Sheff Utd Begin Arbitration Process

Sheff Utd have served arbitration procedure notice on the Premier League. The Blades' lawyers are challenging the decision to fine West Ham rather than dock them points and cancel Tevez's registration. United are calling for that decision to be set aside and for a new tribunal to make its decision "within four weeks".

However the Premier League have confirmed that only Sheff Utd have made a legal challenge, so it appears Dave Whelan's promises of support were just hot air.

If the Premier League consent to arbitration, they and United would nominate one member each for the tribunal. These two members would then choose a chairman. The tribunal would effectively have the powers of a court and the parties would agree in advance to abide by any decision. United have called for the tribunal to be established by the end of this week.

However it seems very unlikely that Sheff Utd's challenge will succeed as the League has already issued a statement saying,

"We followed our processes to the letter and we ensured to our satisfaction that the third party arrangements in relation to Carlos Tevez's contract have been terminated. We are more than happy to meet with officials of Sheffield United or any other aggrieved club to offer clarification and explanation of this and we have written to all 20 clubs with a forensic explanation of the ruling."

And if Sheff Utd's ludicrous attempts to overturn the outcome of the League's hearing into West Ham was not bad enough they are also calling for the Premier League to have 21 teams next year. Of course the extra team according to the Blades should be Sheff Utd and not Charlton or Watford. Which kind of confirms that this was never an attempt to gain justice but a pathetic attempt to avoid relegation.

In fact Sheffield United revealed their complete misunderstanding of the whole affair by issuing a statement that said,

"It is up to the FA Premier League to find a way round this exceptional circumstance where a club which has played by the rules has been relegated at the expense of one club who have fielded ineligible players."

They clearly still fail to understand that West Ham never fielded 'ineligible' players. They also seem to fail to understand that teams that play by the rules are relegated every year.