The letter West Ham sent to the Premier League proving Argentine forward
Carlos Tevez was eligible to play for them has been seen by the BBC's Inside
Sport. The letter, which was sent on 27 April, stated the agreement between
the club, the player and associated companies was "terminated with immediate
effect". Wigan chairman Dave Whelan had called for the documents to be made
public. He is concerned the Hammers have been breaking rules over
third-party ownership during the season's finale. Tevez scored the winner at
Manchester United on the final day of the season which helped West Ham avoid
relegation. And the striker scored seven goals in the club's final 10 games
of the season to help them claw their way to safety. But recriminations over
his move and the fact that West Ham were fined and not docked points over
the signings of Tevez and his compatriot Javier Mascherano in August have
marred their strong finish to the campaign. Whelan is aggrieved at the
handling of the case and had called for "concrete evidence" that the
termination was pushed through before 28 April, when his club played West
Ham.
The letter seen by Inside Sport reads: "We hereby notify you that the
private agreement (as so amended, varied, modified or replaced) is hereby
terminated with immediate effect and shall cease to have any further force
of effect." Whelan had added: "Surely the contract can only be terminated by
both parties?"
There appears to be some doubt over whether Kia Joorabchian, who part-owns
one of the third party companies and played a key role in bringing Tevez and
Mascherano to West Ham, agreed. Wigan lost 3-0 to the Hammers with Tevez
playing a key role in a victory which boosted their chances of survival and
put the Latics further in jeopardy. And that prompted an angry reponse from
the Hammers' relegation rivals, who threatened legal action over the
decision. The Latics avoided the drop on the final day of the season with a
win at Sheffield United which sent their hosts down. But Whelan has promised
to stand by the Blades, along with Fulham and Charlton, as he seeks
"justice". The Premier League says any action against the decision would be
futile, because all 20 clubs agreed to the disciplinary system in place.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Furore over Tevez 'aided Hammers' - BBC
England and West Ham keeper Robert Green says the furore over Carlos Tevez
provided the club with their motivation to pull off their relegation escape.
The Hammers stayed up after beating Manchester United and Green, 27, told
the Evening Standard: "The off-field stuff invoked a siege mentality. "We
won't get the plaudits for winning seven of our last nine games but none of
us gives a monkey's about that. "People can say what they like, we did our
talking on the pitch."
The Hammers were fined £5.5m but not docked points after being found guilty
of acting improperly and withholding vital documentation over the ownership
of Tevez and Mascherano, who is now at Liverpool. Seven Premiership clubs
are believed to be backing a legal bid against the Premier League over the
decision not to dock points from the Hammers. But Green said: "I don't think
anyone can deny us our right to stay in the league after what we have done.
"We have done the impossible, if we start next season the way we finished
this one we will be in the Champions League. "This is up there with the best
feelings I have had in football, it's a great achievement from the position
we were in. "But in another way, it was a position which was avoidable. You
can make excuses for what has happened on and off the pitch but the bottom
line is that for three quarters of the season, it wasn't good enough."
Meanwhile, Hammers' skipper Nigel Reo-Coker admits his future at Upton Park
is uncertain. Reo-Coker was targeted by some supporters as the main culprit
behind West Ham's slump earlier this season. He said: "I don't know what my
future is and I need to sit down and talk with the manager and chairman this
week. "I've been through the mill this season but it has made me a stronger
person. "I am very loyal but to play at my best I need to be happy. I made a
promise to West Ham fans that I would keep this club in the Premier League
and I've done that."
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Magnusson thinking big - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 14th May 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
Hammers Chairman Eggert Magnusson has told the Icelandic press that he has
his eyes on several major signings this summer. Last weekend it was
suggested that should the Hammers avoid relegation, Alan Curbishley would be
rewarded with a transfer warchest in excess of £40m. And earlier today
Magnusson confirmed that the club were looking at a number of possible
expensive new signings - although he refused to divulge exactly who he and
Curbishley were monitoring. Likely targets will be Charlton's Darren Bent
and Newcastle captain Scott Parker, a former player of Curbishley's said to
be unhappy in the North East. However the transfer net could be cast much
wider this summer, given Magnusson's extensive network of worldwide
contacts. However the player the majority of United fans will be imploring
Magnusson to sign is Carlos Tevez, who said goodbye to his colleagues
earlier today before jetting off back to Argentina for the summer.
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The 10th annual KUMB awards - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 14th May 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
Voting for KUMB's 2006/07 season annual awards is now open ...
The 06/07 season has been an incredible journey for West Ham United and its
supporters. Looking to improve on last season's ninth place finish and FA
Cup Final appearance at the start of the year, no Hammers fan could have
possibly envisaged what was to unfold over the course of the next nine
months. There's been some incredible games; you can vote for your favourite
in one of our eleven categories. We're also looking for your goal of the
season, and despite going 1,100-odd minutes without one at one stage there
are plenty of contenders. We're also looking for the players you consider
to be your best signing and most improved player - again there are plenty of
contenders for those categories (with a 'youtube' link to each one). Back
one again (having been temporarily rested last year) are the wooden spoon
categories for your worst player and worst signing - whilst a new category
this year is the Keith Hackett memorial award for biggest rogue (and there's
been one or two). But the main prize is that of KUMB Player of the Year.
Last year it was won by Danny Gabbidon (who promptly went AWOL), who
followed Teddy Sheringham, the 04/05 winner. Strong contenders for 06/07
are the club's Player of the Year, Carlos Tevez, whilst the likes of Robert
Green, Bobby Zamora and Mark Noble are also in with a shout. To cast your
votes, click here. The results will be published here on KUMB early next
month.
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'Gang of four' to step up legal proceedings - Telegraph
By David Bond
Last Updated: 3:44am BST 15/05/2007
The bitter dispute over Carlos Tevez looks set to escalate today with the
'gang of four' preparing to issue a new legal threat to the Premier League
by seeking a judicial review of the decision not to dock West Ham points for
breaking rules on third-party ownership. Any hopes Premier League chief
executive Richard Scudamore might have had that Sunday's thrilling climax to
the season would spell the end of the revolt looks set to be shattered with
the disaffected clubs preparing to step up their legal challenge. Following
talks yesterday, the clubs will write to the Premier League this morning
appealing for an arbitration panel to be set up to examine whether the
decision by an independent commission to fine West Ham £5.5 million was
"flawed." If the League refuse, then Fulham, Wigan, Sheffield United and
Charlton will go to the courts to seek a judicial review in an attempt to
overturn the decision.
