The Archive

West Ham are set to avoid relegation after escaping a points deduction from the Premier League. Some Middlesbrough fans are almost as unhappy about this as those of Sheffield United. Take Harry Pearson…

All that I know about legal matters dates back to the days when I was doing a diploma in hotel management. From what I recall precedent was all-important. “But it was established in Rex versus Pettigrew, 1936, that ‘a repast of sandwich and pickles did not constitute a substantial meal and therefore the sale of beer in this instance was illegal’,” our lecturer would drone as he lead us through the bizarre intricacies of the ­British licensing laws. Strangely, however, in all the waffle that the case of West Ham, the Premier League and Carlos Tévez has generated in the national media, precedent hardly seems to have warranted a mention.

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Should the decisions of football’s governing bodies be more like the courts, where justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done? Dianne Millen examines the case for change

Much as it may pain them to acknowledge it, football clubs are not above the law. Like any other business, they can be sued by disgruntled ex-employees, and if they sell off their ground for supermarkets they need a valid contract. And every player, from the Premiership to part-timers, is subject to the criminal law (albeit some more frequently than others).

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Twenty-five years ago, three UK national teams prepared for a World Cup along with Argentina, as the countries’ armed forces clashed in the South Atlantic. Jon Spurling examines the politics of football and the Falklands

The Falklands conflict and the 1982 World Cup inspired flag waving, jingoism and crude, stereotyped newspaper headlines. For a few weeks in early summer, football and politics became dangerously entwined. With the Home Nations’ withdrawal from the tournament a distinct possibility, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s unswerving belief that they should compete in Spain proved crucial. However, her typically stubborn public stance masked a much more cautious approach behind the scenes.

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In Argentina, football and politics were already linked before the banners appeared proclaiming “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”. Rodrigo Orihuela explains how the sport operated under the military regime

Twenty-five years after the Falklands War, Argentines still feel strongly about the islands and consider that they were victims on two fronts – first of the British armed forces, second of their country’s dictatorship. The most important political and social legacy of the war was that it brought down the bloodiest military government in Latin America – some 12,000 people are officially listed as having been murdered by the regime that ruled from 1976 to 1983 and thousands more are still “disappeared”.

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A day after the FA Cup final, the next game at Wembley is the conclusion of the Conference play-offs. Considering the hype and disappointment of the first game, how does the battle for League status fare? Cameron Carter writes

For the past seven years, Wembley has meant nothing more than a building site quite near Neasden and a not-bad place to get a South Indian curry. Now, suddenly, Wembley is back on the popular consciousness map and has regained its third syllable. All up the Metropolitan Line, families are singing: “Wemberlee, Wemberlee, We’re the mighty Morecambe and we’re off to Wemberlee.” In no sense could you fault the veracity of the song. As one soul they disembark at Wembley Park and amble to the new stadium.

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