West Ham Open A Can of Worms.

Just yesterday I said West Ham's settlement of the Tevez affair could set a dangerous precedent. Well today it's open season on E13 9AZ. Not only is Sheffield United's former manager Neil Warnock planning to sue, but so are the players! What's next... The fans?

Oh dear West Ham, look what you have started. Warnock says: "We worked so hard that year. The club was going forward. You do feel bitter without a shadow of a doubt."

Ring the alarm bells, free money on offer. I can see law suits from players and fans on the horizon. Still, West Ham deserve this for being so stupid as to offer Sheffield United compensation for being crap. Maybe West Ham could counter sue the FA and Premier League for not catching the Tevez transfer mess-up earlier? They both have to approve any transfer at the time of the deal.

Neil Warnock is currently the manager of Crystal Palace, and I am not going to say anything nasty about him. Why? I need his side to beat Barnsley this afternoon in one of the Yorkshire side's 'games in hand' over Norwich. Lets hope he is focussed on the match and not on a new Porsche 911 turbo. By the way West Ham, that's a 186,000 quid motor. I wonder if it comes in claret and blue?

-Bigus

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Now They Really Need A Kit Sponsor

Sheffield United has won its case before an independent tribunal against West Ham for the Tevez Affair in 2006-07 for the damages resulting from West Ham's intransgressions which may reach 30 million pounds. As you may recall, West Ham signed Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano right before the season, but violated FA rules by failing to disclose that the contract rights of the two players were held by a third party, Media Sports Investment (MSI).

Ultimately, Tevez fired West Ham out of the relegation zone on the final day against Manchester United. Tevez's winner relegated Sheffield United to the Colaship and caused them to lose out on the EPL (suck it, Barclay's) funds.

Sheffield lost its appeal to the FA seeking docking of points for West Ham's misdeed. The Hammers only suffered a fine of 5.5 million pounds to the chagrin of the Blades.

If the British court system is anything like the US court system, and it should be since we based ours on our cousins' over the pond, this will not be the final word. Endless appeals and motions will ensue, but at least Sheffield United has the upper hand at this point. West Ham better find a shirt sponsor soon so they can afford to pay this debt, either that or start selling players.

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The Discrete Charm of Liveblogging a Painfully Boring FA Cup Replay: "I Wish, I Wish, I Wish that Something Would Happen"

Waiting for Godot Boro

I think I speak for all of UF when I say that the Guardian is the first and last place to get football news. The writers are cerebral, witty and knowledgeable. They also put together an LOL-inducing football podcast.

Occasionally, however, the Guardian descends into the absurd and ridiculous, such as yesterday's liveblog of the Middlesbrough v. Sheffield United FA Cup replay.

The first iteration of this match ended in a nil-nil draw, and yesterday's game was headed into extra time still nil-nil until a pathetic own goal put Middlesbrough up for good and thankfully put the Guardian's poor Scott Murphy out of his misery.

What happened in the interim was pure hilarity, with discussions of Jorge Luis Borges and Masterchef thrown in for good measure, as our brave liveblogger descended further and further into madness and desperation watching two negative and incompetent football teams refusing to take any chances.

So, this particular liveblog reads like a Skinner Box meets Jack Nicholson in the Shining meets Waiting for Godot, and was far more entertaining than a liveblog of a game where, you know, something actually happened.

Give this man a raise!

Middlesbrough v. Sheffield Utd - Live! - Guardian.co.uk

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