Scudamore: Tevez affair 'a road crash'

Hours before Manchester United were due to receive Premier League clearance for the Argentina striker to move from West Ham, Scudamore described last season which saw Sheffield United re legated from the top flight and West Ham survive as "an unbelievable story, an unbelievable series of events.

"West Ham were all but relegated at Christmas and then Tevez scored a few goals right at the end of the season and they were able to escape.

"It's unscripted drama and one of the things that makes football so interesting but in other ways it looks like a road crash in how some of the events appear."

Scudamore has insisted he never contemplated resigning over the criticism of his handling of the affair. West Ham were fined 5.5m by an independent commission for contravening rules on third-party agreements when they signed Tevez and Javier Mascherano, and the league have come in for criticism for allowing the striker to play a crucial role in the last three matches of the season.

Sheffield United campaigned against the decision and Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has called for both Scudamore and league chairman Sir Dave Richards to both quit but Scudamore is adamant the board just followed the rule book.

Asked if he had considered his position, Scudamore said: "I don't think so. All the board have done since last August is look at our rule book and apply the rule book.

"The independent commission made various decisions about West Ham's conduct and we have then gone on making decisions based on our rules.

"They may not have been popular decisions but that goes with the territory."

The Premier League only began looking at the paperwork surrounding Tevez move to Old Trafford yesterday because they had to wait until the player's agent Kia Joorabchian had paid West Ham the 2m settlement agreed last week.

That money arrived in West Ham's bank account yesterday.