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 178 - 197 of 237

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  1. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Huh?

    From iamstorm, on Tue 23 Sep 3:58PM

  2. Why didnt west ham just buy sheff utd and then shut­ them down.They are not good enough for the premiership­ and all the money they get from west ham will not go on­ players it will go straight in the pockets of the­ board.They will not risk not being promoted and stuck­ with players they cant afford.Plenty of bubbly in­ sheffield at the weekend me thinks

    From whubob, on Tue 23 Sep 3:50PM

  3. Are Sheffield forgetting that they had the whole of the­ season to make sure they weren't at the bottom of­ the league and because they were and got beaten, they­ are making West Ham scapegoats. It's not West­ Ham's fault that they were fighting against­ relegation. Definitely sour grapes by Sheffield and if­ I were the West Ham Board I would fight tooth and nail­ to get this verdict rescinded. Where are Sheffield now,­ by the way?

    From Cornish Girl, on Tue 23 Sep 3:46PM

  4. I was not west hams fault that sheffield went down but­ they are the only team complaining. Maybe they should­ look at themselves and there own @#$% performances­ rather than trying to blame everyone else. Hopefully­ the £30 million while stop them from whining but i­ doubt if it will make them a better side.

    From Andrew T, on Tue 23 Sep 3:43PM

  5. SHEFFIELD UTD STOP CRYING IF YOU THOUGHT IT WAS WRONG­ WHAT WENT ON
    AT WEST HAM WHY DID YOU NOT OPEN YOUR­ MOUTHS AT THE TIME WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED
    YOU WAS NO­ GOOD THEN AND YOUR STILL NO GOOD TO BE IN THE­ PREMIERSHIP AND I HOPE YOU STAY WHERE YOU BELONG IN THE­ FIRST DIVISION

    From ronaldh, on Tue 23 Sep 3:42PM

  6. I'm sure I'm not the only Sheffield United­ sympathiser who thinks they're better off with the­ 30m, and playing in a league where more than 4 or at­ best 5 clubs have anything serious to play for. Love­ football. Hate the Primadonnaship.

    From Paul G, on Tue 23 Sep 3:42PM

  7. Has Bovboot forgotten that towards the end of the­ season Sheffield thrashed West Ham by three goals to­ nil. There's no doubt, that were the roles­ reversed, Sheffield would have had points deducted by­ the old school tie brigade. Thank goodnness for a bit­ of common sense and unbiased judgemnet from the­ independent panel. However the compensation, which I­ understand may be about 30 million pounds, will not­ begin to punish the West Ham cheats, as most of them­ are long gone now. It is unfortunate that the new­ regime has to clear up the mess. Good luck to Zola and­ his staff.

    From claitjmw, on Tue 23 Sep 3:31PM

  8. i assume liverpool will be fined too for fielding a­ weakened team against fulham before their champions­ league final in the same season.neil warnock claimed­ rafa benitez had contributed to sheffield uniteds­ relegation by giving fulham a path out of relegation by­ resting star players.sheffield united weren't good­ enough to stay in the premier league,they didn't­ perform well enough and deserved to go down and should­ have accepted this when it happened and moved on.they­ are still a second rate team as they were then,and­ taking west ham through the courts is just trying to­ cover up the fact that they just weren't good­ enough!!

    From jonmarsh14, on Tue 23 Sep 3:29PM

  9. Seems like you have a jack the ripper way of looking at­ things there Ian l are you going out tonight to clean­ up the streets?

    From john d, on Tue 23 Sep 3:29PM

  10. lcarter you sad man.
    'sheffield ARE pure­ @#$%..
    jealous of us having him in the­ premiership..
    and clearly skint asking for 30­ mill

    joke!!'

    That would be Sheffield United, well­ known as one of the most financially sound and well­ funded clubs in the whole of the league (and about to­ become 30m better off again) being 'skint' and­ West Ham, the third biggest debt ridden club in the­ whole league being a paragon of business­ effectiveness???? Your take on it is the joke­ mate.....