On another frantic day of activity in the Premiership, it also emerged that:
• Scudamore will contact all 20 Premiership clubs today to reassure them
that the crisis is under control.
• Fulham are considering a separate legal claim against the Premier League
after West Ham's win over Manchester United, which came courtesy of a Tevez
goal, ensured they finished a place above them in the table, earning them an
extra £500,000.
• The leading sports lawyer Michael Beloff is being lined up to lead the
gang of four's case.
The Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, who has made it clear he will continue to
back the campaign even though his side avoided relegation at the expense of
Sheffield United, claimed at least three more clubs, including
Middlesbrough, were preparing to support them. But Tottenham, one club to be
linked with the protest in recent days, told The Daily Telegraph that they
were definitely not involved. Fulham director Stuart Benson, a lawyer who is
helping to co-ordinate the four clubs' case, said: "The fight continues and
the clubs stand firm. "We are grossly dissatisfied. The fact that the
relegation issues have been sorted out makes no difference whatsoever."
The clubs believe the independent commission were wrong not to dock points
on the basis that it was too late in the campaign. The ruling by lawyer
Simon Bourne-Arton said that a points deduction would have been appropriate
earlier in the season but was disproportionate nearer the end. The gang of
four also questioned whether the loyalty of West Ham's fans should have been
an issue and argue the fact the club had been taken over mid-season by
Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson was irrelevant. With one top sports
lawyer suggesting yesterday that the fairest way to solve the crisis would
be to allow Sheffield United to play on in a Premier League of 21 teams next
season, Whelan reiterated his support for the team his club helped send
down.
He said: "The West Ham situation is in the hands of Sheffield United, we
fully support them. Fulham do, Charlton do, Middlesbrough do. We have to
clean all this up. Time is on the side of the Premier League, I have said to
Sheffield United that they must get stuck into the League's bones in the
next seven days. "Sheffield United have told me they have a fantastically
strong case."
United plc chairman Kevin McCabe added that he would be seeking the support
of more Premier League clubs in the coming days. He said: "It needs
conversations with respective chairman and directors for them to understand
all of the injustices but most of them do know that already. "There is a
consensus most clubs support an injustice so I hope we will get the vast
majority of clubs in the Premier League supporting our case."
But Scudamore will attempt to dampen the chance of any further revolt by
writing to the clubs today. A spokesman said: "There is a lot of
misinformation out there and we want to offer some clarity about the
processes and decisions that have been taken."
What next?
Who are the 'gang of four?'
Charlton, Fulham, Sheffield United and Wigan.
Are there any more clubs likely to support them?
None prepared to go public as yet.
What are they protesting about?
They believe West Ham should have been docked points rather than fined £5.5
million for breaking Premier League third-party ownership rules over the
signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano last August. They have also
attacked the League over their decision to allow Tevez to carry on playing
for West Ham after they were found guilty.
Why was Tevez allowed to play on and help West Ham avoid relegation?
Because, the League say, West Ham "unilaterally terminated" their
third-party agreements with the player's owners after the commission
delivered their verdict on April 27.
But what if Tevez's owners sue for breach of contract?
The League say that doesn't matter because, according to rule U18, it is not
whether a player is owned by a third party but whether that third party is
able to exert a "material influence" over a club and their policies. The
disgruntled clubs argue that one party cannot simply cancel a contract, and
therefore question whether the agreement is no longer in force.
What can the gang of four do?
They are considering two options: ask for a judicial review of the original
decision, or pressure the League to open an investigation into why they
allowed Tevez to play on, as the striker was re-registered after the April
27 judgment, outside the transfer window.
What approach is more likely?
A judicial review now appears the favoured route, although the courts have
shown a reluctance in the past to step in and settle football's disputes.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Premier League have egg on their faces, not West Ham - Telegraph
By Sue Mott
Last Updated: 3:44am BST 15/05/2007Page 1 of 2
All the forces of civilised Christendom seem to have been ranged against
West Ham United on Sunday but as they say at the sort of nightclubs Anton
Ferdinand frequents: 'What yer gonna do about it?'
Nothing is the answer. West Ham stayed up. Sheffield United went down and,
for all the outraged talk of the London club being beneficiaries of
ill-gotten gains, the fault lies squarely with the Premier League, who
refused to endorse their own rules.
Spare us the sermonising claptrap demanding that natural justice be done
against the lying, cheating Hammers. If the rules had been properly upheld -
for West Ham admitted the offence of fielding ineligible players and were
fined £5.5 million as punishment - offering prayers to the deities of Just
Causes would not have been necessary.
We're always being told that the Premiership is the best league in the
world, a super-sophisticated industry, in which case, what a strange way to
do business. It is like the boss of ICI tying a bunch of lucky heather to
his bedpost instead coming up with a marketing strategy.
Meanwhile, those moral guardians of the game, the FA, were keeping very
quiet or perhaps they were all kidnapped and gagged by Sir Trevor Brooking,
West Ham's beloved old boy, who sits among the elders of the game.
Now we're being told that a legal insurrection is being mounted against the
Premier League's failure to dock points from West Ham, but watch this space.
Sheffield United might be adamant, but the interest of the survivors will
vanish like the morning mist. Dave Whelan, chairman of Wigan, has a new
problem with which to wrestle. The vanishing of his manager Paul Jewell
(possibly to reconstitute at Manchester City).
West Ham have got away with it in every sense. For more than half the
season, they were dreadful on the pitch as well as off.
Ill-discipline was so rife, two players had to admit gambling addictions and
Ferdinand's string of misdemeanours included a nightclub brawl and that
grandad of dipstick stunts, flying off to a birthday party in America while
pretending he was visiting his sick granny in the Isle of Wight.
The manager was swapped, the chairman was replaced, they lost 6-0 to Reading
and Matthew Upson, bought for £6 million from Birmingham, played 41 minutes
before being injured for the rest of the season.
The arrogance of the players who had appeared in last season's FA Cup final
knew so little bounds that the laughably-appointed captain, Nigel Reo-Coker,
played like a god. One of those gods that lie about half asleep eating
grapes.
