Manchester City supporters have reacted with disbelief after a new proposal emerged for how the club could potentially be punished if the Premier League’s financial case ultimately results in sanctions.
The idea, reported by the BBC, is a “tariff-based system” that could retrospectively alter Manchester City’s Premier League positions through points deductions. Under the proposal, rival clubs could then receive compensation from City based on where they might have finished if the deductions had applied at the time.
One idea mooted – and which a club source found “merit” in – was to apply a “tariff-based system”, whereby #ManCity’s past Premier League positions would be altered via a points deduction. Rival clubs could then be paid compensation by @ManCity based on where they would have finished vs where they did.
[@LauraScott__/@SamiMokbel_BBC/@ShamoonHafez]
— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) October 6, 2026
For many Manchester City fans, the suggestion immediately raised more questions than answers.
Rather than viewing it as a realistic punishment, supporters described the idea as confusing, unprecedented and difficult to calculate. One fan summed up the mood with a blunt assessment:
“This is the most stupid suggestion ever!!”
The reaction comes at a crucial point in the long-running Premier League case. Manchester City are appealing the independent commission’s findings, meaning the club’s supporters remain focused on the appeal rather than hypothetical methods of retrospectively rewriting league tables.
“And how the hell would you work out where they would have finished?”
The biggest objection from City supporters was the practical difficulty of calculating hypothetical league positions.
One fan asked:
“And how the hell would you work out ‘where they would have finished.’ Laughable.”
It is a reasonable question.
Football league tables are determined by actual results. Changing one team’s points total can affect the positions of several other clubs, which can then alter European qualification, relegation battles and the distribution of other rewards.
A retrospective points deduction would therefore create a complicated chain reaction.
If Manchester City’s points were reduced in a particular season, would every club below them automatically move up? Or would the authorities attempt to calculate how City’s individual results affected other clubs? Would head-to-head results be reconsidered? Would European qualification be changed? Would prize money be redistributed?
The tariff proposal appears to create precisely those questions.
For City supporters, that uncertainty makes the idea seem more theoretical than practical.
Fans argue the proposal has no clear precedent
Another supporter dismissed the proposal by saying:
“Won’t happen. Didn’t happen with any other club.”
That reaction reflects a broader concern among City fans that the proposed system would create an unusual retrospective mechanism.
The supporters are not necessarily arguing that Manchester City should face no consequences if the appeal fails. Instead, many are questioning why new punishment ideas are suddenly being discussed before the existing process has been completed.
One supporter highlighted this point by asking why clubs already have rules governing non-compliance if authorities can simply begin discussing alternative punishment models.
The fan argued that the sudden wave of suggestions says something about the wider situation surrounding Manchester City.
For this section of the fanbase, the tariff system is not just difficult to calculate.
It also feels like an attempt to find a new route to retrospective consequences.
“Another day of ideas and opinions”
That frustration was captured by another supporter who wrote:
“Another day of ideas and opinions.”
The comment reflects the growing fatigue among Manchester City fans.
The Premier League case has generated countless reports, predictions and discussions about possible punishments.
Now, the latest proposal introduces another potential outcome.
City supporters are increasingly reluctant to react emotionally to every new suggestion.
Instead, they want the formal appeal process to run its course.
That is why several supporters focused on winning the appeal rather than debating how many points might theoretically be deducted from previous seasons.
One fan put it simply:
“We have to win that appeal, we just have to.”
That is arguably the most important message coming from the reactions.
Whatever ideas are being discussed externally, City’s supporters believe the appeal is the stage that matters most.
Supporters question why punishment ideas are appearing now
Another fan questioned why so many people are suddenly discussing possible sanctions.
The supporter pointed out that there are already rules covering non-compliance and argued that the sudden appearance of alternative punishment suggestions is revealing.
The comment concluded that the situation feels driven by jealousy of Manchester City’s success.
That is a recurring theme among the more passionate reactions.
Some City supporters believe the club’s transformation into one of English football’s dominant forces has created resentment among rivals.
