By IAN HERBERT, DEPUTY CHIEF SPORTS WRITER

Published: 13:20 BST, 27 September 2026 | Updated: 15:40 BST, 27 September 2026

Legal experts expect Manchester City to be free to lift this season’s Premier League trophy, despite having been found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges brought against them.

City’s anticipated appeal, hinted at by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in a statement at the weekend, could ultimately see them take the case to the High Court.

The Financial Times reported at the weekend that the single charge against City which has not been proven was one of the most serious. That may strengthen the club’s resolve.

Experts say that the grounds for a successful appeal, which would have to be heard by a separate and newly convened independent commission, are narrow. But if an appeal failed, City could seek a judicial review of the commission’s findings at the High Court.

Advertisement

To do so, they would need to demonstrate that the Premier League acted outside its powers or reached a conclusion which no reasonable authority could have reached. If either could be proved by City’s legal team, the outcome could be quashed. But City would need the High Court’s permission to make a judicial review application and the bar is high.

Legal experts expect Manchester City to be free to lift this season’s Premier League trophy

Man City were found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges brought against them on Friday

Advertisement

It is unclear how much of the independent commission’s findings will be made public. Most arbitration processes have strict confidentiality rules in place. Though City and the Premier League are likely to have waived some of the right to confidentiality, it is possible that only a summary or redacted version of the judgement will be published.

The likely legal delays mean it is entirely possible that Premier League executives may be left to watch City lift the title at the Etihad Stadium next spring, should they maintain their strong start to the season. The side are currently three points clear at the top of the table. ‘The final outcome of this case, particularly in relation to sanctions, may still take considerable time to be resolved,’ said Chris Partington, a lawyer at Brandsmiths.

The independent commission’s findings are likely to be straining relations between the UK and the United Arab Emirates, whose sovereign wealth funds have been embedded in Manchester’s urban development during Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s time as the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Asked if City should be stripped of previous titles, Burnham said on Friday: ‘People shouldn’t jump to those kind of conclusions. I think we would all need to study the independent commission’s report in some detail.’

Advertisement

Great Dane Lilly, aged four, was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma this month despite having no symptoms.

A Scots couple are heartbroken after their beloved dog was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer following an injury that left her with a “baseball-sized” swelling on her leg. Kelsey Kiernan and Lewis Sullivan’s world turned upside down when Great Dane Lilly, aged four, was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma this month despite having no symptoms.

The couple, who live in Chryston, North Lanarkshire, initially took Lilly to the vets after she injured her leg. After banging her leg off an object while playing at home, she sustained a “baseball-sized” swelling and was taken to the vets.

The family thought she had fractured her leg, but nothing could prepare them for what came next. Following an X-ray, she was referred to an oncologist who met her on September 8, carried out biopsies and CT scans, and amputated her full front leg and scapula (shoulder blade) on the same day.

Kelsey, 29, told Glasgow Live: “The results crushed us because we were expecting, worst case scenario, a fracture and we came out with a cancer that is going to kill our dog. It broke our hearts.

“She is so young and incredibly fit and muscular. We do a variety of high intensity, explosive dog sports together. She was ready to compete for her BH title (companion dog test) in IGP (a competitive international dog sport that evaluates a dog’s tracking, obedience, and protection skills).

“To be diagnosed with something so debilitating has broken me.” Lilly, who weighs 50 kilos, couldn’t walk on the first day she had her limbs amputated.

She would fall onto her face which was devastating for Kelsey and Lewis, 30, to see. However, since the surgery she is improving and started chemotherapy on Thursday, September 24.

Kelsey added: “She is genuinely defying all the odds and doing so well given her size and weight. Her balance isn’t perfect and she still has to think about everything she does, but she is already upbeat enough that she wants to run, jump, and play with us or my other dogs already.

“The life expectancy for dogs with osteosarcoma without pursuing treatment is very poor, she wouldn’t last more than a month or two. However dogs treated with chemotherapy have a median life expectancy of 12-14 months.

