Man Utd fans plan to bring back the Stretford End ‘ticker’ banner after Man City found guilty
A group of Manchester United fans is bringing back an updated version of the famous ‘ticker’ banner for Saturday’s Premier League game against Tottenham—15 years after it was last seen at Old Trafford.
This weekend is set to be full of excitement, especially after Manchester City was found guilty of serious financial rule breaches, sparking lots of discussion. An independent commission discovered that between 2009-10 and 2017-18, City used “sham” contracts with partners to fake their income, boosting it by £830 million.
Last week, City announced they’re appealing the decision, which could affect the way people view their achievements during those years and beyond.
Meanwhile, Manchester United fans are getting ready to poke fun at their rivals with a banner that first appeared in the Stretford End back in 2000. At the time, the ‘ticker’ said ’24 YEARS,’ highlighting City’s long trophy drought since their League Cup win in 1976.
After City won the FA Cup in 2011, the banner—then reading ’35 YEARS’—was taken down, for obvious reasons. But now, with City found guilty of breaking serious Premier League financial rules, the banner is back with a new ‘51 YEARS’ message, ready to be shown in the Stretford End.
According to The Athletic, the Red Army group has spent £114 to make the updated banner for Saturday’s game.
Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho even joked that he might be 80 by the time City’s legal battle is over. “I’d rather laugh about it,” he told Corriere dello Sport. “We’re both in our 60s, and we’ll need some luck to still be around when the final decision comes. There will be a verdict, then appeals, and more appeals.”
Last year on Canal 11, Mourinho said teams breaking financial rules should lose points, not just pay fines. He added that Manchester United should’ve won the Premier League in 2017-18.
“There was a critical time at the club—not just with Sir Alex leaving, but also David Gill,” he said. “David Moyes came in, and when my Netflix documentary is out, the story will be told. I joined later, but when I came, the club was still going through that period. We won a few trophies and finished second in the league. I still don’t get why clubs breaking financial rules just pay fines.”
Mourinho finished by saying, “I think they should lose points. Manchester City was punished, and legally, we should have won the league. But for me, that wasn’t enough to have true stability and continuity.”