Andy Burnham's links to Manchester City have been detailed in newly released documents, showing that club staff accompanied the then Greater Manchester mayor on several official overseas trips. The former mayor also held a formal meeting with the club's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, at an investment summit and spoke with him informally in the stands at a testimonial match.
Details of mayoral contacts released
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) released details of the Prime Minister's contacts with the club and its Abu Dhabi owners during his time as mayor on Monday. A GMCA spokesman 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 arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches 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.”
Sporting clubs on business delegations
The spokesman added: “Also during his time as mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of mayoral international visits. This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Manchester City were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. The club maintained their innocence and appealed against the verdict.
Prime Minister's comments on City's owners
Mr Burnham said last month he would be “really concerned” if City’s Abu Dhabi owners sold the club in the wake of the finding, crediting them with being “a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester”. Downing Street sought to clarify his comments afterwards, saying the Prime Minister was clear the judgment is serious and that where wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the consequences.
