Is Match Fixing A Threat To English Football?

According to Europol, there have been 680 football matches that have been fixed around the world as part of a massive betting syndicate and apparently one of those was a Champions League tie played in England.

Reportedly, there are around 425 match officials, club officials, players and criminals are “suspected” of being involved.

We already know about high profile match-fixing in countries like Italy and Turkey, where players, officials and club staff have been punished with prison time. But this is the first time England has been implicated with match-fixing since the Betting Scandal of 1964 (according to the ever-reliable Wikipedia).

According to Europol, the Champions League tie which was played in England took place in the last 3 or 4 years.

And that’s all that has been revealed as “investigations are ongoing”.

So they haven’t strictly said that an English team was involved, as it could have been a European referee or the opposing team that was involved. But until all of the details of the investigation are revealed then it is all conjecture and hearsay.

But I will leave you with this clip, which is food for thought…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvANmxeiA5Y[/youtube]

 

5 thoughts on “Is Match Fixing A Threat To English Football?

  1. The sending off of Van Judas at camp Nou smelled like a wrongun at the time and just had all the hallmarks of a fixed game and a bought official, the ref had his card out so quick, so eager to send off a key player of a team that had began to get a foothold in the game. Arsenal tails were up we had just scored putting us in a favourable position in the tie then the ref does that knowing full well judas was on a yellow already and would walk, changing the balance irrepairably back in Barcas’ favour. It wasn’t a petulant kicking of the ball away it was a shot on target in a noisy charged atmosphere milliseconds after the whistle had been blown. Even if this isn’t one of the 680 games under scrutiny nothing will convince me we weren’t robbed at the expense of a corrupt official that night.

     
  2. Definitely some fixing takes place in big sports – we know this because sometimes players or officials are caught

    But I would not suspect the favorable officiating for ManU is the result of fixing. For ManU, getting the favorable calls is simply the result of the undue influence that Fergie has in the FA and the sports media.

    Officials and sports analysts/writers are frightened near to death about upsetting the coach they call “Sir” so they bow to him like he is king.

     
  3. It’s not if there has been match fixing it’s proving it.

    the Chelsea game above was a prime example of officials controlling the result.

    Arsenals most recent game against Stoke, there seemed to be a desire from the officials for arsenal not to gain the result, even the linesman flagging to disallow the goal, despite there being no grouds.

    If you think of the consistency of ther officals, the soft sending off’s, the clear off sides, the sending off’s that never happen…. the penalties that are clear dives etc. either we are in a game that the officials are completely unaccountable and can perform at a sub level without fear, or it’s corrupt.

    the past 3 – 4 years the level of referee’s has dropped so low that I feel it is the only explaination.

     
  4. A threat in England?
    Its already happening and has been for years

    I just don’t think Europol have looked deeply enough into England yet.

    A few very suspect games from the top of my head

    Man Utd 2 Arsenal 1 – 49 unbeaten streak ended (United should have had Van Nistelrooy (assault on cole), Ferdinand (taking Ljungberg out when clean on goal) and Gary Neville (persistent yellow card offenses) sent off way before Rooney dived over Campbell)

    Newcastle 4 Arsenal 4 – That 2nd half comeback had 2 VERY dodgy goals. Plus it was apparently ok for Nolan to push goalkeepers

    The Spurs game at Man Utd where Mendes scores, the balls 2 feet over the line but inexplicably it wasn’t given.

    United v Fulham – Carrick foul, most blatant penalty you’ll ever see – not given.

    And thats without even trying.

     

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