10/10/2008

Arbitration and financial crisis

Things seems to conspire against our beloved club at the moment. It looks like we´re going from bad to worse. Not only do we have the whole Tevez-saga looming over the club since a year and a half. Now we also have to deal with the crise that´s hit the western world were it hurts the most, in the wallet. Iceland seems to be the worst hit country of them all and ofcourse that´s our owners origin. Rumours have it that Mr Gudmundsson will be forced to sell all his non-domestic interests in order to reduce the losses incurred by the collapse of his bank. This might happen sooner rather than later.

Regarding the Sheffield United claim vs. West Ham. The latest twist to the saga seems to be that Sheffield United refused West Hams wish to take it to the CAS to once and for all get a verdict (maybe they´re affraid of something?). Now the CAS have given Sheffield United until today to come up with reasons why this shouldn´t be examined by them. West Ham have allready supplied the CAS with their documentation regarding why they should get the opportunity to a hearing. The strongest claim Sheffield United seems to come up with is that it´s not an FA-matter and what if it´s not?

I read a little piece regarding this written by a fellow supporter this morning. A piece that makes perfect sense to me.

"If - as they claim - the CAS have no jurisdiction because it is not an FA matter, then surely we are free to just let this run through the legalsystem? We could let them take us to court for failure to pay and then we can challenge the judgement through the courts. Clearly if it's not an FA matter as Sheffield United state, then the FA shouldn't care? And if the FA do care, it becomes an FA matter and so the CAS is the correct body to deal with it."

2 comments:

RapidHammer said...

I think West Ham would not have agreed to the arbitration if they hadn't been forced to by the rules of the FA. As the arbitration panel was convened by the English FA (as the CAS itself says in a press release) the outcome of the arbitration can be qualified as a decision of a national football association and can in my opinion be appealed in Lausanne.

Dicks said...

That´s what I think as well. I´m surprised, if true, that Sheffield United and the FA seems to think something else.