The look on new manager Alan Curbishley's face after a couple of weeks said
it all. Burdened, bewildered and bowed, he must have wondered why he had
emerged from blissful retirement to partake of this brand of torture. It was
a shambles, a crisis and a disgrace rolled into one, with that shady figure,
agent Kia Joorabchian, on the sidelines.
Beset by Harewood, hubris and two Argentine players who suddenly turned up
on the doorstep, West Ham were so going down. Then to the earnest
shock-horror of the Premier League who thought their certain relegation
would make the controversy go away, the East Enders unaccountably perked up.
There is delicious irony in the fact that the leader of the escape committee
was none other than the scar-faced Argentine embarrassment, Carlos Tevez,
who played passionately for the Hammers as though he'd been born in Bethnal
Green rather than Buenos Aires.
He was lethal and irresistible and with every celebrated goal he scored,
including the one that beat Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, the
suits at the Premier League headquarters quivered more desperately in their
pinstripes. The best-laid plans - chairman Eggert Magnusson has at last
taken his head out of his hands. For most of the season he has been a bald
spot with money. Now he, and things, have looked up.
There seems to be some muddle-headed thinking that West Ham should have done
the decent thing and gone down. But that is the trouble with not punishing
miscreants. They are thrilled and unrepentant. They tend to find this in the
world of criminal justice too. Let off a burglar with one of those nice
detachable tags and instead of volunteering for social work, he jemmies open
another window and makes off with more loot.
Having failed to punish West Ham properly, Richard Scudamore, chief
executive of the Premier League, had to watch as they appropriated another
£35 million - the rewards of being in the Premiership. He can argue it was
an independent tribunal that made the crucial decision. Who appointed the
independent tribunal?
No one should blame West Ham for this failure of moral justice.
Survival is a highly-tuned human instinct, to which many a moral has been
sacrificed down the centuries. West Ham remain a Premiership club because
the Premier League were too feeble to back their own rules. It is the story
of the chicken and the egg. And this time there's no question which one came
first.
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Matty is on his Way - West Ham Till I Die
May 14th, 2007
Matthew Etherington has confirmed he wants to leave West Ham. He told the
Evening Standard: "I've had four great seasons at West Ham but perhaps I
need a change." On his day Matty can be electric but this season he just
hasn't lived up to the standards he set himself last season when he and
Konchesky combined so well down the left. I suspect his off-field gambling
problems haven't helped. He is rumoured to have owed Teddy Sheringham
£30,000 at one point. Sheringham has a lot to answer for in my view.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tevez set for £30m Real deal - The Sun
By SHAUN CUSTIS
May 15, 2007
CARLOS TEVEZ is heading for a £30million move to Real Madrid. But West Ham
will not see a penny of any fee for the striker whose goal kept them in the
Premiership. The Hammers tore up their agreement with Tevez's owner Kia
Joorabchian so the South American star could play in their last three games
of the season. Yet having signed off with Sunday's crucial 1-0 winner at
Manchester United, he has now returned to Argentina and is back in the hands
of the company Joorabchian represents. Joorabchian refused to comment on the
on-going row in which the so-called 'gang of four' are still pressing to
have West Ham relegated for alleged irregularities in Tevez's capture. He
also claims no decision has been made about the player's future. But Real
Madrid are leading the chase, with AC Milan and Seville on alert. A £30m
price tag makes it virtually impossible that the Hammers could end up
signing him. SunSport can reveal Tevez turned down the chance to quit West
Ham in the January transfer window. Joorabchian said: "He told me it was his
mission to keep West Ham in the Premiership and he had to stay to see it
through."
Hammers boss Alan Curbishley hopes survival has finally won him the backing
of the club's fans. He revealed: "There was a time when they were telling me
'F*** off back to Charlton'."
Ex-manager Alan Pardew, relegated with Charlton, sent a letter of support
before the Old Trafford win. Chairman Eggert Magnusson was thrown in the
showers during the victory celebrations.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tevez: Con-trick or contract? - The Sun
By MARK IRWIN
May 15, 2007
PREMIER LEAGUE chiefs have revealed that Carlos Tevez was NEVER ineligible
to play for West Ham. And they insist the offending clause in the Hammers'
agreement with Kia Joorabchian was removed BEFORE last month's crucial win
against Wigan. Relegated Sheffield United plan to mount a legal challenge to
the Premiership over Argentine striker Tevez. An independent inquiry fined
Hammers a record £5.5million for contravening League rules. But Blades
chairman Kevin McCabe maintains they should have been docked points for
lying over the details of the player's loan agreement and is backed by
Wigan, Charlton, Fulham and Middlesbrough. Yet League chiefs are adamant the
five clubs are barking up the wrong tree. Premiership spokesman Dan Johnson
insisted: "This has never been a question of West Ham fielding an ineligible
player. "From the day they signed him, West Ham have owned his registration.
That has never been an issue. "West Ham have never tried to conceal the fact
Tevez and Javier Mascherano are owned by Kia Joorabchian and MSI. That is
not against the rules. "The only problem we had with the deal was the
existence of a clause in the agreement which would allow Joorabchian to sell
the players to another club at any time. "In the eyes of the independent
inquiry that was a breach of Rule U18 which forbids any third party from
influencing the policy or performance of any team. "West Ham were fined
£2.5million for that offence and a further £3million for failing to act in
good faith towards the League. "They were also presented with three options
— to tear up the contract with MSI, renegotiate the terms and remove the
offending clause or release Tevez immediately. "On the day of the inquiry's
judgment, West Ham chose to terminate the third-party agreement with
Joorabchian. "They presented the Premier League with written evidence of the
new arrangement. "They also notified both Tevez and Joorabchian of their
actions and presented us with acknowledgement from both parties that they
had been notified."
The League deny suggestions that they created a new transfer window for
Tevez to re-register before the 3-0 win at Wigan. And they say the same
agreement was put in place when Liverpool signed Mascherano from the Hammers
in January. But that is still not enough to pacify Blades chairman McCabe.
He said: "There is a concensus that an injustice has been done and I hope
the vast majority of Premier League clubs will support our case. "Sheffield
United should be accommodated by the Board of the Premier League. "There are
so many questions to be answered and if the Premier League board don't have
the courtesy to see us then we'll have no alternative but to pursue
litigation."
