Beckham comes in to replace Tevez as Sky admit mistake over Sheffield United billboard poster

Spot the difference - Sky Sports have acted quickly to correct a PR own goal and replaced a controversial billboard featuring Carlos Tevez from outside Bramall Lane.
The new David Beckham poster outside Bramall Lane.The new David Beckham poster outside Bramall Lane.
The new David Beckham poster outside Bramall Lane.

The massive billboard of Tevez celebrating scoring against Manchester United on the day his West Ham team helped relegate Sheffield United being placed just yards from the ground sparked a mixture of anguish and amusement from Blades fans and rival supporters today.

But the offending advertisement has now been replaced within hours with a less contentious poster of David Beckham in his Manchester United kit.

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The Carlos Tevez poster outside Bramall Lane yesterday.The Carlos Tevez poster outside Bramall Lane yesterday.
The Carlos Tevez poster outside Bramall Lane yesterday.
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Sky Sports said earlier today the Tevez billboard had been ‘unintentional and unfortunate’ and would be removed as soon as possible.

The controversy around the poster centres around what became known as the Tevez affair, a bitter row between Sheffield United and West Ham about the circumstances of the Blades’ relegation from the Premier League in 2007.

Back in 2007 Tevez, and teammate Javier Mascherano was part owned by West Ham and businessman Kia Joorabchian’s Media Sports Investment (MSI) company, an arrangement which breached Premier League rules.

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Just weeks before the end of the season the Premier League decided against punishing West Ham with an expected points deduction, and instead fined them £5.5 million, and allowed the Argentinian pair to appear for the club for the rest of the season.

On the final day of the season Tevez scored the winner for the East London club against Manchester United at Old Trafford, a goal which ensured his team’s Premier League safety and help condemn the Blades to relegation to the Championship.

Had West Ham been docked points for fielding Tevez and Mascherano, they would have been relegated and Sheffield United would have been safe.

The affair sent shockwaves through the world of football and legal wrangling between the two clubs lasted until 2009 when an out of court settlement was agreed which saw West Ham pay the Blades £20 million in compensation for the relegation.

West Ham signed the Argentinian striker, who started his career at Boca Juniors, from Brazilian side Corinthians in August 2006.