Former West Ham director was the football mind on an independent panel which has docked Everton 10 points.
West Ham know what it is like to feel hard done by when it comes to how they are treated compared to the so-called Premier League elite.
So there is a sense of empathy among West Ham fans for the situation at Everton right now with the Toffees being docked 10 points for breaking financial rules, plunging them into the relegation zone.
West Ham were hit with what remains a world record football fine when they were ordered to pay £5.5m over the signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.
The Hammers may have avoided being docked points in that situation, but they also had to pay £20m to Sheffield United in relegation compensation.
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Ex West Ham director on panel which docked Everton points
The likes of Burnley, Leicester and Leeds have launched a £300m compensation claim against Everton.
And The Sun claims David Moyes’ old club could be deducted a further nine points if that is successful.
There has been much controversy over the Everton ruling.
Many have accused law-makers of treating Everton differently to elite clubs facing similar – and in some cases much more serious – investigations.
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Igoe was football mind on independent commission
Well there is no lack of irony after it emerged one man in the Hammers boardroom at the time of the Tevez affair was involved in deciding the case against Everton.
A former West Ham director was the football mind on the independent panel which docked Everton 10 points.
Hammers insider Sean Whetstone says West Ham’s ex Finance Director Nick Igoe was one of a three-man independent panel that decided on Everton’s 10-point deduction for financial irregularities.
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Everton appealing ‘unjust’ sanction
“Igoe was the only non-legal (representative), but the one with football experience involved,” Whetstone said.
“Igoe was finance director of the Hammers between 1997 to 2012 and was in charge of club finances during the 2005-2007 Tevez-gate scandal during his watch which saw West Ham fined £5.5m and sued by a rival club.
“Igoe was the man who advised then chairman Eggert Magnusson to send the contracts of both Tevez and Mascherano to the Premier League when he realised (there were) third party ownership issues. He later negotiated a £20m out of court settlement in Brussels with Sheffield United at the time.”
Everton said they were ‘shocked and disappointed’ by the ruling of the Premier League’s Commission.
The Toffees say they believe former West Ham director Igoe and his two colleagues on the Commission imposed a ‘wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction’.
Everton are appealing the ruling.
