Lies, damned lies and ... Kevin McCabe
- by Gordon Thrower
- Filed: Wednesday, 16th May 2007
With all the rubbish spoken by Wigan’s Dave Whelan and, more recently Sheffield United’s Kevin McCabe we thought it was about time we had a rant of our own. Gordon Thrower bravely fought off a streaming cold caught as a result of his four day trek to Manchester to come up with this …
I’ve had enough. Firstly I’m getting lectured on morals by someone who has been convicted of illegal price-fixing and who apparently thought nothing of stocking his shops with stuff made by child slave labour. Well at least Whelan seems to have shut up for the time being.However, no sooner does one ignorant rent-a-quote idiot shut up then another steps forward to replace him. Step forward Kevin “Hard Of Thinking” McCabe. Like John Madejski before him here is another who is clearly of the opinion that if you repeat a lie often enough everyone will believe it.
I read with disbelief the statement issued by him this afternoon on his proposed “arbitration proceedings”, amazed that any half-reputable law firm could have put its name to something with more holes in it than Torquay’s defence.
"Sheffield United is challenging the legality of the League Commission's decision to hand West Ham a fine rather than (as had been universally expected) docking West Ham points and cancelling the registration of Mr Tevez.
Universally expected? I think not. Indeed a random search of newspaper articles in the period leading up to the decision would suggest quite the opposite. Of course if McCabe were to replace the words "universally expected" with "hoped for by me in case we didn't get enough points to stay up" we'd be closer to the truth.
"Sheffield United will argue that the Commission's decisions must meet, and in this case failed to meet, the same general obligations as those required of public bodies, namely to act lawfully, fairly and reasonably. It falls to the League's arbitration body to perform the same role as the High Court would in reviewing decisions issued by the League's disciplinary commission."
The decision was lawful, fair and reasonable. What it wasn't was what McCabe wanted, which was a pre-judged, unlawful and unreasonable decision based on his club's need to compensate for their inability to gain enough points to stay up.
"Sheffield United also challenges the Premier League's conduct in failing to conduct an adequate investigation into the continued fielding of Tevez after the 27 April decision despite serious questions over his eligibility (which still remain unresolved), or to get sufficient evidence as to continuing third party influence over Tevez. Sheffield United will argue that the League should have cancelled Mr Tevez’s registration in the absence of such evidence; and/or that further disciplinary proceedings should have been instituted against West Ham for failing effectively to resolve their ongoing breach of Premier League rules as regards Tevez's registration.
So many lies all in one place. The Premier League did conduct an adequate investigation into Tevez's status and were furnished with documentary evidence of his eligibility. His eligibility does not therefore "remain unresolved". Since there were no breaches of Premier League rules there could not have been an ongoing breach. This statement in itself contains a number of wilful falsehoods and it contravenes a number of Premier League rules concerning the conduct of clubs and officials.
"Sheffield United will seek:
a declaration that the original decision and subsequent failure to act were unlawful, and that the decision should therefore be set aside;"
As we have seen the decision was lawful and there was no "subsequent failure to act". Seeking a declaration that this was the case would be like me seeking a declaration that black is in fact white.
"the setting up of a new disciplinary hearing against West Ham, with the hearing to consider the issue of the club’s continued fielding of Tevez;"
Or in other words “Oh let's keep going until we get the decision I want”. The original hearing was lawful. The club's continued fielding of Tevez was done with the consent and full knowledge of the Premier League. End of.
"a hold on preparations for next season which wrongly assume that West Ham remains a Premiership club and Sheffield United is relegated to the Championship;"
The preparations for next season RIGHTLY assume that Sheffield United are down. This would be because they gained 38 points and had an inferior goal-difference to Wigan. Down. End Of.
and
"an assessment of the clubs’ potential claim for damages.
I'll do that bit for you McCabe - it's £0.00.
Maybe if you sue Jagielka on his way out of the front door for his inexplicable handball you might make a few more quid. That one moment of madness had infinitely more to do with Sheffield United's relegation than anything that happened in E13.
"In light of the significance and urgency of the issues in dispute, Sheffield United has called for the new tribunal to be established by the end of this week and to make its decision within four weeks".
How about this: in the light of the fact that your case is based on a tissue of lies and inaccuracies, how about you disappear with "urgency" now before someone discovers just how many Premier League rules you have broken by issuing this travesty of a statement.
Goodbye McCabe, mind you don’t choke on the traditional hearty breakfast on your way out.
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