Manchester City have scored a legal victory over the Premier League in a long-running battle over financial rules – but both sides have conflicting interpretations of the ruling’s significance.
In a case brought by City, an independent panel is understood to have informed clubs that Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules are void and unenforceable, Sky News understands.
The rules were first introduced in December 2021 after the Saudi takeover of Newcastle to ensure commercial deals with companies linked to clubs’ ownership were at a fair market value.
They also targeted the revenue that could be raised by Abu Dhabi-backed City from state entities through sponsorship.
City brought the legal challenge after being blocked by the Premier League from advancing new more lucrative deals with Etihad Airways and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
The Premier League champions are owned by UAE vice president Sheikh Mansour.
Image: An independent panel has ruled financial rules introduced after the Newcastle takeover are void and unenforceable. File pic: AP
This new arbitration panel ruling found fault with the Premier League’s ability as a regulator to create rules. It follows an initial verdict in October.
The league responded to that by rewriting three areas of the rules found to be illegal and the revisions were passed by a majority of clubs in November.
Most notably, the fair market value of shareholder loans now has to be factored into assessments about the profit and sustainability of clubs which determine how legitimate income is.
The league also ensured clubs would have earlier access to a databank with comparable sponsorship values to assess their deals against.
Image: Manchester City have won a legal challenge against the Premier League’s financial rules. Pic: Reuters
So Premier League chief executive Richard Masters believes those new rules replaced the ones now found to be void by the tribunal – attempting to underplay the impact of this ruling.
In a statement after the ruling, the Premier League said: “The tribunal’s decision has found that the three narrow aspects of the old APT rules, previously found to be unlawful, cannot be separated from the rest of the previous rules as a matter of law. The result, the tribunal has determined, is that the previous APT rules, as a whole, are unenforceable.
“However, the previous APT rules are no longer in place, as clubs voted new APT rules into force in November 2024. This decision expressly does not impact the valid operation of the new rules.”
The Premier League added: “The League continues to believe that the new APT Rules are valid and enforceable and is pressing for an expeditious resolution of this matter.”
But City are also challenging the legality of the new rules that are designed to prevent the wealthiest clubs from inflating the value of deals to spend more on players and comply with Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR).
Clubs can only lose £105m over three years under PSR – which will remain in place into next season amid legal challenges blocking new regulations.
Image: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Pic: PA
City are hoping a panel rules for the third time in their favour, arguing that the Premier League amended rules in November that it has now been decided should never have been in place.
And this is all before the verdict is delivered on a far bigger and more consequential case.
A verdict is due imminently into more than 100 alleged breaches of financial rules stretching back to 2009.
Prince Harry has denied having a fight with Prince Andrew after it was claimed “punches were thrown” between the pair in 2013.
The allegations appeared in excerpts from a new book on the Duke of York being serialised in the Daily Mail.
It claims a row started after Prince Andrew said something behind Harry’s back, with Andrew “left with a bloody nose” and the pair needing to be broken up.
It also claimed the Duke of York once warned his nephew about marrying Meghan and suggested it wouldn’t last long.
However, a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex strongly denied the claims.
“I can confirm Prince Harryand Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry,” a statement said.
They said a legal letter had been sent to the Daily Mail due to “gross inaccuracies, damaging and defamatory remarks” in its reporting.
The book – Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York – is billed as the first joint biography of Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
It’s said to be based on interviews with “over a hundred people who have never spoken before”.
He said his brother once knocked him to the floor amid a confrontation over Meghan’s “rude” and “abrasive” behaviour.
“It all happened so fast. So very fast,” Harry wrote in the book.
“He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me.”
“I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out,” the prince added.
Harry claimed his brother wanted him to hit him back “but I chose not to”, and that William later returned and apologised.
The Duke Of Sussex has described his relationship with his family as extremely strained after he quit as a working royal and took legal action against the media, and over the removal of his UK police protection.
He claimed earlier this year the King wouldn’t speak to him and there had “been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family”.
Martin Lewis says motorists who were mis-sold car finance are likely to receive “hundreds, not thousands of pounds” – with regulators launching a consultation on a new compensation scheme.
The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com believes it is “very likely” that about 40% of Britons who entered personal contact purchase or hire purchase agreements between 2007 and 2021 will be eligible for payouts.
“Discretionary commission arrangements” saw brokers and dealers charge higher levels of interest so they could receive more commission, without telling consumers.
Image: Pics: PA
Speaking to Sky News Radio’s Faye Rowlands, Lewis said: “Very rarely will it be thousands of pounds unless you have more than one car finance deal.
“So up to about a maximum of £950 per car finance deal where you are due compensation.”
Lewis explained that consumers who believe they may have been affected should check whether they had a discretionary commission arrangement by writing to their car finance company.
However, the personal finance guru warned against using a claims firm.
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“They’re hardly going to do anything for you and you might get the money paid to you automatically anyway, in which case you’re giving them 30% for nothing,” he added.
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Who’s eligible for payout after car finance scandal?
Yesterday, the Financial Conduct Authority said its review of the past use of motor finance “has shown that many firms were not complying with the law or our disclosure rules that were in force when they sold loans to consumers”.
The FCA’s statement added that those affected “should be appropriately compensated in an orderly, consistent and efficient way”.
Lewis told Sky News that the consultation will launch in October – and will take six weeks.
“We expect payouts to come in 2026, assuming this will happen and it’s very likely to happen,” he said.
“As for exactly how will work, it hasn’t decided yet. Firms will have to contact people, although there is an issue about them having destroyed some of the data for older claims.”
He believes claims will either be paid automatically – or affected consumers will need to opt in and apply to get compensation back.
The FCA says you may be affected if you bought a car under a finance scheme, including hire purchase agreements, before 28 January 2021.
Anyone who has already complained does not need to do anything.
The authority added: “Consumers concerned that they were not told about commission, and who think they may have paid too much for the finance, should complain now”.
Its website advises drivers to complain to their finance provider first.
If you’re unhappy with the response, you can then contact the Financial Ombudsman.
Any compensation scheme will be easy to participate in, without drivers needing to use a claims management company or law firm.
The FCA has warned motorists that doing so could end up costing you 30% of any compensation in fees.
The FCA estimates the cost of any scheme – including compensation and administrative costs – to be no lower than £9bn.
But in a video on X, Lewis said that millions of people are likely to be due a share of up to £18bn.
The regulator’s announcement comes after the Supreme Court ruled on a separate, but similar, case on Friday.