• Hammers settled case with Sheffield United out of court• CEO Scott Duxbury says time was right to close the episodeWest Ham and Sheffield United yesterday attempted to draw a line under the fractious Carlos Tevez affair with a settlement that could be worth up to £20m to the Yorkshire club. The out-of-court settlement was Âconfirmed on the day that Lord Griffiths, whose criticism of West Ham's conduct swung the pendulum in Sheffield United's favour in its fight for compensation, was due to reconvene his independent tribunal. That will now be disbanded after the clubs negotiated their own deal.The agreement concludes a legal Âtussle that has been ongoing since Sheffield United were relegated in 2007 after Tevez's goals helped keep West Ham up, despite the club having earlier been fined by the Premier League for breaking rules on third-party player ownership.It is understood that West Ham have agreed to pay Sheffield United £15m over five years, with an extra bond of £5m Âpayable in the event of the club being sold within a certain time period. With West Ham's owner, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, under pressure to sell the club as a result of the collapse of his businesses in Iceland, it is highly likely the clause will be invoked. Five potential buyers have signed non-disclosure agreements with Standard Bank, which is leading the process.Sheffield United originally claimed compensation of up to £45m in lost Âtelevision revenues, sponsorship, Âmerchandising and ticket sales. But the total also Ârepresents a substantial increase on the maximum figure of £5m that West Ham proposed in its most recent assessment, with the London club paying a premium to spread the payments over five years.West Ham's chief executive, Scott ÂDuxbury, who was criticised by ÂGriffiths but has consistently denied any Âwrongdoing, said: "For everyone concerned, the time was right to draw a line under this whole episode. We have had very positive discussions over a number of days with Sheffield United and acknowledge their willingness to resolve this in the best interests of both clubs."Duxbury, who flew to Reykjavik over the weekend for talks with Gudmundsson about the club's future, will face further scrutiny as a result of an ongoing joint FA and Premier League review into the affair. But there must now be serious doubts whether that review will result in further action or even see the light of day.Sheffield United's chairman Kevin McCabe, added: "We are happy and satisfied with the settlement. The discussions were friendly, cooperative and in the best of spirit."West Ham UnitedPremier LeagueSheffield UnitedChampionshipguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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