By Jon Colman

Last updated 22:37, Wednesday, 16 April 2008

CARLISLE United manager John Ward today said the Leeds 15 points saga, which could ruin the Blues’ bid for automatic promotion, has heaped embarrassment on football.

Leeds United chairman Ken Bates

The Yorkshire club’s appeal to reclaim the points they were docked last summer will be heard in an independent tribunal starting today.

If Leeds’ lawyers are successful it will put Ken Bates’ club ahead of Carlisle in second place while having a dramatic impact on other promotion issues in League One with just three games of the season remaining.

Ward said: “It would put the whole game into some kind of controversy and I would be as confused as anybody.

“Why has it taken so long and then come in right at the death of the season?

“I think it’s very embarrassing for my profession, and I’m very proud of my profession.”

Leeds’ lawyers will today try to convince a three-man panel that the Football League acted outside its jurisdiction in docking them 15 points for allegedly breaking competition rules on insolvency.

The panel is made up of Sir Philip Otton, a retired High Court judge, Peter Leaver, the former Premier League chief executive, and lawyer Peter Cadman. The tribunal could last for up to three days.

“I think they will get something back, maybe five points, and it will be an appeasement in a way – which I wouldn’t be too comfortable with,” said Ward.

“Not just for Carlisle, but it shifts the goalposts that we’ve already played 43 games under.

“I’m not sure that’s correct because even if it doesn’t affect us, it affects a lot of other people and in terms of the game I’m not sure that would be correct.

Should Leeds be returned all 15 points it could even threaten Swansea’s place in the Championship even though the League One leaders celebrated clinching promotion last weekend.

If Leeds get 15 points back and win their remaining games, and Carlisle also take maximum points from their last three fixtures, Swansea would finish third if they lose their last three.

Ward says the fact such a bizarre scenario would also shame the game.

“For me, Leeds should probably leave it,” he said. “Everyone has known the situation from day one and and Leeds have even used it as a big incentive themselves.

“Even their programme prints the wrong league table with those 15 points added back on. That’s fine, but you can’t guarantee they’d have done the same this season had they had the 15 points to start with. You just don’t know what would have happened and that is part of the problem.”