Man Utd Fans Take Aim at Man City With "51 YEARS" Banner Over Financial Rules Case

Manchester United supporters have taken a swipe at Manchester City by unveiling a "51 YEARS" banner at Old Trafford, a nod to City's financial rules case.

The huge banner was unfurled in the Stretford End during United's 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Saturday. It comes as City deal with the fallout from being found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules, a verdict they have appealed.

The number is a pointed message. The Premier League's case covers the nine seasons from 2009 to 2018. If every trophy City won in that period were wiped from the record books, United fans argue, City's wait for major silverware would stretch back to their 1976 League Cup win, which is 51 years.

The banner is a sequel to a famous one. United fans first unveiled a "24 YEARS" ticker in 2000 to mock City's long trophy drought. They updated the number each year as City kept going without a trophy, and it eventually reached 35. 

The original was only taken down after City won the FA Cup in 2011. That win ended their wait and started a hugely successful era, with several Premier League titles, domestic cups and the Champions League.

City were first charged by the Premier League in February 2023, after a long investigation into their financial conduct. They have always denied any wrongdoing and have lodged a formal appeal against the independent commission's verdict, insisting on their innocence as they fight to protect their recent record.