The three-man arbitration panel's decision means that Sheffield, where Egyptian midfielder Ahmed Fathi plays, will play in the Championship next season while West Ham will kick off in the Premier League.

Sheffield were hoping to dock points from West Ham who breached the Premier League registration rules when they signed the Argentinean pair Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez last August.

The latter played a major role in the hammers' survival as he scored six goals in the last nine games helping them win seven of them.

West Ham had been found guilty and were fined with a $11.09 million-record fee but the Premier League said that "a deduction of points would not be proportionate punishment" as the club had new owners and points lost in April would have meant relegation.