Charles Sale, Sports Agenda: The FA's lawyers demand the final word on the Tevez affair
The FA have caused yet more controversy in Sheffield United's £30million relegation damages claim against West Ham by interfering in the London club's attempt to have the matter settled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
West Ham are furious that the FA have sent an official letter to CAS headquarters in Lausanne making it clear Soho Square do not recognise CAS as a final right of appeal.
This is despite FIFA having the CAS option in their statutes and urging all their national associations to do the same.
The inflammatory correspondence was written by the FA's head of legal and business affairs, Alistair Maclean.
He asks for his letter to be copied to the panel determining whether CAS has jurisdiction to hear the West Ham appeal over an FA-instigated tribunal awarding massive damages to Sheffield United after the Carlos Tevez third party ownership affair.
The letter states: 'The FA's position is that any award made by an arbitration tribunal convened under FA Rules is final and binding on the parties. FA Rules do not provide for right of appeal to CAS.'
The Premier League are also on a war footing with the FA for opening up the Tevez can of worms when their disputes process and two court hearings had declared the matter closed.
This followed West Ham's £5.5m fine for playing Tevez when his registration was unclear.