    From Paul G, on Tue 23 Sep 3:19PM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    typical prem league clubs whores prem league players­ whores prem league fans whores money,money,fine,fine­ points deducted for rule breaking thats what was needed­ did i mention your all whores

    From ian l, on Tue 23 Sep 3:15PM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    WEST SHAM. PEPPERED HAM. HAM AND HIGH. HAM­ STIRRED. HAMPERED. GONE WEST. HAMMERED. SHEFFIELD­ STEEL. SHEFFIELD STOLE. OUT OF LEFT FIELD SHEF FIELD.­ BORED NOW

    From GARY, on Tue 23 Sep 3:13PM

  13. ithink its utterly pointless to fine west ham 30million­ all it will do is give sheffield united the ability to­ buy whoever they like in january. it will make no­ difference to west ham as a club... however i pesonally­ believe thatthe intial punishment for west ham of 5­ million was pathetic and had they been fined properly­ in the first place there wouldn't still be an­ issue.

    From chrisloweinmoscow, on Tue 23 Sep 3:08PM

  14. Lets not kid anyone. West Ham United cheated and lied­ their way through the whole situation. Sheffield United­ didnt want to go down this route it was forced to by­ the Premier Laegue and the FA who should have done­ their jobs

    If it wasnt for the FA Mafia (Trevor­ Brooking and Co) points would have been­ deducted.

    POINTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEDUCTED!!!!!West­ Ham United are in the financal trouble they are because­ of bad managment not the Sheffield United­ Affair..

    Sheffield United did not cause this situation­ West Ham United did by lying and breaking the­ rules.

    Take the punishment and stop­ whinging...........

    From John, on Tue 23 Sep 2:52PM

  15. What about all the other teams down the bottom west ham­ beat with teves in the side if those points were given­ back to them sheff utd would have gone down anyway

    From stevenshelly85, on Tue 23 Sep 2:52PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Sheffield are a JOKE,if u were good enough u would have­ got a point to stay up.hope we get you in the­ cup,we'll £$%^ all over u're two bob team an­ £$% fan's.come on you irons.

    From Peter, on Tue 23 Sep 2:51PM

  17. all clubs from all divisions know the rules or have­ legal people that can advise them on all the rules,and­ rules were broken by west ham not liverpool or man­ united.
    i can not understand why if a club gets into­ trouble in any way shape or form the fans react by­ saying what about man u.
    look at yourself west ham­ should of been deducted points and playing in the­ championship.the fact if sheff united are good or not­ is not an issue the point is west ham cheated and it­ cost them money but most important a place in the prem­ league.
    30 million or prem status choose yes your the­ winners in this not sheff united.
    kind regards
    burnley­ fan

    From ian l, on Tue 23 Sep 2:48PM

  18. This case was a responsible move by the Sheffield­ United board for commercial reasons. I agree that­ United would have had a better case if they had­ returned to the Premiership immediately but the­ financial inplications of demotion meant having to­ dispose of their best player to Everton. What still is­ not right is the FA's original decision which, if­ taken against a club in the lower divisions, would have­ been very different.... as a result of that decisiion,­ the credibility of the FA as a governing body is very­ much open to question.

    From georgefeltrup, on Tue 23 Sep 2:46PM

  19. Does this mean that the 6 points Sheffield united got­ from West Ham will be considered invalid as he shouldnt­ have been playing then either

    From stevenshelly85, on Tue 23 Sep 2:46PM

  20. I thought sheffield were relegated due to only winning­ 10 games out of a possible 38?
    they lost due to rob­ hulse who was in very good form at the time breaking­ his leg V chelsea (a clash with the GK) in the march­ they lost the next few games on the bounce i recall
    I­ am not a supporter of either club but do not see how­ money is going nto compensate them for being a very­ poor team they are not even challenging the­ championship this year so far

    From LEX, on Tue 23 Sep 2:45PM
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