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan insisted: "Charlton, Sheffield United, Wigan,
Fulham and Middlesbrough are all determined that we should get justice and
that West Ham should have been deducted points. "We are being given strong
legal advice that this judgment can be challenged, whatever the Premier
League might be saying. "We are going to support Sheffield United and we
will fight with them to the end. "So I'd say to the Premier League, 'Could
we see the evidence please that this guy has been registered properly'.
"He's going to be sold for £30million, yet West Ham will get no money — it
can't be legal."
Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb said: "We have raised our concerns
with the Premier League about the process that led to Tevez being allowed to
play in West Ham's most recent games. "In the interests of clarity we are
one of several clubs who would like to see evidence that Tevez was correctly
registered within Premier League rules for those games."
What the Premier League say
Q: WHO owned Tevez before the Premier League inquiry?
A: West Ham have held Tevez's registration since August last year. They are
the owners.
Q: WHO owned Tevez when he was given permission to play at Wigan?
A: As above.
Q: IF West Ham owned him, how much did they pay for him?
A: There was an arrangement fee of one million euros paid to Joorabchian but
no transfer fee.
Q: IF Tevez leaves, will West Ham receive a transfer fee?
A: As they hold his registration, technically they will receive any money
from the buying club. But clearly there is a financial agreement with MSI.
Q: WAS a transfer window created before Wigan v West Ham for him to sign a
new deal?
A: No. He was already registered.
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Bring new charges over Tevez, say Wigan
15.05.07
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan wants new charges laid against West Ham, while
admitting it is impossible to overturn the original decision on Carlos
Tevez. Whelan held talks with Sheffield United on Monday and urged them "to
get into the bones of the Premier League, and quickly". The Blades were
relegated on Sunday after being beaten by Wigan, while West Ham survived
after Tevez scored the only goal in the 1-0 win at Manchester United. Now
the Yorkshire club are set to pursue the possibility of legally challenging
West Ham's right to play Tevez. A £5.5million fine was issued by an
independent commission for irregularities over the signings of Tevez and
Javier Mascherano when many thought they should have had a points deduction.
Whelan said: "We can't reverse the decision the commission came out with,
but now we are saying he [Tevez] has been registered illegally for a second
time. "Who owns him? Where will this £30m we are told he is now going for be
going? We have to clean all this up. "I've said to Sheffield United that
they must get stuck into the League's bones in the next seven days. "They
say they have a fantastically strong case. We need a new hearing because he
has been registered illegally again. That should be another fine or points
deduction."
He said support for the "Gang of Four" — Sheffield United, Wigan, Fulham and
Charlton — is growing and Middlesbrough are also prepared to back the
challenge, with others waiting in the wings. Whelan feels Premier League
chief executive Richard Scudamore "has a lot of explaining to do" and added:
"I had a fax off him today telling me all Premier League clubs are going to
get an explanation tomorrow. "I don't think we can reverse the original
decision but we can look at how they opened a new transfer window to sign an
illegal player."
Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe has issued an ultimatum to the
Premier League — put it right now or risk having the game's reputation
dragged through the courts in a £50m compensation battle. "It would be nice
to think we are not forced into litigation," he said. "The Premier League
should invite us to a meeting and discuss what should be done. "If they are
men of strength and substance they should stand up and right the wrong. Just
about everybody in sport knows we've been cheated. "How can you sign two
Argentine internationals for nothing?" he said, referring to how West Ham
acquired players in the ownership of Kia Joorabchian. "The Premier League
should have done due diligence on the deal." He also claimed the commission
must have been improperly briefed and added: "The wrong club are no longer
in the Premiership. Now those in senior positions must right the wrong."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Whelan says Tevez appeal is doomed - The Independent
By Nick Harris
Published: 15 May 2007
Safe in the knowledge that his club's Premiership status is now guaranteed
for another season, Wigan's chairman, Dave Whelan, admitted yesterday that
West Ham's £5.5m fine over irregularities in the signings of Carlos Tevez
and Javier Mascherano cannot be overturned or transformed into a points
deduction. Last week, as Wigan headed towards the final game of the
Premiership season as favourites for relegation, Whelan was the most
vociferous figure for the so-called "Gang of Four" clubs who wanted West Ham
to be docked points. Wigan, Sheffield United, Charlton and Fulham were all
considering legal action. United, who ended up being relegated after losing
2-1 at home to Wigan on Sunday, are still trying to canvass support from
fellow clubs. And while Whelan said yesterday that he still backs United's
cause, he conceded: " We cannot reverse the decision the commission came out
with. It is impossible - they [the three-man independent disciplinary
commission] were appointed by the Premier League and all the clubs agreed
these people would take charge of the case."
The Premier League will today write to its 20 clubs to explain why the
decision on a fine is binding. The need for such a clarification was
illustrated last night when Whelan demonstrated that even he - as a chairman
so recently at the centre of the furore - did not actually understand the
case. He claimed Sheffield United have grounds to appeal against the
commission's verdict because Tevez " has been registered illegally for a
second time".
In fact, Tevez has never been registered illegally at all. The only problem
- and the reason for West Ham facing charges in the first place - is that
West Ham also had a completely separate agreement with Tevez's third-party
owners about the player's theoretical future sale. In a complex case full of
grey areas, it was the existence of this agreement - and West Ham's original
failure to disclose it - that led to the punishment. "I have said to
Sheffield United they must get stuck into the League's bones in the next
seven days," said Whelan. It is unclear whether his support will stretch
beyond the verbal. "The West Ham situation is in the hands of Sheffield
United," he said. "We fully support them. Fulham do, Charlton do,
Middlesbrough do. All those clubs are committed to helping Sheffield United
to fight this case. "
One area of contention is the precise time and date that West Ham's
third-party agreements were cancelled. This happened on 27 April - the day
the commission made its ruling - and the League insists it has the paperwork
to prove it. Not only that, but no part of the third-party agreements had
been acted on by that point. The most exposed party in the process now
appears to be Kia Joorabchian, the businessman who effectively owns Tevez.
