United fans wheel out old jibe as City guilt verdict lands

Manchester United's famous ticker banner returned to Old Trafford on Saturday, taunting neighbours City with the words: 50 years since Manchester City won a trophy.

The banner was first displayed in 2000, at which point it was 24 years since City last lifted silverware — the 1976 League Cup. The year listed on the banner ticked over every season until 2011, when City ended their long drought by beating Stoke in the FA Cup final, their first trophy since Sheikh Mansour's takeover.

But after City were found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules by an independent commission, United fans took aim at their rivals by displaying a new version of the banner for the visit of Tottenham.

It marks 50 years since City won the 1976 League Cup, therefore discounting the eight Premier Leagues, four FA Cups, seven League Cups, four Community Shields, one Champions League, one Super Cup and one Club World Cup they have won since the takeover.

City deny wrongdoing and have lodged an appeal against the commission's findings. The commission's findings specifically related to the period between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons.

United fans also displayed a banner of Rui Pinto with the caption 'computer genius'. Pinto is a convicted hacker who obtained emails that formed the basis of articles published by Der Spiegel in 2018 that first alleged financial breaches by City.

United's game against Tottenham was their first since the news of the independent commission's judgement was revealed. City play for the first time since the news broke on Sunday, away to Liverpool, live on Sky Sports.

On Friday, City boss Enzo Maresca insisted his club are "going to win" their appeal.