Premier League - West Ham 'fined £30m over Tevez'

Eurosport - Tue, 23 Sep 22:00:00 2008

Sheffield United have won their compensation claim against West Ham after an independent tribunal ruled in the South Yorkshire club's favour regarding the Carlos Tevez affair.

FOOTBALL 2007-2008 Premier League - Carlos Tevez, West Ham - 0

Blades chairman Kevin McCabe revealed that the FA-appointed tribunal found the Hammers guilty of breaching league regulations when they signed Tevez and Argentine compatriot Javier Mascherano, now at Liverpool, at the beginning of the 2006-07 season.

"I can confirm that both clubs have been notified of the ruling," he told the club's official website.

"The arbitration panel has awarded in our favour. The matter is still legally in process so I do not wish to comment any further until we have completed that process."

In response to press reports that West Ham face a £30m pay-out to Sheffield United, McCabe said it would be "inappropriate" to discuss the figure at present.

A West Ham spokesperson told the BBC: "We need to digest the full findings of the arbitration panel and will consult our lawyers on the next steps we might take before making any further comment."

The Football Association confirmed that there was no further right of appeal against the latest ruling.

"The dispute has been heard by a private independent arbitration tribunal set up under the FA's rules," the governing body stated.

"The arbitration tribunal is comprised of one member nominated by each club, plus an independent member agreed upon by the two parties.

"All aspects of the arbitration, including publicity, are then a matter for the arbitration tribunal and the two parties concerned.

"For clarity, the FA did not sit in judgment on this case, did not have any influence on the decision and did not appoint any of the tribunal members."

The three-man panel consisted of former MCC president Lord Griffiths, former High Court judge Sir Anthony Colman and Robert Englehart QC.

West Ham avoided relegation on the final day of the 2006-07 season at the expense of the Bramall Lane outfit, with Tevez scoring the only goal of the game against Manchester United at Old Trafford - his sixth in the final 10 matches.

He subsequently moved to the Red Devils and helped them become Premier League and European champions in 2007-2008.

The original three-man Premier League arbitration panel, which agreed that West Ham had contravened rules on third-party ownership of players, fined the East London club £5.5m instead of imposing a points penalty which would have seen Sheffield United stay up.

The Championship club have since pursued monetary compensation for the losses incurred by relegation, estimated by them at £50m, which include gate receipts, matchday income from hospitality and restaurants and broadcasting monies.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport

Comment 218 - 237 of 237

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  1. If Sheffield United had been the team to field two ineligable players would they have recieved a 5.5 million pound fine or a points deduction? I believe they would have got the latter plus a fine. The whole thing stinks. Knowingly or not West Ham broke the rules and should have recieved a points deduction.

    From sampy, on Wed 24 Sep 11:22PM

  2. not only did west ham play illegal players,the guys running the show actually condoned it.did trevor brooking have any influence i find myself asking ?sheff utd were not quite up to the task- but then again, the stats dont lie,west ham gained points with the illegal's playing,of course they should have docked some points,but its done now,sheff utd have got to rise again and prove their point if they feel they have one to prove.the whole affair is a complete shambles,it seems as though the prem league bosses make it up(punishment) as they go along to suit the size/stature/location of the club involved.ARE west ham bigger than sheff utd?

    From L.Prezidenti, on Wed 24 Sep 11:00AM

  3. i aggree with Gerri, who by the way is a babe..........Forever Blowing Bubble

    From concerned, on Wed 24 Sep 12:47AM

  4. is it me or is this just a be joke. from what i see both teams had the whole season to make sure they did not end up to the drop zone. one got lucky the other did not. so tell me why does teves have anything to do with it? the F.A said he can so they played end of story. if the blades were a good team they would've been back the next season, just like when juventus got relegated to seria b the were right back to seria a the next season. while the blades could not get back to the prem which shows they are not good enough. why only blame west ham blam all the other teams who beat you that season maybe they cheated by being the better side. if yor not good thats just that.
    GUNNERS FOR LIFE

    From fevrier361@..., on Wed 24 Sep 12:19AM

  5. all the blades had to do was draw at HOME on last day of the season could not do that right!!!perhaps the ref was from west ham? oh well theres all ways bent judges@lawyers to stick a sheffield steel knife in your back !!!!!!! tried twice for same crime!!!!!! should the FA and the premier league not have been taken to court ????????