Theoretically, West Ham control the player and should keep any monies from
his sale. In practice, if he is sold, Joorabchian will pocket most of the
proceeds. This would not be illegal or against League rules as long as West
Ham, not Joorabchian, are calling the shots. Sheffield United's plc
chairman, Kevin McCabe, said yesterday he planned to canvass support from
top-flight clubs over the possibility of a legal challenge.
Middlesbrough were among the first to distance themselves slightly from any
legal action. Their chief executive, Keith Lamb, said: "Whilst we have not
taken any formal action, in the interests of clarity we are one of several
clubs who would like to see evidence that Tevez was correctly registered
within Premier League rules for those games in which he played such a huge
part in helping them avoid relegation."
Portsmouth's Harry Redknapp - a former West Ham manager - was blunter, and
arguably more realistic, in his appraisal of the situation. "Do you know
what will happen now ?" he said. "All those [other gang of four] clubs will
disappear. Sheffield United now will be saying, 'You were going to appeal,
where are you?' Suddenly they will all disappear because that is how the
game is."
Contracts and consequences
* What did West Ham do wrong?
When they signed Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano last August, they also
entered into agreements with the players' third-party owners that would
allow those owners (effectively Kia Joorabchian and partners) to dictate
aspects of the players' West Ham United careers. Principally, this gave the
third parties the right to demand the termination of the players' contracts
in the January transfer window upon payment to West Ham of £2m (for Tevez)
or £150,000 (for Mascherano). West Ham (or more precisely the West Ham
administration in place in August 2006, later replaced by Eggert Magnusson)
failed to disclose those third-party agreements when the players were
registered with the Premier League, and then lied about the existence of
those agreements.
* Were the players' registrations illegal?
No. It is not against the rules for third parties to own players, so the
registrations themselves - that is, the players' playing contracts with West
Ham which were registered with the League - were sound. But it is against
rule U18 for clubs to "enter into a contract which enables any other party
to that contract to acquire the ability materially to influence its policies
or the performance of its teams in league matches or in any (other)
competitions". West Ham were guilty of this, and also breached rule B13 for
not behaving "towards each other club and the league with the utmost good
faith". As it happens, the third-party contracts would not have been
enforceable in law.
* Would West Ham have been able to sign the players without the agreements?
It is impossible to say. Joorabchian may have vetoed the signings, or he may
not. If West Ham had made only a gentlemen's agreement to release the
players under certain circumstances, no rules would have been broken.
* So how did they end up in the dock?
On 24 January this year, West Ham were told that the Premier League were
examining third-party ownership of players. West Ham (by then under new
ownership) forwarded copies of the third-party deals to the League, who saw
the rules had been breached and set up an independent disciplinary
commission to deal with the matter. The commission spent months
investigating and revealed its ruling on 27 April.
* Why did a commission deal with the issue and not the League itself? And
who was on the panel?
The Premier League's protocols - as agreed by its 20 members - dictate that
an independent commission deals with such matters, and its rulings are
binding. The three-man panel was comprised of Simon Bourne-Arton, (a QC
whose specialism is fraud), Lord Herman Ouseley, and David Dent, a former
secretary of the Football League.
* What did they decide, and why?
It ruled that West Ham had breached U18 and B13, both charges they pleaded
guilty to. They fined West Ham £5.5m but decided against a points deduction.
They argued the offence happened under a previous administration, that the
guilty plea was taken into account, and that a points deduction would " not
be proportionate" punishment. There was no precedent for points deduction
for such offences.
* Why wasn't that the end of the matter?
Because West Ham escaped relegation, and other clubs, mainly Wigan Athletic,
Sheffield United, Fulham and Charlton Athletic were all threatened with
relegation at the time of the ruling and feared going down unless West Ham
were docked points.
Key dates in the battle
* Friday 1 June: Premier League AGM
The Premier League is owned by the 20 clubs who play in it. At the AGM the
three relegated clubs pass on their "share" of the League to the newly
promoted Championship clubs. Therefore, any legal proceedings will need to
be completed before this date.
* Thursday 14 June: Premier League fixtures announced
*Saturday 11 August: Premiership season starts.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbishley ready to ring changes despite West Ham survival - The Times
Gary Jacob
Staying up will have little effect on the shake-up at West Ham United this
summer, where about a dozen players are still likely to depart. Alan
Curbishley, the manager, will have about £30 million available to spend on
players and will have discussions tomorrow about the transfer strategy with
Eggert Magnússon, the club's Icelandic chairman.
Curbishley must hope that it will be significantly easier to persuade
players to join than it was in January when they were fighting a relegation
battle. Then, he had to offer the six players he brought in extravagant
wages and escape clauses in the event of relegation, much to the annoyance
of the players already at the club. It largely went unnoticed that only
Lucas Neill, of Curbishley's signings, made any impact in keeping the team
up.
Curbishley will be able to offer competitive wages in his bid to sign Eidur
Gudjohnsen, Craig Bellamy and Yakubu Ayegbeni, who are among the forwards
that are being considered. In midfield, Curbishley is likely to try to prise
Scott Parker, who played under him at Charlton Athletic, from Newcastle
United, and a goalkeeper to replace the out-of-favour Roy Carroll.
But even winning seven of the past nine matches has not changed Curbishley's
mind about certain players – or their opinion of him. Anton Ferdinand, Nigel
Reo-Coker and Yossi Benayoun are expected to request moves, with Tottenham
Hotspur a likely suitor for all of them. Marlon Harewood, Paul Konchesky and
Hayden Mullins have long fallen out of favour with the manager. Harewood has
attracted interest from Wigan Athletic.
A few months ago, West Ham fans were singing that the players were not fit
to wear the shirt and that Curbishley should "f*** off back to Charlton".
"The off-the-field stuff did invoke a siege mentality," Robert Green, the
goalkeeper, said yesterday. "We've been called every name under the sun
recently and the feeling was that there wasn't anyone else who could turn
against us. We probably won't get the plaudits we deserve for those seven
wins but so be it. I don't believe any of the players really give a monkey's
about that."
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Middlesbrough raise "Tevez concerns"
tribalfooball.com - May 14, 2007
Middlesbrough have confirmed they have raised their concerns over Carlos
Tevez's role in West Ham's successful survival fight. Boro are not involved
in any legal action against the Premier League amid the ongoing row over the
Hammers' punishment for irregularities in the transfer deal which brought
Tevez and compatriot Javier Mascherano to England. Chief executive Keith
Lamb said: "We are not part of any legal action against the Premier League.
