The White Slave Trade

West Ham United v Sheffield United

Sheffield United won 5-4 on Penalty Kicks after 1-1 at Full-Time & After Extra Time

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Twitter @ball_sup

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Pre match drink was in The Pelt Trader. Effectively under Cannon St Station. First time in for me. Three sided island bar facing the door. Cask beers (6) served from taps on the wall. No handpulls. 12 or so kegs. No Normal Lager. Looked great beerwise. Great location. Bit cavelike. Hey you know it's a railway arch. I'd definitely go in again based on beer range.

Straight in to Bristol Beer Factory Double IPA at 8.5%. No fuss. That's my sort of beer. Upfront bitterness. Almost ginger in the first mouthful. Further down the glass I was getting lovely soft grapefruit. It's not as sweet as I'd expected from 8.5%. Opaque. What's not to like.

I did love it. But the bitterness seems very upfront. Not much of a traditional finish.

Next up The Kernel Pale Ale (Citra, Simcoe, Polaris) at 5.4%. Flavour bursts. Very mouthfilling flavour but quite thin feel. Heavy citrus. Lingering bitterness. Develops dry in the palette. Lots going on. Hay grass citrus dry.

Post match. Another new gaff for me. The Three Johns in Islington. 3 handpulls. 16 kegs is it? Music a bit loud for an old fella. Barman very patient with me. Bright & airy.  Nice place. Not many in post 11pm. All seem to be Bright Young Things.

They've had some sort of Odell tap takeover in the last days. So I happily pitched into the dregs of that.

An Odell/New Belgium Brewing collab called FOCO at 6.5%.  Lovely. Slightly tart grapefruit kicks in straight away. Good pucker up lick the roof of your mouth bitterness. Quite chewy & mouth coating.

Next up the Odell Myrecenary Double IPA at 9.5%. Nice intense upfront bitterness. Just a gentle icing sugar dusting on the lips. Smells fresh & inviting. Maybe you can just get the abv kick under the hops. Great beer.

A supposed grudge match this one. Between an established Premier League club & a team in Division 3 in old money.

For those who don't know. A few years ago both teams were in the Premier League.  West Ham signed two Argentine internationals including a guy called Carlos Tevez. Tevez went on to play for Manchester United & Manchester City.

When he was at West Ham, it transpired that 3rd party ownership rules had been broken.  As well as the first party (Tevez himself) & second party (West Ham), there was another party/company/person who had a say it what happened.

For shorthand we'll have that 3rd party as Kia Joorabchian.

Basically, businessmen such as Joorabchian invest in football players & get a return by way of cuts of wages & transfer fees.

Anyway. West Ham were found to have broken the appropriate rule on third party ownership. They were fined heavily. They were not deducted points (which is the other key way of punishing football clubs).

At the end of the season, Sheffield United were relegated, West Ham survived in the Premier League.

Sheffield United felt aggrieved because Tevez had played for West Ham, 3rd party rules has been broken, no points had been deducted.

They pursued the issue through appeals, arbitration, lawyers & the Courts. Firstly (& unsuccessfully) to retain their Premier League place. Secondly (& successfully) for financial compensation from West Ham.

There was an anti view at the time. Football results are won & lost on the field over 90 minutes. Clubs should not use the Courts to change what happens on the field.

Look. I'm Sheffield United. But that is tosh. If a team plays players they shouldn't, that isn't fair. Something has to be done.

But. The whole episode was unedifying.

I certainly don't blame Tevez. He was human chattel - bought & sold at the whim of clubs & businessmen.

I certainly don't blame West Ham fans. They were as much victims as anyone else. Dodgy owners. Shady deals. False dreams. Moneymen manipulating them.

I do blame Sheffield United. But only for getting involved in the lobbying & publicity generating circus. I didn't & don't want my club to behave like that. They/we were right to pursue the issue through appeals, arbitration & the Courts.

There was NOT a conspiracy. It did not unfold the way it did because of individual journalists nor particular football administrators or ex players.

The football authorities needed then & still need a simple view. If you play a player you shouldn't, then you'll not get a result/the points from that game(s).

Anything else opens the issue to lengthy appeals & the Courts. UEFA got it right. Legia Warsaw fielded a player who hadn't correctly served a suspension. No pack drill. Celtic are awarded the game & go through to the Champions League.

I blame the football authorities for looking the other way on 3rd party ownership & then not having a sensible & clear tariff for offences. And I blame whichever small clique of officials at West Ham who thought they could get away with it.