He must be in need of the money. But it needed to be said sooner or later. Would of rathered it not been someone that used to play for us, though.
They're just reporting on something which he said in some interview in Norway. It's hard to make that stuff up.
Am I the only one who isn't bothered by this? It's not like they fixed the result of a game, they just decided to make a few quid on the side off bookmakers (who have been preying on the poorest people in this country for years). The bigger story is that one of our most distinguished players has fallen into a hell of Cocaine and Alcohol addiction since retiring. I hope Claus gets the help he needs.
I never understood how Bruce Grobbler got off even with the footage of him taking a bundle of cash. I remember watching a programme showing this world class goalkeeper making the biggest howlers ever. Money Talks in all sport.
Claus has gone sadly down hill and has come out with this now because he needs the money. Probably true what he says because remember Le Tiss said the same thing in his autobiography. Shouldn't be regarded lightly as these were highly paid players messing about when fans were paying hard earned money to watch games. Also remember that some fans would be doing spot betting and being cheated by this fixing.
Video evidence is always dodgy. With a bit of clever editing you can make anything look crooked. I have to say I take a lot of these allegations with a large pinch of salt. I k now from experience that it is virtually impossible to get large berts placed particularly if you are known. All bookmakers have excellent networks. They would only get stung once!
I'll always remember Claus in a fond light, but its just sad how bad his life has been since he retired. To me, this sounds like a bit of desperation money, & that can be a whole lot worse for him.
I wouldn't mind betting that the Sun saw this story in a Norwegian article at the weekend and thought this will help sell a few papers.
Can see where you are coming from about not being too bothered by this. I guarantee most teams were at this sort of thing. When I actually think about this for a second it pees me off. Even though they weren't earning what players are today they were still on more than the rest of us and it's like insider trading. Jail term for that offence in banking. Don't blame the bookmakers undoubted they didnt approached him to do it. He was right about them living in a bubble. Gone down in my estimations as le tiss did when I read his book. I don't have sympathy for him with his problems now, self inflicted. If he still has those issues then yes I hope he gets help but what a prat. Only come out with this for the money without any concern about the club. In cortese and Adkins I trust.
I don't think you understand betting. The "big, heartless betting companies" are just the facilitators who take a percentage of the total money bet on an event. When you or I place a bet, we are opposing those other punters who predict a different outcome from us, and put their money down accordingly. It's ordinary punters who are being conned when an outcome is fixed. It's fraud, it's indefensible, and it's certainly not a victimless crime.
Having just read the article again a lot of it is total bollocks! I have accounts with all the spread betting firms and any glitches in their systems are closed down immediatley. Any sudden bet of quote "£1000's on a throw in or corner" would have alarm bells ringing straight away and you certainly wouldn't get a bet on a second time. A bet of that size on this sort of market from a person in any way connected to a club would just not be accepted.
So? It was over 10 years ago and the only one who will get into trouble is Claus himself (unless he wants to grass up the names of those who colluded with him). Doesn't have any impact on the club right now. Move along, nothing to see here.
It was common knowledge that this was going on regularly back in the nineties. Anything that people can bet on will always have characters that dont play strictly by the rules if they can make a quick few quid out of it. If i had been in the know, i would have certainly taken advantage of it,as i suspect most other people would have.
I agree up to a point Totton but how would you have got that size of bet on. Sporting and IG were the big spread firms at that time. I knew both their Trading chiefs and they have always said these stories are just rubbish. If they had any stong evoidence they would have just taken the market down.
I think bookmakers are a bit more than facilitators. People who bet with a bookmaker are only betting very indirectly against each other. And everybody who bets knows the risk beforehand. Also the way the story is i'm not sure he is talking about spread betting. I got the impression he was talking about rigging the first throw in market, maybe even the markets on number of corners.
