A point-deduction was conspicuous by its absence from a Premier League commission ruling that West Ham United had breached its rules in signing the Argentine pair Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano from a consortium of investors. Instead, the West End club was slapped with an $11 million fine.
West Ham, of course, is involved in the relegation wars, which means that at this late stage of the season points are precious and tempers are starting to flare. Unsurprisingly, several irate relegation-threatened clubs have now come together in the wake of that decision, threatening to sue either West Ham or the English Premier League — in real court. Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan, whose club fell, 3-0, at home to West Ham last weekend, is the ringleader. Had the Hammers lost that game, their fate would have been sealed, but now that West Ham sits in 17th place, level on points with 16th place Wigan, Whelan has called upon his peers to back him in his assessment of a “shambolic” situation that he says would have resulted in a point-deduction for any other club near the bottom of the standings.
“There was a blatant breaking of the rules and blatant lies,” Whelan said. “They’re a big club. They’ve been fined £5.5m [$11 million] which is absolute peanuts because if they stay up they’re going to get a minimum £35m [$70 million].” Whelan claims to have six other clubs backing him, although none but Sheffield United have been revealed.