However, we have raised our concerns with the Premier League about the
process that led to Carlos Tevez being allowed to play in West Ham's most
recent games. "Whilst we have not taken any formal action, in the interests
of clarity we are one of several clubs who would like to see evidence that
Tevez was correctly registered within Premier League rules for those games
in which he played such a huge part in helping them avoid relegation."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Green: Everbody hates us, we don't care
tribalfooball.com - May 14, 2007
Robert Green feels the row surrounding the eligibility of Carlos Tevez has
taken the shine off West Ham's "impossible" escape from relegation. The
Hammers beat champions Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford, where
Argentina striker Tevez's goal proved enough to keep the east-London side in
the Premiership. A record £5.5million fine was handed out for
irregularities over the signings of Argentinians Tevez and Javier Mascherano
when many thought they should have had a points deduction, which would have
probably resulted in the Hammers and not Sheffield United being relegated.
England keeper Green, 27, feels the whole saga produced a "siege mentality"
at the Upton Park club and spurred the team on. He said: "The off-the-field
stuff did invoke a siege mentality - we have been called every name under
the sun recently and there was the feeling that there was not anyone else
who could turn against us. "We probably will not get the plaudits we deserve
for those seven wins in the last nine games - but so be it. "I do not
believe any of the players really give a monkey's about that."
Green, quoted in the London Evening Standard, added: "People can say and
write what they like - but we have done our talking on the pitch. "This is
up there with the best feelings I have had in football, it is a great
achievement from the position we were in, but in another way it was a
position which was avoidable. "You can make excuses for what has happened
off and on the pitch, but the bottom line is that for three quarters of the
season it was not good enough. "But we have done the impossible. If we start
next season the way we have finished this one, we will be in the Champions
League. "I do not think anyone can deny us our right to stay in this league
after what we have done."
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Tevez agent mixed with Man Utd directors
tribalfooball.com - May 14, 2007
Manchester United are in the frame for West Ham striker Carlos Tevez - along
with Champions League finalists Liverpool. The Daily Mail says Anglo-Iranian
businessman Kia Joorabchian, who brought the pair to Upton Park in a loan
deal which has caused so much controversy, was in the Manchester United
directors' box on Sunday. Mark Noble echoed the sentiments of his team-mates
when he called on the club to do everything in their power to keep striker
Tevez, valued by Joorabchian at £20million. Noble said: "Anyone would love
Carlos to be in their team. He's set up all my three goals this season and
he's a joy to play with. I am sure he will think seriously about staying."
Chairman Eggert Magnusson also wants to keep Tevez but said "many things
have yet to be decided". Manager Alan Curbishley added: "Carlos has been
magnificent for us but so have other players. It is not for me to discuss
Carlos's future at this time. I will sit down with the chairman this week
and discuss the whole question of next season."
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Portsmouth, Man City move for West Ham's want-away Etherington
tribalfooball.com - May 14, 2007
West Ham winger Matthew Etherington admits he's leaving Upton Park this
summer. He said: "I've had four great seasons at West Ham but perhaps I need
a change." Portsmouth, Manchester City and Derby are three clubs who have
expressed an interest in him.
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Real Madrid favourites for £30M West Ham ace Tevez
tribalfooball.com - May 14, 2007
Real Madrid remain favourites for West Ham United striker Carlos Tevez.
Despite rival interest from AC Milan, Manchester United and Liverpool, The
Sun says Real will land the Argie ace for a massive £30 million. West Ham
will not see a penny of any fee for the striker whose goal kept them in the
Premiership. The Hammers tore up their agreement with Tevez's owner Kia
Joorabchian so the South American star could play in their last three games
of the season. Yet having signed off with Sunday's crucial 1-0 winner at
Manchester United, he has now returned to Argentina and is back in the hands
of the company Joorabchian represents. He claims no decision has been made
about the player's future. But Real Madrid are leading the chase, with AC
Milan and Seville on alert. A £30m price tag makes it virtually impossible
that the Hammers could end up signing him. Joorabchian revealed that Tevez
refused to quit the Hammers in January: "He told me it was his mission to
keep West Ham in the Premiership and he had to stay to see it through."
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West Ham, Portsmouth go for Watford striker Bouazza
tribalfooball.com - May 14, 2007
West Ham United and Portsmouth are chasing Watford striker Hameur Bouazza.
The Hornets rate the 22 year-old in the £5 million-class
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reo-Coker seeks West Ham talks
tribalfooball.com - May 14, 2007
Skipper Nigel Reo-Coker is planning talks with West Ham United over his
future. The Irons secured their Premiership status for next season with a
stunning 1-0 win at champions Manchester United on Sunday. And midfield
battler Reo-Coker, who had been linked with Arsenal and United last summer,
will discuss his future this week. "I do not know what my future is and need
to sit down and talk with the manager and the chairman this week," said
Reo-Coker. "I have been through the mill this season, but it has made me a
stronger person and I would not have changed anything. "I am a very loyal
person but to play at my best I need to be happy. "I made a promise to West
Ham fans that I would help keep this club in the Premier League and I have
done that."
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Watford eyeing West Ham striker Harewood
tribalfooball.com - May 14, 2007
West Ham United striker Marlon Harewood is wanted at relegated Watford. The
Mirror says Hornets boss Adrian Boothroyd plans to use part of the club's
parachute money to land Harewood.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
TAUNTS INSPIRED CURBS - The Mirror
David Mcdonnell 15/05/2007
ALAN CURBISHLEY revealed how the abuse he suffered at the hands of his own
West Ham fans provided the inspiration for him to haul the club to
Premiership safety. West Ham's right to Premiership status may be the
subject of dispute with the on-going row over the Premier League's failure
to dock them points in the wake of the Carlos Tevez affair. But on the pitch
at least, Hammers ensured their top-flight status with seven wins from their
last nine games, culminating in Sunday's survival-clinching 1-0 win at
Manchester United. And as he basked in the glory of one of the most
remarkable escape acts in Premiership history, Curbishley reflected on the
darkest days of the season. "There was a spell when the fans were telling
the players they weren't fit to wear the shirt and they were also having a
go at me," said Curbishley. "They were saying things like 'f*** off back to
Charlton' and all that sort of stuff because they were so upset at what was
happening to the club. "You could understand their feelings. This time last
year they had been to the FA Cup Final and had enjoyed a good season in the
League. "But I think it was coming home from the FA Cup Final when the
problems really started. "Three or four players needed operations then Dean
Ashton got injured in the build-up to the start of the season. After that
one or two players got injured when the season started. "This meant after 10
games we couldn't have a settled team because we had so many different
problems, whereas the season before you could name the team most weeks.
