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By Martyn Ziegler
Published: 24 May 2007
The Premier League is to press ahead with preparations for next season's fixture list despite agreeing to set up an arbitration tribunal to rule on relegated Sheffield United's complaints over the Carlos Tevez affair.
The three-man panel is due to be appointed tomorrow, but any final decision is not likely before the end of next month. The League is preparing to publish the fixtures for the new season on 21 June on the basis that the Blades have been relegated and West Ham remain in the top flight.
League officials are confident that the arbitration tribunal will find they acted according to their regulations in both the disciplinary case against West Ham and with regard to the registration of Tevez.
Sheffield United will pursue their claim that an independent commission should have deducted points from West Ham and that the League should have cancelled Tevez's registration. It is more likely, however, that should they persuade the arbitration panel of their case, they would be awarded a compensation payment rather than having the commission's decision overturned.
The Sheffield United plc chairman, Kevin McCabe, said he believed the club's stand would be justified. "I'm here to protect Sheffield United's position against what I firmly believe was an irrational decision," McCabe said. "I genuinely believe that the arbitration proceedings will reverse decisions.
"Whether that means they are able to reverse decisions and deduct points rather than [impose] fines I do not know," he added. "But when you see the commission hearing minutes say 'points should normally be deducted but because it's April not January we're going to fine you', [and] when you consider there are 20 clubs in the Premier League who only play for one thing every Saturday - points, I find it absolutely irrational that you can fine and not deduct points.
"If you clearly breach the rules surely you deduct points because that's what the commission says, but the irrationality says that because it's April not January, we're only going to fine you. I cannot work it out."
The West Ham chairman, Eggert Magnusson, has expressed his desire to keep Tevez at the club.
The future surrounding the most controversial player in the Premier League remains uncertain with a legal battle looming, but Magnusson is adamant he wants the Argentine striker to remain at Upton Park.
West Ham unilaterally terminated their third-party agreements with Tevez's agent, Kia Joorabchian, which gave his company, Media Sports Investment, the right to sell the player.
Joorabchian could go to court to try to force the club to release the player but the West Ham chairman points out they still hold his registration.
Magnusson said: "There is bound to be a lot of speculation over the summer about our playing squad. There will be a particular focus on Carlos Tevez and I want him to stay.
"The starting point is that he is a West Ham player, registered with and contracted to the club with three years remaining on a four-year contract.
"Whatever happens next, we will act to protect the best interests of West Ham United FC."
Magnusson also promised he would provide funds for manager Alan Curbishley to make new signings this summer and try to keep the best players at the club. He added: "We are ambitious for this club and what we can achieve next season. Now we can move forward."
* Sixteen teams will run out at Old Trafford tomorrow as part of the Premier League Schools Tournament. Sir Bobby Charlton and the Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, will attend the event, the culmination of a year-long competition involving over 5,000 children from 600 schools.
Published: 24 May 2007
The Premier League is to press ahead with preparations for next season's fixture list despite agreeing to set up an arbitration tribunal to rule on relegated Sheffield United's complaints over the Carlos Tevez affair.
The three-man panel is due to be appointed tomorrow, but any final decision is not likely before the end of next month. The League is preparing to publish the fixtures for the new season on 21 June on the basis that the Blades have been relegated and West Ham remain in the top flight.
League officials are confident that the arbitration tribunal will find they acted according to their regulations in both the disciplinary case against West Ham and with regard to the registration of Tevez.
Sheffield United will pursue their claim that an independent commission should have deducted points from West Ham and that the League should have cancelled Tevez's registration. It is more likely, however, that should they persuade the arbitration panel of their case, they would be awarded a compensation payment rather than having the commission's decision overturned.
The Sheffield United plc chairman, Kevin McCabe, said he believed the club's stand would be justified. "I'm here to protect Sheffield United's position against what I firmly believe was an irrational decision," McCabe said. "I genuinely believe that the arbitration proceedings will reverse decisions.
"Whether that means they are able to reverse decisions and deduct points rather than [impose] fines I do not know," he added. "But when you see the commission hearing minutes say 'points should normally be deducted but because it's April not January we're going to fine you', [and] when you consider there are 20 clubs in the Premier League who only play for one thing every Saturday - points, I find it absolutely irrational that you can fine and not deduct points.
"If you clearly breach the rules surely you deduct points because that's what the commission says, but the irrationality says that because it's April not January, we're only going to fine you. I cannot work it out."
The West Ham chairman, Eggert Magnusson, has expressed his desire to keep Tevez at the club.
The future surrounding the most controversial player in the Premier League remains uncertain with a legal battle looming, but Magnusson is adamant he wants the Argentine striker to remain at Upton Park.
West Ham unilaterally terminated their third-party agreements with Tevez's agent, Kia Joorabchian, which gave his company, Media Sports Investment, the right to sell the player.
Joorabchian could go to court to try to force the club to release the player but the West Ham chairman points out they still hold his registration.
Magnusson said: "There is bound to be a lot of speculation over the summer about our playing squad. There will be a particular focus on Carlos Tevez and I want him to stay.
"The starting point is that he is a West Ham player, registered with and contracted to the club with three years remaining on a four-year contract.
"Whatever happens next, we will act to protect the best interests of West Ham United FC."
Magnusson also promised he would provide funds for manager Alan Curbishley to make new signings this summer and try to keep the best players at the club. He added: "We are ambitious for this club and what we can achieve next season. Now we can move forward."
* Sixteen teams will run out at Old Trafford tomorrow as part of the Premier League Schools Tournament. Sir Bobby Charlton and the Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, will attend the event, the culmination of a year-long competition involving over 5,000 children from 600 schools.
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