Is there a shadow cast over Manchester City, despite this seasons success?

Following reports this morning that Thaksin Shinawatra feels City have the potential to challenge United, FFC columnist David Mooney is still undecided about the former Thai Prime Minister and despite City's successes this season, feels a shadow may always be cast over the club.

Manchester City owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, has returned to Thailand to face charges of corruption during his time as Prime Minister. When he arrived in Bangkok, he was met by flag-waving supporters (not City supporters, I presume!) and police officers who took him directly to court.  

Shinawatra is currently on bail in Thailand and under strict orders not to leave the country without prior permission.

His stewardship of Manchester City raised controversy from the start. City fans are still split over the morality of his ownership, and, while the actual quality of the football and the level of investment can't be argued with, the issues as to where his money came from and supposedly how shady his time in office in the far east can be questioned.

Without diving too deeply into his actions as Thai Prime Minister, it's been neither proved nor disproved that he abused his power or evaded paying his taxes (unless he self-assessed: after all, tax doesn't have to be Thaksin!). A simple Googling or Wikipedia-ing of his name produces hits that list all of his supposed crimes. His human rights record isn't the worst in the world, but, once more, if the allegations are believed, they're not admirable. Despite these allegations, he was passed as a "fit and proper person" to run a football club by the Premier League.

When he arrived at City, Shinawatra insisted that he was through with politics. I'd like to believe this, but yet the cynic in me suggests that he acquired the club for his own political ends. Hopefully, I'm wrong, but the whole affair does make you wonder whether or not City were his tool to gaining a fan base in England.

There were a lot of Blues who didn't renew season tickets based on his ownership of the club and the dubiety of his motives or funds. There were some who decided that they'd seen enough dreadful football and, by the time the renewal date arrived, didn't want to suffer another season.

There are even some who refuse to give their money to Shinawatra, but would still like to watch City and so go to away matches only.

As for me, I'm still undecided on his motives. At the beginning of the season, I expressed my disapproval, based on his monetary acquisitions, and that is the area of his background that worries me the most. And it's something I fear will always be over the club, as it seems unlikely a decision can truly and honestly be made about him.

But with the number of foreign owners coming into the game, how can we know for sure where all the money has come from? And how can we guarantee that player prices aren't going to inflate to even more silly prices, as money becomes no object to the bigger (Premiership) clubs?