Man City receive savage birthday cake marking three-year anniversary of being hit with 115 charges from Premier League over financial irregulations

It has been exactly three years since the footballing world was rocked when the Premier League announced it had charged City with 115 alleged breaches of its financial regulations, though that figure was later revealed to be higher. The charges followed a sprawling four-year investigation into the club’s accounts spanning nearly a decade, from 2009 to 2018. On Friday, that milestone was marked in typically provocative fashion by Paddy Power, who delivered a giant, 115-shaped anniversary cake to the club’s headquarters.

The stunt serves as a biting reminder of the legal cloud that continues to hang over the blue half of Manchester. While the club has continued to dominate on the pitch, the lack of a resolution regarding their off-field conduct remains the sport's biggest talking point. The delivery of the cake was intended to highlight the "unresolved" nature of the case, ensuring that the three-year anniversary did not pass without public scrutiny.

The choice of a birthday cake for the occasion was a layered swipe at the club's history. Paddy Power referenced the infamous 2014 incident involving former City midfielder Yaya Toure, whose agent famously claimed the player was upset after the club failed to properly celebrate his birthday. By delivering the 115-themed confectionery, the bookmaker joked that they didn't want to "risk another Yaya Toure fiasco" while the club's future remains in the balance.

“Earlier this week, Pep told rival clubs he’s waiting - and so are we,” a spokesperson for the brand said. “While Man City might sit seventh in the net spend league table, they remain head and shoulders above their rivals at racking up charges. We didn’t want to miss the anniversary, so made sure we marked the occasion in style with a special cake.” 

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the case for rival clubs is the perceived lack of progress. A 10-week independent commission hearing finally got underway in September 2024, nearly 20 months after the initial charges were levelled. However, that hearing concluded more than a year ago, and a verdict has yet to be made public. The complexity of the charges - ranging from failure to provide accurate financial information to non-cooperation with investigators - has led to an unprecedented delay in the legal process.

Rival supporters of other Premier League clubs have grown increasingly vocal about the timeline, arguing that the delay creates an "unfair advantage." City, meanwhile, have consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that they possess a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" to support their case. However, as the 2025-26 season progresses, the lack of "white smoke" from the Premier League has left many wondering if a resolution will ever be reached.

This isn't the first time the club's legal woes have been used as a marketing springboard. In August 2025, Paddy Power famously partnered with Coleen Rooney to reprise her 'Wagatha Christie' persona for a campaign investigating the "mystery" of the missing verdict. In the viral video, Rooney fronted a satirical ‘Investigation Department’ that looked into the long-running financial fair play trial before delivering its own verdict on the side of the fans.

At the time, the firm issued its largest-ever ‘Justice Refund’, paying out a seven-figure sum to more than 100,000 punters who had placed outright bets on teams that finished second to Manchester City since 2011. The move covered eight seasons and three different runners-up.