"There were other problems, like losing three or four games on the spin,
which was something they never had to deal with before. "So it's been a real
learning curve and I hope everyone has learned from it. I certainly have.
Hopefully all this will stand us in good stead for next season."
Despite the legal challenge that is set to ensue with Wigan and Sheffield
United determined to see Hammers relegated over the Tevez scandal,
Curbishley is already planning for the next campaign. "We're already
thinking about next season and looking forward to it," said Curbishley. "We
look forward to welcoming back one or two of the big-hitters like Dean
Ashton, Matthew Upson and Danny Gabbidon. "I have never gone into a club
midseason before. And I found it very difficult. I had lots of injuries and
lots of other things to contend with. "But I think the Spurs game back in
March, even though we lost 4-3 at home, galvanised us. We produced a decent
performance but we got done in the last minute. "At Charlton, when we lost
4-0, I came away despondent. "But people close to the club said to me if we
could get some results we'd see the difference in the players, and that's
exactly what happened." Hammers keeper Robert Green claimed the furore over
the Tevez affair created a siege mentality at West Ham Upton Park proved the
key to their survival. Green said: "The off-the-field stuff left us feeling
there wasn't anyone left who could turn against us. But people can say what
they like, we've done our talking on the pitch."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
James Lawton: Scudamore should not be doing his job if he does not
understand nation's anger - The Independent
Football at large is showing no inclination towards amnesia
Published: 15 May 2007
A few days ago, Richard Scudamore, the chief executive of the Premier
League, made an impassioned defence of the indefensible. He reached into the
bag of non sequiturs vital to all branches of spin-doctoring and fished out
a few straw men. He dressed them up as valid points of argument in the
appalling West Ham affair. Then he attacked them full bore. The results were
as egregiously irrelevant to the issue as you might imagine. However, as
readers of this newspaper, that's all you could do until now: imagine. The
Independent's Football Correspondent, Sam Wallace, was not informed of
Scudamore's briefing. When he asked why, he received the text message:
"Blame James Lawton".
Reluctant as I am to personalise, and still less trivialise, a controversy
which has made a mockery of the governance of the most profitable football
league in the world, I have to say that I have felt no urge to don the
sackcloth and ashes. What I said in this space 10 days ago is what I believe
every right-minded football lover is saying with ever-increasing force in
the wake of West Ham's Premiership survival after being found guilty of
telling "direct lies" concerning the involvement of third parties in the
ownership of Carlos Tevez, the player who has been so brilliantly
instrumental in saving his club roughly £30m.
Remember what the independent panel said about the breathtaking decision to
fine West Ham a mere £5.5m and not deduct them a single point? They said
that the verdict was partly based on the fact that the hearing had come so
late in the season - why this should have any bearing on a crime that was
committed at its dawn and was so decisive at its climax is anybody's guess -
and the feelings of West Ham's large and loyal support.
Here is what Scudamore said to the briefing from which The Independent was
excluded: "I don't get offended by much in this job but I find the
suggestion that we wanted to keep West Ham in at the expense of so- called
smaller clubs one of the most offensive things I've heard. The idea that
we'd manipulate who's in the League and who isn't is so ridiculous it's
nonsensical."
Indeed, and this is probably why no one has made this particular accusation.
The implication from Scudamore is that he really doesn't get it. He can't
grasp the scale of the outrage because he doesn't understand it. Two
inevitable reactions. If he can't see why there should so much anger, quite
simply he should not be occupying a pivotal position in the nation's
national sport. If he does, he is simply operating straight from the school
of Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson: spin, spin and spin, and who,
knows, your critics might just forget the point of their criticism.
Unfortunately, for the Premiership, the West Ham chairman, Eggert Magnusson,
and the splendidly able football man Alan Curbishley - both of whom have
argued we should draw a line in the sand, after burying the injustice to the
ultimate losers, Sheffield United, and move on - football at large is
showing no inclination towards amnesia.
Indications yesterday were that the Gang of Four - led most eloquently by
the Wigan chairman, David Whelan, and the victim-in-chief, Sheffield's
chairman, Kevin McCabe - were picking up a strong surge of support, with
suggestions that the Gang of Four has become one of Seven.
Meanwhile, back at the briefing, Scudamore was saying, "Do we want Reading
or Wigan in the Premiership? Bloody right we do because they won the
Championship. It's an emotive time and people are hanging on to the Premier
League by any means they can. You have to remain phlegmatic about it -
that's what this is all about." No, it isn't. It is about lies and a failure
of good faith on one side, and upon the other and administrators of football
justice who, morally speaking, have failed to distinguish between their
arses and their elbows.
One West Ham fan emailed a BBC discussion yesterday with the heartfelt cry,
"For, godsake, people should get off the bandwagon." Some bandwagon, a
desire for truth and justice. If you take the wheels off this one - which is
obviously the fondest wish of the Premiership and their beneficiaries, West
Ham - you might as well kiss goodbye to any confidence in the ability of
big-time football to negotiate in any satisfactory way the years ahead.
If this bandwagon disappears, the Sports minister, Richard Caborn, must
surely get involved. He must call for an independent inquiry as a matter of
urgency.
We are not discussing some administrative gaffe. We are talking about the
integrity of one of the richest sports leagues in the world. The most
trenchant comment so far has come from McCabe. It was made from a position
of relative comfort, when the combination of results which put his club down
on Sunday was extremely unlikely, West Ham, even with their hot run and
against title-winning opponents with at least half an eye on the Cup final,
being rated 9-2 to win at Old Trafford. McCabe said if the Premiership
verdict held, it was an invitation to anarchy.
