Geoff Shreeves Interview: ‘Force of nature’ Gary Neville reboots like a computer; Manchester City must be relegated if FFP charges stick

February 14, 2024
3 Minute Read

In an exclusive interview with LuckyBlock.com, pitch-side reporter Geoff Shreeves joked that ‘relentless’ Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville reboots like a computer rather than going to sleep at night.

Shreeves claimed that EPL chiefs will have no choice but to relegate Manchester City if they are found guilty of their 115 FFP charges and he also revealed his favourite Premier League season since its inception in 1992.

Interview Highlights:

  • ‘Relentless’ Gary Neville reboots like a computer and doesn’t understand holidays
  • Manchester City should be relegated if found guilty of 115 FFP charges
  • Leicester’s epic 5000/1 Premier League title winning season will never be beaten

‘Force of nature’ Gary Neville reboots like a computer

Geoff Shreeves claims the credit for bringing Gary Neville to Sky Sports as a pundit and he revealed that the former Manchester United defender is just as intense when the cameras stop rolling as he was during his playing career;

Geoff Shreeves: “Gary always credits me for taking him to Sky. It was part of my role in the old days because I wasn’t just a reporter. So the public can either thank me or blame me. Some people will be on either side of the fence there. Honestly, he’s a force of nature. I don’t know anybody like him.

“I honestly don’t think he actually goes to sleep at night. He reboots like a computer. He doesn’t understand holidays, does he? Or weekends, he’s just constantly on it. He is relentless and I often get a text or an email from him at four in the morning.”

Manchester City must be relegated if FFP charges stick

Champions Manchester City have 115 Financial Fair Play related charges hanging over their head dating back to 2009 and have seen various punishments speculated on – including a big fine, points deductions and relegation from the Premier League;

Geoff Shreeves: “The Everton and Manchester City charges are very different. You can’t compare the two directly and Everton were in dialogue with the Premier League all the way through their process. I think with Manchester City, it will come to court but not for two years at least. It’s a long, a long, long way down the road.

“I don’t see that the Premier League would have any other option [than to relegate City if they are found guilty]. They’ve set a precedent with Everton with those points deductions. They primarily pushed for a 12 point deduction. So it has to be a possibility, it has to be.”

Leicester’s 2016 title is greatest in Premier League history

In what was described as one of the greatest sporting stories of all time, 5000/1 underdogs Leicester beat the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City to become Premier League champions in the 2015–16 season, a feat that Shreeves can’t see being beaten;

Geoff Shreeves: “Arguably my favourite win of all of them all was Leicester City who were 5,000 to 1. They managed to do it in the ultra modern era where there are huge clubs with huge amounts of money. Although they had a wealthy owner, they hadn’t lavished anything like the sort of money the other teams had, and I think that’s my favourite Premier League title of all time.”

Shreeves also spoke about his other favourite top flight seasons, adding: “Manchester United hadn’t won the trophy for 26 years and then they went and won the inaugural Premier League with Sir Matt Busby in the stands and Sir Alex Ferguson there. There was this kind of handing over of the baton from Sir Matt to plain old Alex, as he was then. So that was fantastic.

“Then you had Arsene Wenger and everything he brought to the Premier League when he arrived in 1996. The teams he created – he changed football completely. Then Jose Mourinho arrived as a young upstart and that was unreal, if you fast forward we saw some fantastic battles between those three. Blackburn Rovers winning the title – that was such a one off as well. Shearer and Sutton and Kenny Dalglish. Fantastic fun.”

Owen Fulda

Owen is an experienced and established sports journalist who has worked in the industry for well over a decade. Having graduated from News Associates, he has subsequently featured in publications from the UK to Australia, including the Daily Star and…

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