LONDON, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Tottenham Hotspurs asked the English Premier
League on Tuesday to order their game against West Ham last weekend be replayed.
Ten Tottenham players went down with food poisoning the night before Sunday's
game which Spurs lost 2-1, allowing Arsenal to take fourth place in the Premier
League and the last ticket to the European Champions League.
Before kickoff, Spurs requested the game be postponed for a day but were
offered only a two-hour delay by Premier League officials.
"In being given no viable option to postpone the match other than a
two-hour delay to kickoff, our players were denied the possible opportunity of
competing in the Champions League, while our fans have been left with a sense of
suspicion and injustice atthe way subsequent events unfolded," Spurs chairman
Daniel Levy said in a letter to Premier League chairman Dave Richards.
"Clearly, our governing body put us in an impossible situation and gave a
significant advantage to Arsenal in competing for that fourth position."
In response, a Premier League spokesman said that as far as it was
concerned the clubs had fulfilled the fixture. However, he said Spurs' letter
would be considered by the three-man Premier League board on Wednesday.
Levy said Tottenham had the backing of other Premier League (FAPL) clubs in
requesting a replay.
"We now have confirmation from a majority of Premier League clubs that they
would support a replay and in similar circumstances would expect the game to
have been postponed," Levy said. "We therefore formally request that you order
that the game be replayed."
First-team players Michael Dawson, Edgar Davids, Michael Carrick, Robbie
Keane and Teemu Tainio were among those struck down by food poisoning after a
buffet meal at the team hotel in east London on Saturday night.
However, all five played in the 2-1 defeat at West Ham United, a result
which, coupled with Arsenal's 4-2 win over Wigan, meant Spurs missed out on
fourth place and had to settle for a place in the UEFA Cup. Enditem
