Sheffield United win appeal ban in Tevez court battle

Sheffield United today won a High Court battle with West Ham in the Carlos Tevez saga.

Mr Justice Teare granted a temporary order stopping West Ham appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over a ruling that it had breached Premier League rules in hiring the Argentine.

This will allow Sheffield to go ahead with its arbitration claim for damages over its relegation from the Premier League last season.

The court battle over whether the arbitration tribunal’s findings can be appealed to CAS is expected to return to the High Court for a full trial next year when Sheffield United will be seeking a permanent injunction.

An independent tribunal had ruled that Tevez was not eligible to play for West Ham at the end of the 2006/07 season.

The Argentine, who now plays for Manchester United, was deemed to have played a key part in the London club’s Premier League survival as the Blades were relegated.

The Yorkshire club are expected to claim up to £30m from the Hammers, but this will be assessed at a future arbitration hearing in private.

Sheffield United went to the High Court to stop West Ham from appealing the arbitration tribunal’s findings that hiring Tevez was in breach of Premier League rules and Sheffield were entitled to recover damages.

When West Ham filed an appeal from the arbitration decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, Sheffield United claimed this was a breach of the arbitration agreement between the clubs and that CAS had no jurisdiction to hear such an appeal.

The judge granted Sheffield United’s application for a temporary order restraining West Ham from taking any further steps to pursue an appeal or challenge the tribunal’s findings other than by way of an application to the High Court.