The recent findings against Manchester City, which confirmed the club violated a majority of the 115 financial charges brought against them, have sparked renewed debate regarding the legitimacy of past tournament results. Tony Pulis, writing for BBC Sport, expressed the sentiment of many Stoke City supporters who feel their club was unfairly disadvantaged during the 2011 FA Cup Final, which Manchester City won 1-0.

Pulis argues that if a team is found to have gained an unfair advantage through financial rule-breaking, the titles won during that period should be stripped or reallocated. He posits that the 'feel' of the loss remains a sore point for fans who believe they were competing against a side that was not playing by the same financial rules as the rest of the league. While the Premier League has confirmed the charges, there is currently no legal precedent or official mechanism in place to retroactively award the 2011 FA Cup to the runner-up.

The discussion highlights a broader frustration among fans of clubs that faced Manchester City during the period in question. Pulis suggests that the sporting integrity of the competition was undermined, and he is calling for the governing bodies to address the historical impact of these financial breaches. Manchester City has consistently denied wrongdoing throughout the investigation, and the club is expected to pursue further legal avenues to challenge the findings. As of now, the FA has not indicated any intention to alter the historical record of the 2011 FA Cup.