A couple of days ago a mediation panel announced it's findings after hearing details of a long standing dispute between West Ham Utd and Sheff Utd. I can't go into all the details cuz it'll use up all the server's memory, but below I've given an abbreviated version, the squabble stems from West Ham breaking league rules when signing Carlos Tevez (pic below) from Argentina....
Tevez was only at West Ham for a short period towards the end of the 2006/2007 season, but had an almost immediate impact on the team's results.
Until Tevez' arrival, West Ham had been rooted in the bottom three of the table, and were facing certain relegation. But, led by Tevez the club completed a miraculous turnaround, winning something like 8 of their last 10 matches, including beating Man Utd at Old Trafford on the last day of the season to ensure their survival, with Sheffield Utd being relegated in their place. In that match only one goal was scored, and who else but, Carlos Tevez scored it. West Ham had survived by a single point.Shortly after the end of the season, and with the entire football world watching and wanting to sign the previously unknown Argentinian, the predatorial Man Utd determined to get their man quickly set about cutting throats, bludgeoning heads, and crossing palms.
Within a fairly short period of time Man Utd had beaten off all other interested clubs, and despite West Ham's reluctance to sell Tevez managed to lure their player away with promises of gold and glory. Finally, an announcement of Man Utd's successful signing was made, and that's when the claims and counter claims about the player’s 'ownership' began to surface.
As it turned out West Ham had an agreement with the player's 'owners' that he would not be sold without their consent. Someone else owned his contract. This practice of third party ownership of player's contracts is widely practiced internationally, but illegal in the English leagues. Big problems lay ahead.
I won't go into the court mess that was the actual agreement, but of course Man Utd got their player and were happy, and West Ham were still in the Prem and were happy. But, with relegation from the premiership estimated at costing a club at least $120 Million/season in lost income, Sheff Utd who had been relegated in West Ham's place were not at all happy, and they went to court.
Sheff Utd initially tried (unsuccessfully) to get themselves reinstated to the Prem on the basis that West Ham had broken the rules, and the player they broke the rules for was key to their survival. The court cases came and went as Sheff Utd continued their fight, and to cut a very long story short(er), ultimately the new seasons began and Sheff Utd began plying their trade in the Championship. Still, having been so badly wronged Sheff Utd were determined to get some form of justice. Finally, after a year or so of court wrangling both clubs agreed to go to mediation with both agreeing not to appeal the outcome, Sheff Utd won and are about to be awarded a very large sum of money, but it doesn't stop there.
After hearing about the club's good news, the players, all of whom had to suffer 60% pay decreases, and long term damage to their careers felt that they had been wronged too, and on advice from lawyers ten of them are now going to sue West Ham for damages such as loss of earnings etc....just brilliant!
But, it get's even better, I had this thought to add to West Ham's nightmare.....
On the basis that the Sheff Utd have a legitimate claim, and their players have been advised that they do too, what's to stop players from other effected teams claiming damages as well?
Players whose teams were relegated after losing points to a team that shouldn't have been in the league in the first place.
Seems to me there's nothing to stop Reading players claiming as well. If West Ham hadn't broken the rules they would've been relegated, and if West Ham had been relegated then Reading wouldn't have lost points to them the following season, Reading were relegated by a single goal, one point would've kept us up. So West Ham's rule breaking can be blamed for our subsequent relegation.
That's another fine mess you've gotten me into Stanley.
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