“The best possible outcome is 18 months- two years. Although there are miracle cases where dogs have lived longer. Lilly isn’t just your average pet dog though, so we have hope she can beat the odds.”

The couple have so far spent over £10k on Lilly’s treatment and her insurance has “maxed out”, meaning they need vital funds to continue her cancer treatment. Kelsey said: “The costs of all the treatment is eye-watering.

“My jaw hit the floor when they told me. This is so surreal, we didn’t see it coming. Lilly means the same as what someone’s child would mean to them.

“I have a lot of dogs and she is my soul dog. She is the most significant dog I have ever had in my life.

“I have grown so much with this dog. She has shaped my career as well, in terms of how much I help other dogs. The amount I’ve learnt from her, in the four years I’ve had her, has helped me go on to help so many other dogs.

“She meant the world to me and I can’t imagine what it would be like if she wasn’t here. Without the chemotherapy, this cancer would take her very quickly from me. There is no permanent cure and it’s a matter of giving us more time with our dog.

“This cancer is very aggressive. The support is so enlightening and I am lost for words for how kind everyone has been.”

In total, the cost of treatment is expected to reach £23,000. Support the fundraising appeal for Lilly’s treatment here.

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.

The East Coast is bracing for more rain Sunday as a deadly nor’easter storm continues to wreak havoc on the region for a third day.

The storm remained just south of Long Island and east of northern New Jersey on Sunday morning and was expected to loop around the area for another 24 hours, said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.

The worst of the remaining rainfall was expected Sunday from northern New Jersey through New York City and Long Island into southern New England. The storm was gradually weakening, Oravec said, but the threat of tidal flooding would linger through high-tide cycles Sunday morning and again in the evening.

“The most impactful parts of the storm are likely going to be the high winds and the tidal flooding,” Oravec said.

A municipal worker for the New York City Housing Authority was killed in Brooklyn when a tree collapsed amid fierce gusts and heavy downpours. Across New England and the mid-Atlantic, emergency personnel worked to clear fallen timber and restore electricity after blackouts affected approximately 100,000 households and businesses.

Tens of millions of residents throughout the region remained under severe weather threats into Sunday, with significant coastal inundation expected. The Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed that regional response coordination hubs were operating at an “enhanced posture,” while specialized assistance teams were on standby in New England to manage potential widespread utility failures.

Peak tidal surges were expected to hit shorelines north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, from Saturday evening into Sunday, threatening widespread inundation of roadways in bayfront and coastal neighborhoods, the National Weather Service said.

“Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

Residents in parts of New York and New Jersey navigated submerged roads by kayak, while adventurous surfers targeted unusually large ocean swells. In Sea Bright, New Jersey, first responders extracted a woman and her dog after their vehicle became trapped in floodwaters, ABC7 reported.

Rising waters submerge roads and businesses

Inside the coastal New Jersey borough of Surf City, Kenny Formica monitored security cameras from his home, watching floodwaters seep into the marina he owns. Water breaching the building is an exceptional event, Formica explained, noting the last occurrence was during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which he said caused more than $4 million in damage to his business.

Prior to the storm’s arrival, marina staff fastened dock lines, relocated loose gear out of harm’s way, and staged company trucks and forklifts on the highest ground available.

Upon waking, Formica found messages from boat owners reporting displaced vessels and watercraft. A customer forwarded video footage captured around 4 a.m. showing his 25-foot (7.6-meter) boat after it had blown off its lift.

Farther south, in Norfolk, Virginia, Ellie Hodge observed from her front porch as driving traffic generated wakes along flooded streets. The coastal city saw isolated flooding all week because of the nor’easter.

“We’ve seen cars get stuck on the road, going up the sidewalks,” Hodge said. “It’s been pretty bad this time around.”

Travel disruptions and canceled events

Travel itineraries across the region were upended. Hundreds of flights were canceled at Boston Logan International Airport, as were the vast majority of flights at the popular Massachusetts tourist destinations of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

Along the North Carolina coast, a flooding-related highway closure on Hatteras Island disrupted Jayden Sink and Kimberly Laprad’s wedding plans. The Virginia couple made it onto the island before the storm, but most of their roughly 45 guests were stranded on the other side of the closure, the Island Free Press reported. A local campground offered a new venue, cabins and an officiant, and a DJ volunteered to provide music.