    From grahammiller1950@..., on Tue 23 Sep 11:22PM

  6. well whats wrong with the FA one rule for one one for another - is it keep going to until the club has the result it wants??? of course it is! always has ! always will be!
    illegal approaches to players? oh thats ok its man utd or chelsea - leave them alone - need i go on ?

    From NIGEL, on Tue 23 Sep 10:35PM

  7. good. bet the greedy little toad doesnt give anythin back to the club he" loves"

    From michaelmarshall1966, on Tue 23 Sep 10:21PM

  8. Good call, right decision. I am no Sheffield Utd fan, and not endeared to Warnocks style. That said Sheffield were robbed of there rightful place, in the premier league.West Ham cheated. The FA have been exposed as ineffective and inept,... again. No change there then.

    From DARIN C, on Tue 23 Sep 10:16PM

  9. bored now...

    From COLIN, on Tue 23 Sep 10:03PM

  10. And were losing to Watford who never moaned about going down sums it up really only there northerners have a chip on there shoulders

    From sonic2three, on Tue 23 Sep 9:29PM

  11. HaHa a bunch of kids just beat Sheffield utd haha

    From sonic2three, on Tue 23 Sep 9:25PM

  12. And Warnock still a p##t

    From sonic2three, on Tue 23 Sep 9:15PM

  13. hey maybe sheffield can bye a youth team with the money they now have got. pmsl

    From jay m, on Tue 23 Sep 9:01PM

  14. What @#$%, this is all speculation and will certainly be appealed if true.

    From Stevo, on Tue 23 Sep 8:57PM

  15. @ Gerri.
    Javier Mascherano is now fully owned by Liverpool, they paid about 17mill for him last summer. He was on loan to Liverpool but they got the all clear from the FA regarding his Terms of Contract before signing the deal so are clear of anything.
    Not sure about Tevez's situation though.

    From john m, on Tue 23 Sep 8:38PM

  16. well done sheffield united for just being dumb.To say westham only stayed up because of one player is perfetic. 1st the fa allowed the players to play. tevez did not score for the first 19 games. all the relegated teams beat west ham. teves did not score against sheffield. Therefore had no influance on the games. the fa then said that he could play. In that time zamora became top scorer, noble was outstanding. green saved 4 penaltys including man u. westham won against both arsenal and man u and liverpool. west ham new they had to win or be down. Sheffield only had to draw to stay up. Sheffield had a illigal agreement with wigan that the player they sold was not allowed to play against them. Third party ownership is allowed in nearlly all eu countrys / fa. westham have been punished. But this is too much with no sound basis.

    From jay m, on Tue 23 Sep 8:29PM

  17. £30 mill = 1/2 pence to MAN CITY lol

    From mcpluker, on Tue 23 Sep 8:17PM

  18. What a load of @#$% !!

    From Old Mr Happy, on Tue 23 Sep 8:14PM

  19. If the only way to punish the hammers is to fine them, then bring it on, we are still in the Premiership, the premier league is a better league with the football that we play, rather than the hit and hope of those yorkshire part timers!!! would you have seen Gianfranco Zola jumping at the chance to manager SHEFF UTD? no i don't think so.
    Give it up Shitefield United, you are not good enough to compete with us in the Premier League RIP
    A DEVOTED HAMMERS FAN

    From jabba72@..., on Tue 23 Sep 7:51PM

  20. haha all these comments are jokes, u never heard sheffield utd crying about tevez when they beat us 3-0 and was 10 points clear of us with a handful of games left to go.

    THERES ONLY ONE CARLOS TEVEZ

    From Lee B, on Tue 23 Sep 7:33PM
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