Man City and Liverpool FA Cup farce proves Super League promises made to fans were all lies

Just 11 months ago, in the midst of a global pandemic, a defining moment in football history - in this country but also across the continent - came to pass.

Last April, six Premier League clubs, along with a further six more European teams - announced plans to form a European Super League. It sparked outrage among fans and numerous protests across the country. It was an idea proposed by the rich that would benefit only the rich, the concept of a closed-league structure comprising solely of the 'elite' totally at odds with the history and spirit of the game.

Fans took to the streets en masse and lobbied their clubs to withdraw; within 48 hours they had and the big boys' club was dead in the water. It was a significant moment, one that showed the average supporter that change can happen from the ground up, that fans are the most important stakeholders in the game and can achieve anything when they unite.

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A series of apologies from the six English clubs involved - Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham - followed in the aftermath, a form of damage limitation and supposed humbled gesture. The FA, opposed to the project along with the Premier League, issued a statement acknowledging the role supporters had played in bringing down the Super League.

"We would like to thank the fans, in particular, for their influential and unequivocal voice during this time, holding true the guiding principles of football," it read. "It is a powerful reminder that the game is, and always will be, for fans."

There was optimism that going forward clubs and governing bodies would think twice before disregarding