Sheffield United have been informed that they may have to wait for another ten days before the result of their arbitration hearing will be known. The arbitration panel considering the South Yorkshire club's complaint about the league's handling of the Carlos Tevez affair - the Blades contend that West Ham United should have been docked points rather than fined £5.5m - yesterday deferred its verdict, possibly until the end of June. "It's been a very complicated case, and the panel are going away to review the evidence and submissions," said the Bramall Lane club's plc chairman, Kevin McCabe, in a statement yesterday. "We have been told to expect a decision by the end of the month, hopefully sooner." The Premier League's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, would not comment, but he is understood to be interpreting the delay as a positive sign. As David Bond, writing in The Telegraph, points out, with less than two months until the start of the new season, any delay should be seen as a blow to Sheffield United's chances of victory. There is unlikely to be sufficient time, he concludes, for a new commission to re-examine the Tevez case before the campaign kicks off.
The Guardian also pick up on this point. Matt Scott insists any delay will present logistical difficulties for the Premier League if it must reconvene the initial hearing, which is the most extreme verdict available to the panellists if they find in Sheffield United's favour. If that is the outcome of the panel's deliberations it will leave the league with only six weeks before the new season in which to hold a new tribunal that would have the power effectively to relegate one of its member clubs. The situation is further complicated by the news that Sheffield United could face their own disciplinary inquiry over the transfer of Steve Kabba to Watford, after claims that United insisted on the striker not playing against them in a Premiership fixture between the two teams at Bramall Lane in April.
The Premier League said yesterday they would be looking into the claims to see if there is any evidence of a formal agreement having been in place. Such clauses are not permitted in transfers between Premier League clubs and, although a similar situation occurred with Everton keeper Tim Howard against his old club Manchester United, those clubs escaped disciplinary action as there was no formal agreement between them. The Mail insist that little should be read into this latest development. They claim that there is no mention of an agreement that could be a clear breach of Premier League rules in the contract and no separate written agreement. There may have been a gentlemen’s agreement, but as has already been shown, this would be unlikely to lead to the Premier League taking disciplinary action.
West Ham have so far remained silent on Sheffield United's bid to have their £5.5 million fine for breaking third-party ownership rules overturned and replaced by a points deduction. But they went on the attack last night after growing increasingly irritated at what they believe to be United's deliberately misleading claims that the current arbitration panel could order West Ham to be relegated to the Football League and replaced by the Yorkshire side. Last night a statement from Upton Park said: "West Ham United are and remain a Barclays Premier League Football Club. There is no scope for this to be changed by the Premier League's arbitration panel and West Ham United's status cannot be called into question in relation to next season. West Ham United were not and are not a party to the arbitration and our standing as a Premier League Club is not in doubt as a result of the panel's hearing. The Club are well advanced in preparing for the new season and are taking further steps to strengthen the playing squad over the summer. We will not be deflected from our goal of achieving success in the Premier League next season."
The Guardian also pick up on this point. Matt Scott insists any delay will present logistical difficulties for the Premier League if it must reconvene the initial hearing, which is the most extreme verdict available to the panellists if they find in Sheffield United's favour. If that is the outcome of the panel's deliberations it will leave the league with only six weeks before the new season in which to hold a new tribunal that would have the power effectively to relegate one of its member clubs. The situation is further complicated by the news that Sheffield United could face their own disciplinary inquiry over the transfer of Steve Kabba to Watford, after claims that United insisted on the striker not playing against them in a Premiership fixture between the two teams at Bramall Lane in April.
The Premier League said yesterday they would be looking into the claims to see if there is any evidence of a formal agreement having been in place. Such clauses are not permitted in transfers between Premier League clubs and, although a similar situation occurred with Everton keeper Tim Howard against his old club Manchester United, those clubs escaped disciplinary action as there was no formal agreement between them. The Mail insist that little should be read into this latest development. They claim that there is no mention of an agreement that could be a clear breach of Premier League rules in the contract and no separate written agreement. There may have been a gentlemen’s agreement, but as has already been shown, this would be unlikely to lead to the Premier League taking disciplinary action.
West Ham have so far remained silent on Sheffield United's bid to have their £5.5 million fine for breaking third-party ownership rules overturned and replaced by a points deduction. But they went on the attack last night after growing increasingly irritated at what they believe to be United's deliberately misleading claims that the current arbitration panel could order West Ham to be relegated to the Football League and replaced by the Yorkshire side. Last night a statement from Upton Park said: "West Ham United are and remain a Barclays Premier League Football Club. There is no scope for this to be changed by the Premier League's arbitration panel and West Ham United's status cannot be called into question in relation to next season. West Ham United were not and are not a party to the arbitration and our standing as a Premier League Club is not in doubt as a result of the panel's hearing. The Club are well advanced in preparing for the new season and are taking further steps to strengthen the playing squad over the summer. We will not be deflected from our goal of achieving success in the Premier League next season."
