"To cheat, trick, deceive, delude with false pretences; to impose upon, take in, hoax."

That is the Oxford English definition of the word "sham".

And that word appears eight times in the independent commission's ruling published on Tuesday , which found Manchester City guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of financial rules, and all but one in relation to a failure to co-operate with the investigation.

The 40-page document makes fascinating reading.

It catalogues how the club's owners, Abu Dhabi United Group, knew from the 2009-10 season that there would be major overspends if the club was to reach the level they wanted to get to.

So, the ruling says, City found a way to boost sponsorship income. Season, after season, after season.

The report shows how the club's owners were topping up the value of the deals.

The so-called Disguised Funding Scheme is the central plank in a series of charges that Manchester City have been found guilty of by the Premier League.