One supporter argued that Manchester City had disrupted the established order at the top of English football for more than a decade.
In that fan’s view, no retrospective punishment could erase what happened on the pitch.
The supporter wrote that City had “ruined the cartels success at the top for a decade”, adding that rival clubs could not undo that history regardless of what eventually happens.
That perspective helps explain the emotional response to suggestions of rewriting old league positions.
“The most stupid suggestion ever”
The strongest reactions were directed specifically at the tariff system.
Another supporter simply described the proposal as “stupid.”
A different fan laughed at the idea, while another wrote that the people behind these proposals had “gone mad.”
For City supporters, the concept of paying compensation based on where clubs would have finished is particularly difficult to accept.
Football is full of variables.
A different points total for Manchester City could have changed the psychology of matches, transfer decisions, managerial appointments and squad planning at rival clubs.
A club might have approached a final-day fixture differently if it knew that a particular league position was available.
That makes calculating hypothetical final positions extremely complicated.
This is why the question from the City fan — “how the hell would you work out where they would have finished?” — resonated so strongly.
Fans point to a potentially more forward-looking punishment
Another important reaction focused on reports suggesting that any punishment could be more “forward looking” than retrospective.
One supporter argued that this would make the tariff-based idea difficult to justify.
If the eventual punishment is primarily designed to affect Manchester City’s future, then rewriting historic league tables and calculating hypothetical compensation could become unnecessary.
That is a crucial distinction.
A forward-looking sanction could involve restrictions or sporting consequences applied to Manchester City from a future point.
A retrospective system would instead attempt to alter what happened in previous seasons.
City fans clearly prefer the former possibility, particularly while the appeal remains unresolved.
The discussion also reinforces why supporters are reluctant to treat every reported punishment idea as an indication of what will actually happen.
At this stage, the tariff system is a proposal.
It is not an announced punishment.
“These guys are in a fantasy land”
One supporter delivered a particularly confident assessment:
“These guys are in a fantasy land it’s honestly hilarious.”
Another simply laughed at the situation.
The humour is significant because it shows that many City fans are not allowing the latest proposal to create panic.
There is concern about the appeal.
There is frustration about the continued coverage.
But there is also a belief that some of the proposed punishments are unrealistic.
That confidence is closely linked to the supporters’ view that the appeal must be won.
If Manchester City overturn the relevant findings, then all of the hypothetical discussions about retrospective points deductions, altered league tables and compensation payments would become irrelevant.
That is why the appeal remains the central issue.
“We just have to win that appeal”
Among all the reactions, perhaps the clearest message came from the supporter who said:
“We have to win that appeal, we just have to.”
That is the mood around the City fanbase.
The tariff proposal may generate headlines, but supporters know that the disciplinary process will ultimately determine the club’s fate.
Manchester City have challenged the findings and continue to fight their case.
Until the appeal is resolved, fans see little value in debating hypothetical calculations about where other clubs might have finished.
The supporter who said “Won’t happen” reflects one side of the confidence.
The fan calling the proposal a “fantasy land” represents another.
And the supporter demanding that City win the appeal represents the more serious side of the same argument.
They all lead back to one conclusion.
The appeal matters more than the speculation.
City fans refuse to let hypothetical sanctions rewrite history
The tariff-based proposal has clearly struck a nerve with Manchester City supporters.
But the reaction is not simply about defending the club from punishment.
It is also about questioning whether football authorities could realistically rewrite league tables years after matches have been played.
For City fans, the idea of calculating where clubs would have finished opens a huge number of unanswered questions.
That is why comments such as “The most stupid suggestion ever”, “Won’t happen” and “how the hell would you work out where they would have finished?” have resonated so strongly.
The supporters are not ready to accept hypothetical punishments as reality.
They want the appeal completed first.
Until then, every new proposal remains just that — a proposal.
And as one frustrated City fan put it, perhaps the simplest solution is for everyone to stop speculating and let the formal process decide Manchester City’s future.
