Confusion, concern and defiance on the streets that have been transformed... but are now engulfed in a crisis

'We've been to Rotterdam, Monaco, Napoli and Rome, but we'll be playing Rotherham at home, Rotherham at home...' Manchester City fans have responded with customary black humour to the crisis facing their club.

City face more 100 charges of allegedly breaching financial rules. And if found guilty the Premier League has the power to impose potentially huge sanctions, including fines, point deductions, suspension, relegation or even expulsion from the competition.

Read more:

In its breadth and scale the four year investigation is unprecedented in the English game. But the Premier League champions have come out fighting, saying they were 'surprised' by the accusations adding they 'welcome' the review of the alleged rule breaches and 'look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all'.

But this also has the potential to be much more than a football issue. Perhaps more so than any other club in recent years, City's success on the pitch has been closely tied with developments off it.

Owners the Abu Dhabi United Group have ploughed hundreds of millions of pounds into east Manchester, helping to transform what was once one of the most deprived area in Western Europe. Any potential punishment is a long way off yet, but could a suspension or expulsion raise the prospect of the owners losing interest or reducing their investment?

And what would relegation, the loss of the big European mid-week games, and the drop in attendances that would almost surely follow mean for local businesses that rely on match-day trade?

"There are concerns and there is a lot of confusion," said local councillor Majid Dar. "It's probably the most developed area of Manchester over the last 20 years. No other ward has had that level of