Blades win claim against West Ham

SHEFFIELD United has won its case against West Ham after an independent panel ruled that its London-based soccer rival improperly fielded players to avoid relegation from the English Premier League in 2007.

West Ham could be forced to pay up to £30m to the club after losing a compensation claim over the Carlos Tevez transfer case.

Sheffield United was relegated at the end of the 2006-07 season, when the club beat Manchester United on the final day of the campaign and Tevez scored the decisive goal.

The result ensured that West Ham stayed in the Premier League while Sheffield United went down, losing millions in TV revenue and on transfer deals.

The Premier League fined West Ham, ruling that Tevez and Javier Mascherano should have been ineligible to play under third-party ownership rules.

Although Tevez and Mascherano moved to West Ham from Brazilian club Corinthians, their contracts were owned by Media Sports Investments.

Sheffield United, which launched a compensation claim, announced on Tuesday that an arbitration panel set up by the Football Association had ruled in its favour.

Club chairman Kevin McCabe said:”I can confirm that both clubs have been notified of the ruling,”. The arbitration panel has awarded in our favour. The matter is still legally in process so I do not wish to comment any further until we have completed that process.”

West Ham issued a statement saying the club would need to fully study the findings and consult lawyers.

The panel, composed of Lord Griffiths, a former president of the Marylebone Cricket Club; Sir Anthony Colman, a former High Court judge; and Robert Englehart, a Queen’s Counsel, will announce at a later tribunal how much compensation West Ham should pay.