West Ham United’s hierarchy have slammed the Premier League’s “Big Six” over their European Super League breakaway plans.
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But co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold and their vice-chairman Karren Brady have stopped short of calling for punishments for the Premier League rebels.
Brady was West Ham’s representative as the 14 Prem clubs not involved in the hugely controversial ESL proposals met on Tuesday morning.
Football world united in outrage over ESL plans
Fans of West Ham and clubs across the football pyramid have called for the Premier League and UEFA to take the strongest possible action against those involved.
Suggestions range from fines to points deductions and even expulsion.
West Ham are sitting fourth in the Premier League eyeing a dream end to the season by qualifying for the holy grail – the Champions League.
The closed shop ESL plans cast a huge shadow over that and the entire make-up of the European game.
West Ham joined the widespread condemnation of the Super League plans today in a strongly worded statement on the club’s official website.
West Ham condemn ‘attack on beautiful game’ but stop short of calling for rivals to be punished
The Hammers hierarchy described the plans as an ‘attack on everything the beautiful game stands for’.
But the statement stops short of calling for their Prem rivals to be punished.
“These proposals are an attack on sporting integrity, undermine competition, and ignore those supporters, and those of the thousands of clubs and millions of players, from the Premier League to Sunday League, who can aspire to reach the top of the game just like our 150-plus homegrown Academy of Football graduates who came from grassroots and were developed into first-team players,” the West Ham statement reads.
“Our supporters have been there throughout our 125-year journey, for our FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup wins, our promotions and many other memorable moments.
‘West Ham will continue to resist this attack on football’
“These proposals go totally against the ethos and values – the West Ham Way – that have inspired us to those unforgettable successes and will shape the next generation of Hammers, on and off the pitch.
“West Ham United will continue to do everything possible standing together with its supporters, government, governing bodies and the wider football community to resist this attack on football in the best interests of our club and of the game we all love.”
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