I hope I'm going to say what a lot of folk are thinking, but I'm well aware that this could go down like a ton of bricks. First of all their is no doubt in my mind that the Premiership has been corrupted by match fixing and it just a matter of time before it is exposed. The FA instantly buried their head in the sand when match fixing in the lower leagues was exposed, instantly denying that the higher tiers of English football had been effected, sure enough in the last few days reporters (doing their job for once) have exposed corruption and match fixing in the Championship. I find it strange, Gus finds it strange and I'm sure many of you find it strange that we've conceded 5 own goals in 9 games. It could be extremely bad luck but you have to admit it does look suspicious in light of recent match fixing revelations. Our disciplinary record is also questionable. I'm very suspicious about the conduct of referees but that is out of our hands, but a couple of correct decisions have alarmed us all this season. Like John O'Shea's sending off against palace, where a cb with over a decade of premiership experience hacked down an opponent like a Sunday League player, or more so, Dossena's stamp, ran in with the stamp, wasn't lashing out from a challenge, just a genuine attempt to hurt a player, knowing full well it was in front of both the referee and his assistant. Now I have full confidence all the above were just moments of madness in a season where nothing is going right, but you have to admit this season has been both bizarre and surreal? I would like The FA to open an investigation into the conduct and ethical working of the referees and assistants, I'd also like every club in this country to open an investigation into match fixing at their club in an effort to assist the authorities in an attempt to rid our gorgeous sport of this disease. What is more I'd like our club to take the lead and look into this. As much as I'd like to think their is nobody at our club is corrupt, it would idiotic and fa like to just dismiss it. I don't want anybody at our club corrupting our sport and would like them removed from the club if they are guilty of foul play. Also a willingness to act on this could get our club out of a lot of **** in the very unlikely event that there's been foul play. Every club has to start taking responsibility for this if there's any chance of nipping this in bud quickly because the FA will do **** all until they have too.
Disagree about Dossena's stamp mate - watch it real time - the ball was there, no player was there, had he been a fraction (and I'm talking tenths if not hundredths of a second) earlier he'd have dragged the ball back. It's not like he saw the player, looked at the player and stamped on him when he was lying on the ground. He only looked at the ball and the player (meyler) went for and got the ball just before Dossena's foot came down where the ball was. It was silly and dangerous but not intentional in my eyes. O'Shea mis-controlled a throw in and stretched to win a battle which could never be won - utter stupidity and, in my eyes, not something intentional to get the side beaten or to get himself sent off. # Just my opinions on those two Bri.
Exactly mate 5 own goals and 4 red cards, 1 rescinded. I'd like our club to at least look into it and eliminate any possibility. Just doing our part in the grand scheme of things.
That's fair do mate, but the incidents themselves have been discussed and discussed and we all have our opinion. Dossena stamped into the challenge knowing fine well he can't do that, how do we know he wasn't playing for a yellow or would be confident of red even without contact? We don't. Like I said in my op it's very unlikely their is corruption and that it was just moments of madness. My point is should we as club and other clubs be looking into the possibility of corruption just to make sure and do our part what is rapidly becoming a major issue on fair play? If there is corruption in the Premiership, which I think there is, then what's the point of all this? Match tickets, season cards, yearly club kits, away day outings, even discussions on here. It all becomes pointless and irrelevant if the sport is corrupted and a fair playing field no longer exsists.
I think that could well be true mate. But there's also a possibility of officials and players being part of the same betting ring. It could be as minor throw in fixing or as severe as relegation fixing in the sport. We won't know until it's investigated.
When you watch his reaction to his goal for us in the same game it looked a one of pure releif for his **** up. It looks terrible his OG but, as we say, we have no idea if he knows whether there is anyone behind him
What I will agree with is that we are a poor side that has some misfortune some self inflicted and some undoubtedly by Refs. Refs are more likely to be bribed in the Premier League than players cos they are on a lot less money.
I don't buy that player earning more money wouldn't do it. Players are human beings like the rest of us, some develop addictions, some mis manage money, lots of them struggle with debt. Desperate men can revert desperate measures just like in any walk of life. Chopra is a recent example of many we know of. There is sure to be many more who are skint and feeding habits of which we know nothing about.
Thats the problem though. Without any actual evidence you just look really paranoid. There are too many other perfectly reasonalbe explaination for things.
If I was a betting man, I would put a tenner on at least one (probably more) Premier League refs getting embroiled in the betting scandal before the end of this season..
Regarding referees......I was wondering what would happen if it came to light that a referee was being bribed for a particular game! If, for example, at the end of the season the referee was found to be corrupt and wanted/needed Tottenham to win last Saturday. Where would SAFC stand???? If we were relegated, could we be reinstated?? What would be the repercussions? What sort of compensation would we receive??? Would the whole season be null a void as many clubs would raise many questions to the integrity of the entire campaign!? Of course I am not expecting this to happen but its just a thought!
The whole football establishment in England is corrupt, some of the decisions made against the less popular teams in favour of the bigger one's, I also think there are players at our club on the take, what other excuse is there for a certain player who has trouble playing for a full season due to red & yellow cards he picks up!
Which is exactly why I think our club should look into it. Air on the side of caution and come across cooperative. It could be going on at any club including our own.
Could be any day now, could be in a month or a year but I think it's going to blow up and turn English Football upside down. It's been uncovered in the top tier of Italian football, in international cricket, lower league English football and now it's looking very likely it's infested our 2nd tier. There's a **** storm a brewing. Maybe I'm cynical I don't know. I do know I'm frightened of losing the sport I hold so much passion for. Once I know there's no level playing field I fear something in me will die and I'll lose my passion for the game. I want, no, I need it nipped in the bud asap.
