MP takes relegation row to parliament
The arrival of Carlos Tevez at West Ham is at the heart of the row
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Tuesday, 15, May 2007 12:04
The MP for Sheffield Attercliffe is to take the row over West Ham's "lenient" punishment for fielding ineligible players to parliament.
The Hammers survived relegation from the Premiership with a last-day win against champions Manchester United at Old Trafford, but only after avoiding a possible points deduction; instead receiving a £5.5 million fine.
And that decision caused consternation among the other teams battling relegation, in particular at Sheffield United after they became the third team to go down following a heartbreaking defeat at home to fellow strugglers Wigan on Sunday.
Wigan chairman David Whelan has already said he will support any move by the Blades to fight the Hammers' punishment - handed out over irregularities in the transfers of Argentinean duo Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano last year.
And now MP Clive Betts has confirmed that he wants to "flag up" what he perceives as the overly lenient decision not to take points off the east Londoners.
Although he admits that he is unlikely to change the Premier League's verdict, he insists it is important that football fans' anger at the "incredible judgment" was made clear to parliament.
Mr Betts, a Labour MP since 1992, told Sky Sports News he was going to put forward an earl-day motion on the issue.
"West Ham deliberately withheld from the Premiership information that would have led to the transfer of two players being ineligible," he said.
He added that he felt it was "one rule for one club and one rule for another club", citing the points deduction non-league AFC Wimbledon received in similar circumstances in February as evidence.
Mr Betts added that he was a Sheffield Wednesday fan and therefore has "no particular club loyalty" but feels it his "duty" as the MP for the area to add his weight to the club's argument.
The motion has the backing of former home secretary David Blunkett - another Wednesday supporter - and other MPs, but not the support of sports minister and Sheffield United fan Richard Caborn.
Mr Caborn has warned clubs not to take legal action on the matter - a sentiment echoed by the Premier League which said such a move would be doomed to failure.