With the primary roadway shut down and local ferry service also out of service, boat travel through bad weather remained the only option, said Drew Pearson, emergency management director for North Carolina’s Dare County. The island has a year-round population of about 5,000 that swells much higher in warm weather, he said.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said it would soon begin emergency ferry service between Hatteras Island and the mainland.

“To folks on Hatteras, you are not on an island all alone,” Gov. Josh Stein said on social media. “North Carolina and county emergency responders are working hard to keep you safe and reconnected as quickly as possible.”

Authorities urge vigilance

Nor’easters are not unusual as New England moves into the fall season, but “this might be a little earlier than average for a big storm,” said Oravec, of the National Weather Service.

The storm’s slow movement could worsen beach erosion by subjecting the coast to a prolonged period of strong winds and waves, he said.

Hochul said coastal flooding was the biggest threat, but heavy rains, powerful winds and waves as high as 20 feet (6 meters) were also expected.

On Long Island, ferry owner Stephanie Sherman paused operations between Patchogue and the barrier island of Fire Island.

“It’s been a pretty wild storm,” Sherman said. “But nothing that we haven’t experienced in the past. These happen every so often.”

‘Our resolve remains as strong as ever’

Portadown District have this afternoon thanked their supporters as the Garvaghy Road stand-off continues.

Members of the lodge are waiting in a hall at Drumcree church and they has stated they intend to walk from there down Garvaghy Road to Carleton Street Orange Hall in Portadown, Co Armagh, where their supporters are waiting for them to arrive.

Thousands of protesters have blocked the predominantly nationalist area in a bid to prevent the Orange Order parade from passing.

A spokesperson for Portadown District Lodge said: “We have been well fed, morale remains high, and we genuinely appreciate those who have stood firm in the town. Your presence and support give us great encouragement.

“Our resolve remains as strong as ever. We are steadfast in our position and will continue to make our stand until the law is properly and fairly applied.”

A ruling by the Parades Commission adjudication body permitting the march from Drumcree Church was upheld in an “unprecedented” late-night sitting on Saturday of the High Court in Belfast just a few hours earlier.

The Drumcree parade, which was associated with violent clashes during the Troubles, has been banned since 1998.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has appealed for calm on all sides.

Amid the community tensions, the Prime Minister told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg there have been “big gains made in Northern Ireland, and we don’t want to see things go backwards”.

“I know it’s a tense situation. We do appeal for calm on all sides,” he told the programme.

The Prime Minister added: “So, obviously, a challenging situation today, but it’s very important that we work to bring calm.”

Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant said he was cutting his time at Labour’s party conference in Liverpool short to travel to Belfast and speak directly with leaders there.

Sir Chris also told the BBC he wished “we weren’t in this position”, adding: “I know lots of people will be watching this very, very closely, including people who have long memories of things that happened 30 years ago, and people will be very nervous and anxious.

“So the number one thing I think is people should co-operate with the police. I want everything to pass off as calmly as is possible.

“I’m speaking to the police obviously on a regular basis throughout the day, and was last night as well, and so is my team.”

First Minister, and Sinn Féin vice-president, Michelle O’Neill said the reignition of the Drumcree dispute “brings into question how this whole peace process works”.

Party president Mary Lou McDonald called on Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant to intervene to ban the parade. She said the people of the Garvaghy Road would “not be drawn back to the past”.

The group of Orangemen due to take part in the parade waited at nearby Drumcree Church, having assembled early on Sunday.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher appealed to “those with influence to encourage people to comply with the law” as he his officers would detect any offences throughout the day.

He added: “It is incumbent on us all to come together at times like this to do all we can to preserve a peaceful Northern Ireland.”

Follow our live blog for the latest updates on this developing situation on Garvaghy Road.

The 54-year-old man and 36-year-old woman were taken into custody for questioning by North Yorkshire Police this morning (Sunday, September 27).

