Cole Arrest Completes Rough Welcome For New Hammers Boss
Posted on 25. Sep, 2008 by Milox in Premiership
Welcome to the wonderful world of West Ham United, Gianfranco Zola!
After a stress-free opening week in charge that saw him successfully secure the services of first-team coach Steve Clarke before romping to a 3-1 Premier League victory over Newcastle United, the Italian must be wondering what he has let himself in for.
First, news emerged that an independent tribunal had found against the club and for Sheffield United’s £30million compensation claim over the Carlos Tevez affair.
Next, on Tuesday evening, Zola watched on as stand-in goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka and Hayden Mullins combined to hand Watford a shock 1-0 Carling Cup third round victory at Vicarage Road.
Then, to complete an unwanted hat-trick, the Sardinian received news that injured striker Carlton Cole had been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Zola’s former Chelsea team-mate was stopped by police while driving along Victoria Embankment, close to Westminster Bridge, in his £50,000 Audi Q7 at around 4.30am Cole, 24, was given a roadside breath test and arrested before being taken to Belgravia police station where he gave a voluntary blood sample.
As is normal police procedure, the player’s fingerprints, photograph and a DNA saliva sample were taken from him.
He was then locked in a cell for several hours before being bailed pending further inquiries.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman told The Sun: “At 4.25am on 23 September police pulled over an Audi Q7 on Victoria Embankment.
“A 24-year-old driver was spoken to and arrested on suspicion of driving with excess alcohol. He was taken to a central London police station and later bailed.”
Meanwhile, FA chairman Lord Triesman has condemned the Hammers’ plan to appeal against the tribunal’s decision over the Tevez affair.
The Irons, who have hired top sports’ lawyer Maurice Watkins to handle their appeal, announced their intention to take the matter to the Swiss-based Court for Arbitration in Sport on Wednesday evening.
But Triesman is exasperated over a matter that saw West Ham fined £5.5million for breaking two Premier League rules over illegal “third-party” ownership in April 2007.
“If it is going to go through the courts it is going to drag on, and on, and on,” he told Sky Sports News.
“I never cease to be amazed about the ability of lawyers to argue about these things and that is peoples’ right of course - but I think it would be much simpler for people to observe the rules of football.
“The FA is a pretty decent regulatory body and there is no reason why a very big club shouldn’t feel that it should regard those rules too.”
Sheffield United believe they should be compensated after claiming they were relegated due to Tevez’s presence in the Hammers’ team - a claim West Ham deny.
[Guardian-Series]
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One Comment
Swiss Hammer
26. Sep, 2008
So it is okay for Man U and SHEFFIELD United to ignore the rules when they like but not West ham? Yes there was a risk of 3rd party intervention but it was never excersiced.
Another point. Who actually owns Tevez now’???????
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