asks: Surely given the guilty verdict on City they should be suspended for the rest of the PL season pending the outcome of their appeal. Only five games in the PL could simply annul the results so far and drop to a 37 club competition. If they are allowed to play on then what happens when their appeal fails – presumably months down the line. Docking them points at that stage makes the league a joke as you will have a club whose serial cheating has already ruined the credibility of English football’s showcase competition which is watched by billions worldwide.
Ed says: I don’t think you’re being too cynical, although it must be said this is probably the biggest challenge the new Independent Football Regulator (IFR) chair David Kogan could possibly ever have faced and it has come less than a year after he was appointed to the new role… The IFR is able to re-assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and Kogan said in a statement that “we will use these powers where appropriate, in the interests of protecting the sustainability, honesty and integrity of English football where there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals.”
