West Ham are complete failures! Let's all laugh at 'em!

[Montreal Wanderer]

As it is, I think the principle is the correct one - leagues should be decided on what goes on on the pitch, if at all possible.

Agreed, unless the unfair infraction gave them an advantage over other teams. Over here, if an ineligible player is used the team loses all the games in which that player played. I can't say that having the Argentinians appeared to help WHam in any way but.... I also remember how last August we thought they had done better than anyone else in the window.

Tevez has been good for them so they have gained an advantage. They'd probably have been down by now without him.

Except the offense took place prior to January when the agreement was disclosed. Tevez has been much better since then i understand.

[boltonboris]

Who keeps the money? The FA?

[CrazyHorse]

Who keeps the money? The FA?

Yeah.
They need it to keep paying Sven the money they owe him.

[communistworkethic]

Of course if they end up surviving the money they will save by not going down will make it well worth it...

True, but I think it's more likely that they'll get to the end of the season, go down, and think "feck, they might as well just have had a dozen points instead".

As it is, I think the principle is the correct one - leagues should be decided on what goes on on the pitch, if at all possible.

But isn't the argument that nefarious activities off it - i.e. signing ineligible players, have an impact on what goes on on the pitch - i.e. they fielded them and as such gained an advantage. Admittedly not much of one given their league position but they had the opportunity to make use of players they had no right to.

Why is Chelsea tapping up Ashely Cole potentially worth 3 pts deduction but not this?

The other question this raises is, why, when the two were signed, didn't the FA pick all this up and say there and then that they couldn't be eligible?

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

Who keeps the money? The FA?

Yes, It's also rumoured that Craig Allardyce has suddenly asked to join the F.A today as well!

[knobpolisher]

If for example West Ham survive by beating Wigan this weekend then going on from there, what are the chances of Wigan launching an appeal aginst West Ham not having points deducted. Whelan will be furious if West Ham now survive at Wigans expense, I don't think we have heard the last of this.

[claus jensens guitar]

This really annoys me. AFC Wimbledon played a player (Jermaine Darlington) without international clearance (From Welsh FA to English FA I think) for quite a while unknowingly to the club and then had everything thrown at them.

"Thrown out of the FA Trophy, ordered to repay £12,000 in prize money, received an 18 point penalty & £400 fine + costs from the Isthmian League and expelled from the Surrey County Cup. The 18 points penalty was later reduced to just 3 points, after an appeal."

Remember Bury were also thrown out of the FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player who they had a verbal but not written agreement with Hartlepool. It is not exactly the same rule breach but I can't see why a points deduction has been avoided as they have broken a league rule. £5m is nothing to Magnusson.

[officer_dibble]

If for example West Ham survive by beating Wigan this weekend then going on from there, what are the chances of Wigan launching an appeal aginst West Ham not having points deducted. Whelan will be furious if West Ham now survive at Wigans expense, I don't think we have heard the last of this.

Hmmmm it's almost worth it to see nob jockey Whelan throw his toys out of his pram.

[David Lee's Hair]

F*ck me that's a lot of money. Don't know about the terms of payment, but be interesting to see if Eggy sues former chairman Brown (£2m investment, £30m profit)

He should! There must be someway it can be traced to Brown, he must have known the rules.



Still funny though sorry fozzy

[Apathy]

I expect that if West Ham are relegated they will appeal against the harsh amount they have been fined, and say that they should have been deducted points instead, with a smaller fine. If they stay up they will appeal to have the fine reduced. And it won't surprise me at all when they are successful, in their appeal.

[Henrik's fan club]

Aw well, they'll still go down

[cowdrill]

The FA wants a Premiership with West Ham in it - not a Premiership with Wigan in, or Sheffield Utd.


thats why they didnt deduct points


i could have told you this weeks ago


i hope Wigan batter the crap out of them tomorrow

[H. Pedersen]

The FA wants a Premiership with West Ham in it - not a Premiership with Wigan in, or Sheffield Utd.


thats why they didnt deduct points

I have to agree with this. Shocking decision by the FA. And people thinking I'm crazy for suspecting favoritism in football. As Dibble said, if they were relegated it would cost them tens of millions of pounds. £5.5 million is a slap on the wrist compared to the cost of playing in the Championship next season. Seems the most fair thing to do would be to deduct any points gained while the two illegal players were on the pitch.

[CrazyHorse]

Maybe I'm not as paranoid as you guys but my thoughts were that a points deduction would be a non punishment considering West Ham were going down anyway. Which is exactly why the FA broke the record in fines - hit them where it counts. Next season they'll need all the money they can get.

What they really should have done is enforced a points deduction and made it applicable from next season. Then I'd I've been a very happy horse.

[bobo the clown]

I expect that if West Ham are relegated they will appeal against the harsh amount they have been fined, and say that they should have been deducted points instead, with a smaller fine. If they stay up they will appeal to have the fine reduced. And it won't surprise me at all when they are successful, in their appeal.

Without a shadow of doubt.

They will appeal, it'll be reduced to half that at worst ... & probably suspended.

[Dr.Karl]

This really annoys me. AFC Wimbledon played a player (Jermaine Darlington) without international clearance (From Welsh FA to English FA I think) for quite a while unknowingly to the club and then had everything thrown at them.

"Thrown out of the FA Trophy, ordered to repay £12,000 in prize money, received an 18 point penalty & £400 fine + costs from the Isthmian League and expelled from the Surrey County Cup. The 18 points penalty was later reduced to just 3 points, after an appeal."

Remember Bury were also thrown out of the FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player who they had a verbal but not written agreement with Hartlepool. It is not exactly the same rule breach but I can't see why a points deduction has been avoided as they have broken a league rule. £5m is nothing to Magnusson.

Amen to that. I suspect any Premiership club would have got away with escaping a points ban, whereas with Bury(who admitted it was at fault just like West Ham), got thrown out of the cup which potenially could have been a lifesaver.

Got to apply the rules the same across the divisions, I agree with not losing points but AFC Wimbledon and Bury must feel agrived to today's ruling.

[CrazyHorse]

SAD DAY FOR ENGLISH FOOTBALL: They've sorted out the Tevez problem; He's allowed to play on for West Ham.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 594613.stm

Carlos Tevez has been cleared to play for West Ham, who were fined £5.5m earlier on Friday over the transfers of Tevez and Javier Mascherano.

[Apathy]

Another thing that is annoying me about this, is that West Ham pleaded guilty and because they did so, they got a reduction in the fine.

If they pleaded guilty then that meant knew they should not be playing Tevez, yet they still continued to do so.
For that alone they should be docked every point they earned whilst playing Tevez, since the day they pleaded guilty!

[cowdrill]

its all fackin bullcrap



if west fackin SHITE avoid relegation im going to hack my bloody head off with a big knife



C****S

[Nozza]

Of course if they end up surviving the money they will save by not going down will make it well worth it...

True, but I think it's more likely that they'll get to the end of the season, go down, and think "feck, they might as well just have had a dozen points instead".

As it is, I think the principle is the correct one - leagues should be decided on what goes on on the pitch, if at all possible.

But isn't the argument that nefarious activities off it - i.e. signing ineligible players, have an impact on what goes on on the pitch - i.e. they fielded them and as such gained an advantage. Admittedly not much of one given their league position but they had the opportunity to make use of players they had no right to.

Why is Chelsea tapping up Ashely Cole potentially worth 3 pts deduction but not this?

The other question this raises is, why, when the two were signed, didn't the FA pick all this up and say there and then that they couldn't be eligible?

They were going to dock points and fine upwards of £7,000,000 BUT West Ham pleaded guilty and were let off lightly.