Sheffield Utd win latest round in Tevez court fight

Sheffield United won the latest round in their long-running legal battle with West Ham United over Argentina forward Carlos Tevez yesterday.

Mr Justice Teare granted a temporary order stopping West Ham United appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over a ruling the club had breached Premier League rules by hiring Tevez, who now plays for Manchester United, the Press Association reported.

This will allow Sheffield United to go ahead with their arbitration claim for damages over their relegation from the Premier League in 2007.

The clubs are 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 Tevez was not eligible to play for West Ham at the end of the 2006/07 season when he was deemed to have had a key role in the London club's Premier League survival as Sheffield United were relegated.

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

West Ham filed an appeal to CAS in Switzerland but Sheffield United claimed this breached 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.