Glory Days for the Waifs and the Strays

Glory Days for the Waifs and the Strays Synopsis

On May 12th, 2019, Manchester City became the first team to retain the Premier League title for a decade. Twenty years earlier the same club was slogging its way fortuitously out of Division Two, having sunk ignominiously to the third tier, its glory days well behind it. Ordinarily, the tale of a sleeping giant awaking to stomp gleefully over the competition would be celebrated far beyond the core fanbase. But City's success is tied inextricably to their takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in September 2008, an event that altered the club's horizons beyond recognition. The injection of billions of pounds into the club and accusations of sports washing its reputation, have tarnished City's domestic treble-winning season in 2023/4, as have serious charges of financial impropriety from the Premier League. This book charts this route from noble rags to uncomfortable riches.