Sheffield gibt nicht auf: Schadenersatzklage läuft

BBC Online reports that Sheffield United (at present 14th in the Coca Cola Championship) are still fighting for compensation because of last season's Carlos Tévez-saga.
I've already wondered what happened to the arbitration proceedings which Sheffield had entered into in August (cf. this posting on my blog), but couldn't find out anything yet. The BBC now refers to Sheffield-Chairman Kevin McCabe who said Sheffield's case for compensation following relegation from the Premier League will be heard by a Football Association tribunal in 2008.
"A date has been set for next year," McCabe said on Wednesday according to BBC.
The Blades maintain they were unfairly demoted from the top flight last season after West Ham were found guilty of breaching league regulations in the signing of Argentine Tevez and his compatriot Javier Mascherano.
Rather than being docked points by the three-man arbitration panel, the Hammers were fined £5.5m and went on to survive the drop on the final day, while Sheffield were relegated (losing to Wigan 1-2 at home on the final day).
Having failed in their attempt to have the original punishment overturned, the Yorkshire outfit now want monetary recognition.
"We have regrettably gone beyond reinstatement so it's about financial compensation for having been relegated unjustly after another club, we purport, broke the rules.
"A date has been set for next year and respective clubs are now going through respective submission of claims.
"We are led by the availability of QCs and the panel, so it's more likely mid-2008 than early. It's frustrating but that's the way the law works."
On the subject of compensation McCabe has previously said: "If you say that the Championship play-off game is worth £60m and Sheffield United's attendance last year was 31,000, with full hospitality boxes and restaurants and broadcasting income, you would say compensation is around £50m."