Wobbles, and What Can Man City tell us about Sports Investment?

Blain’s Morning Porridge October 6th, 2026“Athletes want to be the best, and want someone to pay for it.” The threat list to markets has suddenly expanded – plague, protests and increasing signs the AI boom is a damp squib. However, Sporting Investment remains a hot sector – which may require some tweaking as the full implications of the Man City financial scandal emerge. Durable sporting value requires sound corporate governance, managing the money to ensure competitive integrity, a growing and excited audience, and a clear flow of players from the grass-roots to the big leagues.Key TakeawaysSuddenly there are a lot of new threats on the board – from slowing markets, AI failing to land, Plague, and riots across Europe.Sport has become a thriving sector for esoteric private investment, boosted by a sports finance class selling billionaire investors vanity investments they can effectively monetise for power and profit.That market is developing. Sporting assets are not liquid assets, but many prestige sporting brands are said to be “quietly” up for sale.Sport appeals to the population because of its exceptional participants, and is marketed as the pinnacle of personal achievement, excellence and fair-play.There is great commercial and (for some investors) soft-power strategic value from sporting franchises.Some selling may be driven by scandal – and a lack of good corporate governance creating a sense some sports are not a level playing field. Advisors to the owners of Man City, the English football team, broke rules around financial fair play to win the league by hurling money at the team.Man City demonstrates the world’s most competitive league (The EPL) is vulnerable to financial power to build dominance – which was why rules on financial fair play were brought in by UEFA and the League.Supporting fair play should be a corporate governance objective.It’s taken 8-years for the league inquiry to get this far, and probably as long again to exhaust the appeal process. Meanwhile, strategic national interests between the UK and the owner state are also in play.Across the rest of the sporting sector, potential investors need to be aware of the importance of grass roots investment and media exposure to make the long-term economics, participation and support for top level sports viable.Interesting world we live in – for now…I feel the earth shift under my feet… this market is getting… tremulous.Continued/ go to www.morningporridge.com for access to the full story.If you subscribe to the full Morning Porridge you get the email every morning and links to videos and podcasts…