As reported by The Press, the 28-year-old man was found collapsed by paramedics at an address on Wood Steet in the Heworth area around 11pm on Friday, September 25.

Recommended reading:

He died in hospital yesterday in the early hours of yesterday morning.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “We are investigating the full circumstances surrounding the sudden and unexplained death of the man.

“His family have been informed and are being supported while police enquiries continue.”

“The scene was closed on Saturday evening.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference number 12260189777.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or by making an online report.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham all continue to push for new signings after a hectic summer window as January quickly moves into view. Arsenal have been handed a fresh boost over Julian Alvarez after Deco admitted that Barcelona’s long-running pursuit of the striker is now over, while the Gunners continue to be linked with a host of other players including Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Mikel Arteta’s assistant Miguel Molina, meanwhile, has also shed light on their attempts to sign Vinicius Jr.

At least 17 people have been killed in a mass shooting at a bar in South Africa‘s Gauteng, police said.

The South African Police Service said authorities have launched a manhunt to find eight armed men following the deadly shooting late on Saturday at a tavern in Wedela ​township ⁠southwest of ‌Johannesburg.

The suspects, armed with AK-47 rifles ⁠and pistols, entered the bar and began shooting at customers around 9.30pm local time, police said.

All 17 people, including four women, were shot and killed at the bar and declared dead at the scene by the ambulance service, police said.

The suspects allegedly targeted ⁠the tavern, opening fire ⁠on customers drinking outside and then moving ‌inside ​to continue shooting, the ‌police said.

Police said the suspects searched some victims and stole their mobile phones before fleeing the scene in two vehicles. Two other vehicles were also set ablaze during the shooting, police added.

Police said the motive behind the shooting was unknown. Fifteen others suffered gunshot wounds and were rushed to hospital for treatment.

No arrests have been ​made, the police said in a statement.

Soldiers from the national army and police pathologists arrived in the township, where two burnt vehicles could ‌be seen. The tavern where the shooting happened had a ‌sign that read “No weapons allowed” below its trading hours.

In a separate incident overnight, South African police said gunmen killed 10 people and wounded 11 more at an entertainment venue in Lwandle in Cape Town at 1.46am local time.

Five people died at the scene, while five others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, police said. At least 11 others were undergoing medical treatment on Sunday afternoon.

“Detectives are hard at work in search of a perpetrators of the shooting incident, with no arrests yet,” the police said.

South Africa has a long history of mass shootings at bars and unlicensed taverns known as shebeens, which are linked to gang rivalries, extortion, or disputes tied to illegal liquor sales.

“South Africa has a serious illegal firearms problem, and firearms are frequently used by organised criminal groups as well as in gang-related and other violent crimes,” said crime expert Yusuf Abramjee.

“Every mass shooting should therefore trigger more than an investigation into the immediate perpetrators,” he told ‌Reuters. “Authorities need to look at the wider networks behind the violence.”

Last week, at least 12 people were killed, and two others suffered injuries in a shooting at a house in KwaMakhutha in southeastern KwaZulu-Natal Province.

Three armed men opened fire on 13 men and a woman believed to be pregnant when they were reportedly having a party inside the house.

The woman and 10 other men died at the scene, while one person succumbed to their injuries later at the hospital. Police have not ruled out gang rivalry as a possible motive.

These are the latest in a series of mass shootings in South Africa recently, including one in June when multiple shooters killed 12 people in a poor neighbourhood in Johannesburg that police linked to criminal gangs.

Two mass shootings two weeks apart in December last year killed 21 people. They were also carried out by multiple gunmen.

South Africa has extremely high rates of violent crime, with official police statistics recording 5,427 homicides in the latest three-month period between April and June at an average of nearly 60 homicides a day.

Shootings are the most common form of homicide in South Africa, and police and crime experts have long said that one of the biggest problems is that there are high numbers of illegal firearms in circulation.

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of soldiers on the streets in some areas earlier this year to combat violent crime in what critics said was an admission that police were failing. Soldiers were deployed to areas around Johannesburg, Cape Town and in the Eastern Cape province on the south coast.