Just read this http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/lundekvam-makes-spot-fixing-allegations-081045981.html where Claus Lundekvam claims spot fixing was rife in England during his time here. I don't think many of us would be surprised that it happens, but if it's been as widespread as he suggests, then there are very serious questions to be asked. I know itâs a very hard thing to prove, but surely if it was a regular occurrence, the authorities would've acted, wouldn't they?
Glad it's pretty watertight these days. Reputation is everything to the English league and part of the reason it's so popular abroad, it's unpredictability is legendary. Only takes a couple of events to ruin a league ala Italy.
IF it's true it's despicable, because footballers don't make enough money already I can understand in some other sports where the pay isn't as good not that that's an excuse for it of course but I have more of an understanding of why someone in those circumstances MIGHT get suckered in but still.....
Matt Le Tissier owned up to this a few years back, they used to put money on the first throw-in and then boot the ball clean out from the kick-off so this is probably what Lundekvam is talking about. It is frightening what you can bet on nowadays and there is absolutely no way you can completely stop it from going on. I reckon it has been rife for years and will continue to be so until such time when betting markets are restricted only to win/lose/draw, and with things going exactly the opposite direction things are only going to get worse. You'd like to think 99.9% of professional sportsmen are honest and above board but there will always be a minority willing to break the rules to earn a fast buck. It must be so easy for a tennis player to do the odd double fault here and there, or the cricket no balling that was uncovered but no doubt goes a lot deeper than we know of. There may be nothing in it at all but a colleague of mine (who also happens to be a DCI in the Met police and a top fella with no reason to lie) says he has heard from more than one trusted source that John Terry has somehow got himself into some serious financial trouble and as a consequence there might well be more to his sending off in the Champs League semi-final than meets the eye... Like I said, probably nothing in it at all, but knowing what is possible these days I certainly wouldn't rule anything out.
As Syd says the bookies have made it so easy for them to do this nowadays as they accept bets on anything. Players just need to drop a few quid for a friend to put on and they are made. And who is going to ever prove it?
easy answer stop this stupid betting, it is not necessary and undermines the confidence in the game , every time there is clanger you cant help feeling how much was he paid for that remember marshall error against Derby and the fuss that caused grrrrrrrr hate betting , no need for it just patheic feeding of greed
I have no problem with betting and as with most ' vices ' it should be a bit of harmless fun unless you let it get hold of you. I do the lottery and if I fancy the form of a horse in the 3.30 at Newmarket I will have a few quid on it. I have also been known to bet on the result of a Football match or tournament and whilst I know that both racing and football can be fixed it is not common and takes a lot of organising. I have never in my life, however, looked at a preview of a Football match and thought ' I must have a bet on how quickly the ball goes out for a throw in ' and it this sort of nonsense that is giving the game a bad image as it is so easy to fix. Having said that, if Bookmakers are prepared to lay themselves open to that sort of nonsense then they deserve all the problems they get.
The 3 Pakistani cricketers did go to jail. The problem stems not from the players,but from large betting syndicates operating in Asia and Eastern Europe. Apparently countries like Ukraine,Russia.Pakistan,India etc the problem is caused by pressure on players families. You will never stop it. The betting of "first corner","first throw in " etc is minor compared to what went on in 60's at Sheffield Wed when players bet on their team to loose to Ipswich. Peter Swan, Tony Kay and David Layne were all convicted and went to jail. Players from other teams were also doing it at different games. We can never really be sure if our game is 100% clean.
Didn't some Aussie cricketers (Marsh, Lillee etc) bet on Australia to lose the Headingley Test in 1981? I don't think anything happened to them. Coming back to footy, I'm sure Han Seagers took a 'bung' v Everton, all those years ago.
I agree that isn't always as simple as the players being corrupt and doing it purely for the momey, there are many shady, underworld characters involved in all this stuff and I imagine lot's of pressure/threats of violence etc are used to make people do things they don't want to. Hanse Cronje is a prime example of that, I can't believe that he would risk tarnishing his iconic status in SA - this guy was as revered to the Saffers as someone like Beckham, Flintoff is to us - for a few grand when he was already a incredibly wealthy guy. And then when it all came out and after Cronje had served his time and the dust had settled his helicopter mysteriously crashed into a mountain kiling him in an instant. Sinister forces were definitely at work in that one, an absolutely tragic story of a guy's descent from absolute hero to absolute zero.
I have to ask who is it who bets on the number of cards/corners/fouls? Surely there are enough things for the bookies to mug us on without picking items which are relatively easily manipulated like first wide or no ball in cricket or first throw in/foul/corner in football. If the bookies get skelped on this they only have themselves to blame for offering odds on it and I don't have a huge amount of sympathy for punters betting on something that is blatently easy to manipulate. I could be wrong but surely it would be pretty difficult for one or two individuals to fix a football match whereas any player on the field could fix an early throw or foul or card. I would hope that the majority of sportsmen are pretty honest and with the money that the top guys are paid it is really not worth them taking a bribe to fix a match. It is further down the leagues where a £100k payment is a couple of years wages that you could see people being tempted - why would a premier league player risk his career and a jail sentance for a couple of weeks wages?
