MIDDLESBROUGH are asking for clarity from the Premier League over the decision that handed West Ham the right to play Carlos Tevez in the relegation run-in, but chief executive Keith Lamb insists the Teessiders are unlikely to legally challenge the ruling.

Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe has plans to canvas support from fellow top-flight clubs after the Blades were relegated from the Premiership.

The so-called Gang of Four, however, has not grown to five with the addition of Boro.

After speculation to the contrary, Lamb has told the Premier League's Sir David Richards that Middlesbrough will 'not be party to such action'.

But Lamb, and chairman Steve Gibson, remain concerned at the way the Hammers were fined a record £5.5m for irregularities over the signings of Tevez and his compatriot Javier Mascherano, rather than having points docked.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan, insisting yesterday he is determined to see justice, had suggested that Boro had joined the battle against the ruling.

However, Lamb said: "We would welcome that, if there is nothing to hide and everything is right and proper, the Premier League come out and demonstrate it.

"I am not asking the Premier League to demonstrate to the media what happened.

"But I think the clubs who form the Premier League have a right to know that it has been dealt with properly by the officers of the Premier League. I think that is exactly what Dave Whelan is saying."

"We are supportive of Wigan and any other club that wants to see clarity with regards to this. It should be transparent.

"Financial penalties are not in my view sufficient for what happened. A combination of a football and financial penalty would have been a solution."

Had the Premier League docked West Ham three points - as Boro were a decade ago for failing to fulfil a fixture against Blackburn because of an horrendous injury list - it would have been the Londoners rather than Sheffield United in the Football League next season.

West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson is confident that the decision will be upheld, although the Blades are quickly putting plans in place to fight to have their status in the English top-flight reinstated.

But Lamb, helped by the Premier League last summer when Middlesbrough looked to appoint Gareth Southgate as manager without the required coaching badges, will not be standing shoulder to shoulder with his counterparts.

"A week last Saturday I spoke with Dave Whelan at Wigan and we expressed Middlesbrough's concern," he said.

"We said we were disappointed with the penalty that was dished out, which was purely financial, bearing in mind Middlesbrough had suffered relegation as a consequence of a point deduction in 1997.

"I said we were dissatisfied with the decision. We felt it was wrong but I also acknowledged that the commission has acted within their powers and had acted properly, and I told Dave there was very little chance of anybody overturning that decision because it could only be appealed by the Premier League or West Ham themselves.

"I wish West Ham had appealed because their appeal would have been heard by the FA and there might have been a totally different outcome."

Wigan, who are now looking ahead to a third season in the Premiership, will give Sheffield United their full backing in their pursuit of 'justice'.

And United chairman McCabe, whose club was relegated by Tevez's goal against Manchester United on Sunday, said: "It needs conversations with respective chairmen and directors for them to understand all of the injustices but most of them do know that already.

"I think there is a consensus most clubs support an injustice so I hope we will get the vast majority of clubs in the Premier League supporting our case."

Keith Lamb was speaking at the opening of Middlesbrough's Football in the Community's new Herlingshaw education Centre in Eston, Middlesbrough.