How large will the Gang of Four swell? In a league which understood the need
for proper discipline and justice, which prized honesty above all other
elements, it would finish up at Nineteen.
That would be a wonderful statement about football's desire to cleanse
itself of a wretched affair. It would also be a miracle. However, back in
the real world, a basic point of principle cannot be let go. If it happens,
all of football, not just its richest end, is impoverished.
Hamilton can become genuine people's champion
The spectacular rise of young Lewis Hamilton promises to be the sensation of
the summer's sport. Already he has earned the acclaim of Sir Stirling Moss,
a man not always overly impressed by the mores of modern Formula One.
His position at the top of the drivers' championship is stunning but if the
attention being paid to the fact that he is the sport's first star of "mixed
ethnicity" is inevitable, it also misses the most dazzling, and hopefully
significant, point.
The remarkable aspect of the story of the gifted young Lewis is not that he
has Caribbean blood but that his father held down three jobs to give him a
toehold in a sport which for so long was the preserve of rich boys whose
families could, in one way or another, buy them a drive.
Nigel Mansell, who mortgaged his house to get a start, was one notable
exception to the likes of Jim Clark (Scottish landowners), Jackie Stewart
(Jaguar dealership) and David Coulthard (haulage and garage proprietors).
Great men, no doubt, and gifted drivers, but they didn't come the Hamilton
route.
Sir Frank Williams once said that choosing the right driver was a bit like a
blindfolded attempt to pin the tail on the stage donkey. How good, for
example, is the contender's car? Lewis Hamilton's talent has blazed through
all the old doubts. He comes from an unusual place, and with precious few
advantages, except the most vital one of all, a sublime talent. Better
still, not only does he have the potential to be the people's champion. He
is also of them.
Honest passion should earn Pearce another chance
The fall of Stuart Pearce at Manchester City is both inevitable and sad.
Inevitable because you cannot survive if you sign strikers who cannot score,
not one goal at home since New Year's Day. Nor if, in the biggest match of
your season, against Manchester United, your team display all the grace of
street muggers - and one of your players stamps on the prostrate figure of
Cristiano Ronaldo after taking a sneaky look in the direction of the
referee.
It is sad because for a little while Pearce, a wonderfully committed
performer at all his clubs and for England, displayed a few hints that he
might just soothe the ache in City hearts which has been more or less
constant since the days of Malcolm Allison and Joe Mercer.
Pearce was passionate and honest. He fined his striker Bernardo Corradi for
taking a dive at Old Trafford. He gave straight answers to tough questions.
Dancing about the technical area, he plainly cared.
But, of course, you need more than that. You need a little nous, or the
right agents, in the transfer market when you only have a few million pounds
to play with. You could see plainly what the job had done to Pearce when you
looked at his face on the touchline at White Hart Lane on Sunday afternoon.
Let's hope he comes again, wiser - but no less honest.
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NIGEL'S SPUR TO LEAVE - The Mirror
15/05/2007
WEST HAM captain Nigel Reo-Coker wants out of Upton Park - but his dream
move to Spurs is in the balance. Tottenham boss Martin Jol had targeted
23-year-old Reo-Coker, who is disillusioned at West Ham after claiming he
has been singled out for abuse by fans. Spurs were hot favourites to land
Reo-Coker but their interest has cooled and they will bide their time.
Everton boss David Moyes is watching developments and Sunderland's Roy Keane
could be in the frame. West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is already looking to a
future without Reo-Coker.
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HAMMERS ARE SAFE...THANKS TO STEVE FOSTER - Daily Express
Test case: The judgement over Foster in 1983 will help West Ham
Wednesday May 9,2007
By Mick Dennis Have your say(1)
DO you remember Steve Foster? Big chap. More than useful defender. Terrible
haircut. Played three games for England. You know Sir Alan Sugar, of course.
He's the bloke on the telly with Eighties designer stubble on a face like a
robber's dog. They are the reasons why any clubs bonkers enough to sue the
Premier League or West Ham over the Carlos Tevez debacle will lose. Let me
explain. Steve Foster was suspended when his club, Brighton, reached the
1983 FA Cup final against Manchester United. Brighton went to court to try
to get the ban lifted. They argued that missing Wembley was a
disproportionately harsh punishment. They lost. A High Court judge said
that, by entering the FA Cup, Brighton had accepted the rules and so could
not
challenge them later. As it happened, the final was a draw. Foster's
suspension ended before the replay but Brighton lost 4-0 and United fans
taunted him with: "What a difference you have made!"
He did make a profound difference to sport. His court case established the
principle that taking part in a competition means you accept the rules and
protocols. In other words, Wigan, Sheffield United, Fulham and Charlton
accepted the Premier League rules by playing in the League. Those rules
state that an independent tribunal will sit in judgment on dodgy contracts.
So the League acted properly setting up a three-man panel to deal with the
Hammers. The panel was chosen from a list that all clubs had approved at
the start of the season. The tribunal was chaired by Simon Bourne-Arton, QC,
a specialist in fraud cases. The others on the panel were Lord Herman
Ouseley, chairman of Let's Kick Racism Out of Football, and David Dent,
former secretary of the Football League.
So, thanks to Steve Foster, West Ham's rivals cannot have any complaint
against the Premier League. And, thanks to Sir Alan Sugar, they cannot
quibble about the panel's decision to fine West Ham and not deduct points.
In 1994 Tottenham were found guilty of making illegal payments to players.
They had 12 points deducted, were banned from the FA Cup for a season and
fined £600,000. But Sir Alan appealed because the illicit payments had been
handed out by a previous Spurs regime, before he bought the club. He won.
The cup ban and points deduction were both quashed. Fast forward 13 years
and one of the reasons the tribunal did not deduct points from West Ham was
that the duplicity over Tevez and Javier Mascherano happened before Eggert
Magnusson became chairman. The previous Upton Park regime behaved
dishonestly. During Mascherano's move to Liverpool, the new West Ham
administration discovered some of the paperwork about the signing of the
Argentinians had been concealed from the Premier League. It was Magnusson
who ordered that it should be disclosed. So, to recap, m'lud: the Premier
League stuck to rules accepted by all the clubs and the independent panel
reached a conclusion which was consistent with what had happened in the
past. But if West Ham stay up, they might like to invite Steve Foster and
Sir Alan to the party.
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