Paul’s analysis rests on primary documents, states how confident it is in each claim, and says what it does not know. This page explains how reports are researched, graded and corrected, so that readers can judge the weight to give them.
Sources, in order of preference
- Statutory and regulatory filings: Companies House filings and audited accounts, statutes and statutory instruments, regulator publications (including the Independent Football Regulator), and stock-exchange disclosures.
- Decisions and judgments: Premier League commission and appeal board decisions, court judgments, CJEU and CAS rulings, and the published rules of the Premier League, EFL, UEFA and FIFA.
- Official statements: club, league and company announcements, annual reports and investor materials.
- Reputable secondary sources: established financial and news reporting, used where primary documents are not public, and identified as such.
Where a figure is taken from a filing, the report names the document and the period it covers.
Evidence grading
Reports in The Analysis Series grade their key evidence:
| Grade | Meaning | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| A | Primary or statutory evidence | Audited accounts, filings, statutes, judgments |
| B | Reputable secondary evidence | Established financial and news reporting |
| C | Lower confidence | Single-source reports, inference, or estimates that cannot yet be tested against a primary document |
A conclusion is never stronger than the evidence beneath it. Where a finding depends on grade C material, the report says so.
Estimates and ranges
Where a figure is not disclosed, The Esk may estimate it. Estimates are labelled as such, show the method and assumptions, and are given as a range where the uncertainty is material. An estimate is replaced by the reported figure once that figure is published.
Formats
- Report: long-form analysis in The Analysis Series, with summary, key findings, scope, method, evidence grading and limitations.
- Briefing: a shorter update on a development, with sources.
- Opinion: Paul’s view, clearly labelled, still grounded in the record.
- Podcast: discussion; claims made on air are not graded in the same way as written reports.
- Guest contribution: written by a named third party, whose views are their own.
Dates and positions
Each report states the date it was prepared and, where facts may move, the position “as at” a stated date. Substantive later changes are marked on the article and logged on the Corrections page.
Right of reply
Where a report makes a significant critical finding about a named individual or organisation that is not already a matter of public record, The Esk will normally seek their response before publication and report it fairly.
Not advice
The Esk publishes analytical commentary. It is not legal, financial, investment or accounting advice, and should not be relied on as such. Readers should take professional advice on their own circumstances.
Citing The Esk
Please cite the author, title, The Esk, date of publication and URL. For example: Paul Quinn, ‘Title of report’, The Esk, 16 October 2026, [URL]. Charts and tables may be reproduced with attribution and a link to the original.