Gang of four 'driven by greed'

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"I don't get offended by much in the job but I find the suggestion that we wanted to keep West Ham in at the expense of so-called smaller clubs one of the most offensive things I've heard," he said.

Scroll down to read more:

Epicentre of controversy: Tevez enjoys one of many highlights in the Hammers' late bid to avoid relegation

"The idea that we'd manipulate who's in the League and who isn't is so ridiculous it's nonsensical.

"Do we want Reading or Wigan in the Premiership? Bloody right we do because they won the Championship."

Scudamore is indignant at allegations that the Hammers were given preferential treatment when an independent commission decided against a points deduction and instead fined them £5.5million after they admitted breaching PL rules.

Wigan, Sheffield United, Fulham and Charlton stand to lose £60m by dropping out of the League and they are threatening to sue after Carlos Tevez was granted permission to continue playing for relegation rivals West Ham.

With such huge sums at stake, Scudamore believes the Gang of Four are being motivated by money and said: "With the League being as good as it is and with it being as lucrative as it is, people are desperate to stay in it.

"It's an emotive time and people are hanging on to the Premier League by any means they can.

"You have to remain phlegmatic about it — that's what all this is about."

The Premier League chief also said that he had evidence that the contentious third party agreement between West Ham and Tevez's agent, Kia Joorabchian, had been torn up.

Scudamore, prepared to meet the clubs to discuss their threat of legal action, added: "Having been through nine months of this, don't just think that we've got a verbal agreement.

"We have a copy of the letter of termination sent to the third party, proof of receipt and proof it was served on Carlos Tevez."

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan stayed on the attack on Friday night. Whelan, who will watch his team scrap for survival against Sheffield United as West Ham play at Manchester United, said he will take the Premier League to court if they can't prove the Tevez-Joorabchian links have been severed.

And he added: "English football and the Premiership have enjoyed a quality reputation across the globe but this business is tainting that."