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14 comments:
As an outsider looking into the English game. 2 things stand out like a bright amber beacon. Bobby Moore the darling of the English game and captain of the '66 world cup winning team is so entrenched in West Ham's history that West Ham itself are entrenched in the English FA. Add to the mix a one Sir Trevor Brooking working within halls of power then one can surmise that any appeal by United will fall at the first hurdle. Only when the dated pictures of englands only world cup become so embarassingly old will West Hams place at the main table be in jeopardy.
This Whole Tevez affair is getting boring! Sheff Utd are clutching at straws and are an embarassment to football. I appreciate if it was my team I'd probably want to do the same, but ultimately they got relegated because they were not good enough. 38 points over 38 games will get you relegated most seasons? Time to face facts Mr McCabe your embarrasing your fans and your club!
So it would appear that the claims made by many that West Ham are busy offering silly wages and transfer fees to all and sundry in an attempt to sway the Panels decision are true. Now they come out and say in a round about way that we can't be relegated cos we've spent wads of cash for next year!!!!!! maybe if they'd done things properly and spent wads of cash last August instead of trying to get Tevez on the cheap and breaking the rules none of this would be happening.
As much as I sympathise with Sheffield United, they should still be relegated as they failed to perform when it mattered to save themselves. They need to move on now and focus on next season in the Championship.
for goodness sake whinging blades
take your relegation like men and get on with it, your demise was over a season [8 goals away] a useless gobby manager and a league way out of your depth,how much money is this costing mcabe[a lot] this may jeopardise a swift return.
This has become Dull. The blades deserve what they got. They are a poor side who play rubbish football and have no place in the PL. Why this second rate joke of a Team have been entertained with this pathetic attempt is beyond me. West Ham are a quality side and have paid the price with a monster record smashing fine, which they have accepted. Sheffield Utd can enjoy their time in the lower leagues where they belong and hopefully will remain in the future. They are a disgrace to football.
I agree on several points: this saga is boring, misrepresented and Sheff Utd should accept relegation. The point about West Ham winning the World Cup is also true but the FA is a different organisation than the Premier League - get your facts straight!
I would like to know why liverpool have suddenly become a witness?? Are they trying to cover their own backsides?? And like the previous post, sheff utd are clutching at straws, you went down because you were rubbish over 38 games, and if anything happens with the panel etc then maybe we should allow watford and charlton to stay up ?? I Do not see them still looking for a way back in to the premiership, they are concentrating on next season, do us all a favour shut up and live with the fact you were rubbish and not worthy of a place due to lack of points!!! If you are so good win the place back by stomping all over the championship teams.
Sheffield United are on a loser as the case in question is NOT a rerun of the original investigation but only to check that it was following the PL procedure, frankly a waste of time to all concerned, also as it now appears that Sheff have apparently acted incorrectly in one of their transfers is out of order!!!
Any one of you if it was your club would want to do the same. West Ham should have been docked points ala Middlesbro, Swindon etc. Just because the PL daren't upset their southern darlings! We have accepted relegation and I am looking forward to winning the championship next season but if we were reinstated then ill accept that too.
Sorry "way out of your depth"? Blades beat Arsenal, Tottenham and should've have beaten Liverpool. They played their hearts out and at the end of it a team who didn't play by the rules stayed up while a team that did play by the rules was relegated.
As for the "record breaking" fine well in the past any clubs breaking the rules to such an extent were docked points. Just because they would be relegated and i quote "that would be unfair to the fans and the players who had nothing to do with this". What about Sheffield United fans?
I think the important thing here is that justice is done.
I'm a neutral in all this but I'm irritated by the the argument that SheffU deserved to go down because they are a poor team, only got 38 points, etc. The obvious shortcomings of SheffU are irrelevant, as are West Ham's poor performances (0-6 at Reading, 0-4 at Charlton, 0-3 at SheffU, etc.). The question is should West Ham have had a points deduction? That's it, that's all.
Other silly arguments are: West Ham provided the captain and goal scorers for England's World Cup winning team. Irrelevant. Charlton and Watford aren't complaining. Irrelevant. Even if West Ham are deducted 30 points, Charlton and Watford are still relegated. They have nothing to gain by appealing.
Come on, people, stick to the point!
West Ham beat my team, the Champions, and also beat Arsenal. They performed extraordinarily well at the end of the season
when Sheffield Utd contrived to lose to Wigan.
They have got more success in whining so that the Premier League have convened this so called
"Arbitration Hearing."
Has Anyone seen its terms of reference? Are they in writing?
Sheffield United are making themselves look very foolish. They were well clear of relegation, and have only themselves to blame for dropping down and out in the final weeks of the season. Stop crying over spilt milk and get on with it.
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