Sheffield United are on the verge of a return to the Premier League which is guaranteed to create a new rivalry between the two teams.
Times journalist Henry Winter who gave evidence against West Ham at the time said on Twitter over the weekend: “Sheffield United . Unfairly relegated in 2007 given West Ham/Tevez iniquity, congratulations #SUFC on returning (barring GD freakery). Wilder inspirational. Team hungry. Sharp, Norwood all the players given everything. Nb: @premierleague fixtures announced 9am, 13 June.”
Memories of Tevez and the court cases that saw West Ham ordered to pay out £20million in compensation to Sheffield United which they paid off in 2013 are well known to Hammers fans. The club was fined a record £5.5m by the Premier League instead of a points deduction and that decision remains as inflammatory as ever for some 13 years on.
Tevez’s arrival with Javier Mascherano at West Ham on transfer deadline day in August 2006 sowed the seeds of what has become a mutual loathing between the two sets of fans. Third-party agreements concerning the players came to light and the independent Premier League commission’s decision to impose what remains a world record fine rather than a points deduction angered Sheffield United who commenced legal action.
West Ham believed that “they were entering into valid, enforceable contracts and were of that belief at all relevant times” with Tevez and Mascherano and were shocked that the signings were believed to have broken Premier League rules.
A Premier League survey in 2006 requested all clubs to volunteer details of any such third-party agreements in January and West Ham were the only side, to be honest enough to volunteer details believing they had done nothing wrong.
The practice of offshore-company ownership of players was widespread and even authorised in overseas leagues, particularly in South America at the time and yet the Hammers were the ones to be made an example of while a blind eye was turned to bigger clubs.
Third party ownership was only globally banned by FIFA in 2015, some eight years after the Tevez saga.
As recently as 2016 former West Ham manager Sam Allardyce told undercover investigators that third-party ownership rules can be avoided.
My anger was not directed towards Sheffield United, it was towards the crabby xxxx that managed them and fortunately, he’s going in the opposite direction.
Typical lazy journalism by the sports media – looking as usual for clickbait and to stir up general ill-feeling.
One cannot say that it is West Ham’s fault that Sheffield United have not been in the premiership for the last 13 years.
I happily wish Sheffield United all the best for next season (apart from when they plan West Ham of course!)
Not sure what Henry Winter has against West Ham but he doesn’t like us.
Warnock did that damage. He was squirming for a way to stay up, and jumped on it like a rabid pit bull. I’ll always dislike the man. Even Sean Bean, their most prominent fan, hates him. Massive chip on his shoulder. Adios Cardiff. Good luck SUFC.
That would hurt if I cared what Henry Winter thought about anything.
It might be many years ago but the Tevez saga was poorly handled by the FA and SUFC still feel cheated to this day
West Ham cheated and the FA punishment was lenient -a joke
I do not really care one way or the other about Sheffield United.
On the last day of that season they had their fate in their own hands and blew it.
David Unsworth ( former hammer ) scored the penalty if my memory is correct.
It is all done and dusted so let’s just do the double over them and smile sweetly
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So being sh*t and losing loads of games didn’t get them relegated? Easy 6 points COYI
i AM SURE ALL wEST hAM FANS WHO READ THE TIMES WILL NOW STOP!!!!. ALL THE BEST TO THE BLADES NEXT YEAR
I never really understood what the problem was in the first place.
I blamed the PL they should have docked us points, we lied initially but the PL made a decision that docking us points would have affected the race for the title, that was their choice they should have paid the compensation not us. Most Sheffield Utd fans blamed their players, Winter seems to suffer from brain freeze probably supports Tottenham when he isn’t following Sheffield Utd’s results.
All this was bs from the start. SU weren’t good enough over 38 games to stay up, nothing to do with us. If they had won their own games they wouldn’t have been relegated. They even beat us with Tevez in the team.
As for that tiresome dinosaur, how he has stayed in football for so long is beyond me. Nothing ever changes with him as in nothing is ever his fault, always an outside factor, the ref, the weather, the grass is too long or too short, the day ends in a y..