Town manager Joe Royle has been awarded £422,000 in damages after winning his compensation claim against Manchester City. The case was heard at the High Court in Liverpool two weeks ago.

Royle claimed that his golden handshake from City in May 2001 should have been at an agreed Premiership level of £750,000 rather than the lower Division One sum he was actually paid.

Lawyers representing the Town manager argued that City were still effectively a Premiership club until their Premier League share was returned at an AGM in the following June.

Royle was sacked in May after City's relegation back to Division One was confirmed. Manchester City argued that a club is relegated when it is mathematically impossible for them to escape the drop.

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