13 October – Andy Burnham held a formal meeting with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak at an investment summit, attended Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match and was accompanied by club staff on official trips abroad.
After pressure to release details of Burnham’s dealings as mayor of Greater Manchester with the club, found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) issued a statement shedding some light on the matter.
A GMCA spokesperson said: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit hosted by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was invited by Manchester City FC to home games on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives from Greater Manchester’s sporting clubs regularly joined business delegations as part of the Mayor’s international visits. This included representatives from Manchester United traveling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation in India and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Last month, Burnham expressed concern that Abu Dhabi City’s owners could sell the club after the guilty verdict, but Number Ten later clarified his statement saying that where wrongdoing has been found, those responsible should face the consequences.
Shadow sports minister Louie French argued that the revelations are not enough, arguing that they lacked “the full transparency that football fans deserve”.
French said: “Burnham cannot hide behind the GMCA – he has to take responsibility for this himself. We have been given precious little information about these meetings, what was discussed and what might have been agreed.
“If Burnham has nothing to hide, why is he being so adamant? His strange intervention in defense of Man City’s owners has raised serious concerns among fans. It is time for the Prime Minister to clarify his relationship with City Football Group so the public can draw their own conclusions.”
City returned to action on Sunday with a 3-0 away win against Liverpool. Their fans carried inflatable bananas to the away end, a nod to the club’s time in the lower leagues. City has always maintained its innocence and has appealed the guilty verdict.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at (email protected)
