We won't dock West Ham points so stop moaning, says Premier League chief

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Scudamore urged the teams fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table to allow their fates to be decided on the pitch and not in the court room.

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Centre of the storm: Carlos Tevez after celebrating with Manchester United players in London last night

The row has intensified after Wigan chairman Dave Whelan wrote to Scudamore requesting "concrete evidence" Tevez was eligible to play for West Ham during their recent 3-0 win, as he believes the player is still part-owned by businessman Kia Joorabchian.

In addition, Sheffield United plc chairman Kevin McCabe said his club would take legal action should they go down and Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb said he would "be smiling on Sunday if West Ham are relegated".

Scudamore remained adamant, though, that the £5.5million fine for irregularities in the Argentines' contracts was a just and fitting penalty.

He said: "The Premier League were always very confident that their rules have been adhered to in terms of how the [three-man independent] commission was convened and how the whole issue was resolved.

"That commission have decided on the punishment. West Ham pleaded guilty to the charges and the commission, independently of the [Premier League] board, have made that decision.

"There is no doubt that in terms of the process the rules have been followed and that is the end of the matter."

Whelan's letter was sent last night to Scudamore and the other top-flight clubs.

It read: "In your e-mail of 8 May sent to all Premier League clubs, you state that assurances were received in a satisfactory form from West Ham. Surely the contract can only be terminated by both parties?

"Could we and the rest of the Premier League please see concrete evidence, i.e, written confirmation that this contract had been cancelled by both parties and furthermore, was this termination actually completed before Saturday 28 April, the day West Ham played Tevez at the JJB Stadium?"

One of Wigan or Sheffield United - who face each other at Bramall Lane - will be relegated if West Ham take a point at Manchester United, and McCabe said: "It was an unjust penalty.

"We might as well all field illegal players every week."

Hammers chairman Eggert Magnusson hopes the matter is now closed, after he decided not to appeal against the decision.

He said: "We accept that mistakes were made and it is now time to move on. Our intention is to be totally focused on Sunday's game. We know that our fate, like every other club, will be decided, where it should be, on the pitch."