ManCity ponders life without Thaksin

The freezing of his accounts for possible corruption charges poses a huge roadblock to the proposed purchase of Manchester City Football Club by ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

One major hurdle is those possible charges. But according to the Guardian newspaper, there are others.

The paper quoted sources close to Mr Thaksin as admitting the deal was "on the ropes".

While the ex-premier and billionaire was said to be determined to press ahead with his takeover but the Premier League's intervention might prevent him taking any role in the top division even if he were still in a financial position to proceed.

Every board member or controlling shareholder of a Premier League club must sign a "director's declaration" stating whether he or she has convictions for fraud, theft, corruption or associated offences, newspapers are pointing out this morning.

Clubs with a director carrying such convictions are debarred from competing in the league until the association with the individual is terminated.

If charges and a conviction were to follow, the Premier League would be forced to exercise its fit-and-proper-persons regulations for the first time, the press said.

When the rules were introduce in August of 2004, the league's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, stated:

"The fit-and-proper-persons test puts football club directors in the Premier League under a far more rigorous test than ordinary company law."

The fact that Mr Thaksin might already have completed his purchase of City would not prevent retroactive enforcement by the Premier League.

Mr Thaksin and his representatives spent yesterday in a series of top-level meetings to discuss the freezing of his bank balances and other financial assets, and a statement from his lawyer, Michael Goldberg, said the 57-year-old would "vigorously evaluate all international options to protect his rights and interests".

"The junta is committed to finding means to circumvent any rule of law to persecute Dr Thaksin, his family, his friends and his business activities," Mr Goldberg continued. "The junta's attacks on Dr Thaksin amount to an arbitrary interference with his privacy and his family, his private property, his business interests as well as his honour and reputation."

The club's lawyers have asked Mr Thaksin for written confirmation that he is in a position to proceed and Manchester city council, which owns the stadium, has become involved, the Guardian newspaper reported.

"The perception of the club is one of drift," said the council leader, Sir Richard Leese. "The board ought to put a deadline on the takeover issue. It is reaching a stage where people should put up or shut up."