West Ham resist Sheffield's £50m
legal claim
West Ham last night threatened their own legal action over
"repeated slurs" after Sheffield United launched a claim against
them for damages which they claim could amount to £50 million. In
another extraordinary day in the Carlos Tevez saga, the law firm
Denton Wilde Sapte initiated proceedings on behalf of United
against West Ham claiming "breaches of contract". West Ham
responded by describing United's action as "desperate" and lacking
"legal merit". They said that any proceedings brought against them
would be "vigorously defended".
It all means the cloud of Tevez could hang over Upton Park for
another six months, with Sheffield United's case expected to be
heard by an independent three-man arbitration panel which would be
set up in accordance with Football Association rules. Previously
Sheffield United took their initial complaint to the High Court
following the original independent disciplinary commission's
decision to fine West Ham rather than dock them points for breaking
League rules over third-party ownership and acting in good
faith.
A central element in the case against West Ham is a document dated
Dec 1, 2006, which, according to Sheffield United, relates to a
third-party agreement that was not considered by the original
disciplinary commission. "It seems that West Ham concealed the
existence of this document in order to shield their new owners, who
have publicly maintained that they were innocent of any involvement
in a third-party agreement," said a Sheffield United
statement.
"As a result, the contents of the third-party agreement dated Dec
1, 2006, were not taken into account by the Premier League or the
disciplinary commission that punished West Ham. The disciplinary
commission did not deduct points from West Ham for seven specific
reasons, including that the club's new owners had made full
disclosure of all relevant documents and had no involvement with
the third-party contracts in the first place."
West Ham, who continued their summer spree yesterday with the £6
million signing of Kieron Dyer from Newcastle, have challenged the
authenticity of the amended agreement, saying it was not signed in
December by Tevez. They also deny withholding it from the League.
Last night, a statement said: "West Ham made the Premier League
fully aware of the existence and status of the agreement in
question. This agreement was included in the documentation produced
for the disciplinary commission who were also aware of its
existence throughout the proceedings. Sheffield United's latest
assertions demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of the
situation.
