It is a decade since the Carlos Tevez affair which spawned one of English football’s more recent rivalries between West Ham United and Sheffield United.
Carlos Tevez during his short and controversial spell at West Ham
The memory of Hammers favourite Tevez and the court cases that saw West Ham ordered to pay out £35million in compensation to Sheffield United and an additional £5.5m in Premier League fines remains as inflammatory as ever 10 years on.
Tevez’s arrival with Javier Mascherano at West Ham on transfer deadline day in August 2006 sowed the seeds of what has become a mutual loathing.
Third-party agreements concerning the players came to light and the independent Premier League commission’s decision to impose what remains a world record fine rather than a points deduction “invited anarchy” according to then Blades chairman Kevin McCabe.
Tevez celebrates
Anyone reading this most likely already story knows the history.
On the final day of the season 2006-2007 season West Ham completed the great escape when they went to Old Trafford to face Manchester United and got the win they needed with Tevez scoring the only goal of the game.
Meanwhile over at Bramall Lane Neil Warnock’s side needed only a draw to relegate their opponents Wigan Athletic but lost 2-1 and were themselves relegated as a result.
Evidence wheeled in at Tevez affair tribunal
United lost an initial appeal against their relegation but a year later an independent FA tribunal found in their favour.
The chair of the tribunal, Lord Griffiths, judged: “We have no doubt that West Ham would have secured at least three fewer points over the 2006-07 season if Carlos Tevez had not been playing for the club.”
Then Blades chairman Kevin McCabe
Resentment has festered between the clubs and their fans ever since with West Ham struggling financially and the annual instalments to Sheffield United not helping.
A takeover by businessmen David Sullivan and Gold has since helped ease the club’s problems on and off the pitch.
The Blades, though, have never really recovered and currently languish in League One with a trip to AFC Wimbledon on the horizon this weekend.
The Hammers meanwhile are genuine challengers for the Champions League places nowadays and have just taken up residency in their shiny new 60,000 seater West Ham-ified Olympic Stadium – which is being called London Stadium.
Hammer Gennady Golovkin and Blade Kell Brook pose ahead of their big fight
On Saturday night two of the clubs’ most famous fans will get the chance to settle an old score when Gennady Golovkin and Kell Brook go head to head at the O2 arena.
It is one of the biggest boxing bouts in many years and has captured the imagination of a global audience.
But with legendary pound-for-pound world champ Golovkin having declared himself a West Ham fan last season when taking in a trip to Upton Park before it closed and Brook a died-in-the-wool Blades supporter it is also something of a grudge match.
While the more patriotic fans among West Ham’s support would usually be inclined to get behind Englishman Brook, few will turn their back on one of their own and will undoubtedly be rooting for Kazakhstani Golovkin.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
Indeed Slaven Bilic, West Ham’s enigmatic manager, even took time out of his press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Watford to wish Golovkin luck.
“I remember the game against Manchester City and he came and we chatted for a few minutes,” Bilic told the press as reported by the likes of Sky Sports.
“He declared himself as a big Hammer so of course we wish him luck.”
Temporary bragging rights for fans are on offer to the victor but the ill-feeling promises to last a lifetime.
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