Manchester United fans bring back banner mocking Man City trophy drought after guilty verdict

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Manchester United fans will bring back a famous banner mocking the trophy drought of Manchester City in the wake of their rivals being found guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League rules.

The ticker-style display had been a fixture at Old Trafford since first being hoisted in 2000, with supporters updating it annually.

It came down after Manchester City won the FA Cup in 2011, their first trophy since the 1976 League Cup, but a new banner has been purchased by The Red Army (TRA) group and is expected to be unveiled before Manchester United host Tottenham on Saturday.

That 2011 success came two years into the period investigated by a Premier League independent commission, which found that Manchester City had repeatedly broken financial rules between 2009 and 2018.

Roberto Mancini, appointed manager of Manchester City soon after their takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group, had made reference to the manner after his arrival in the city.

Some of his players unveiled a banner of their own reading “00 YEARS” on the Wembley pitch after that FA Cup success 15 years ago.

Manchester City have appealed the verdict and insist they have “irrefutable evidence” to show they are innocent.

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