70k to fix a match? Its not that kind of money which is going to fix premier league games, when some players earn that much a week. Mind you, how much do premeir league refs get paid?
One of the six people arrested on suspicion of fixing football matches in Britain is former Premier League player Delroy Facey, Sky sources have confirmed. Facey, who now works as agent, and the others were detained this week by the National Crime Agency as part of an investigation into an Asian betting syndicate. http://news.sky.com/story/1174673/match-fixing-ex-footballer-suspect-named
Gambling wise - i have a "friend of a friend" who used to sit with his earpiece in and commentate on lower league games (Gateshead, Darlington and other non-leaguers around the north east) He was connected to a betting ring in China and used to write stuff down re stats and things. Got approached during a "summer" game and claimed to be blind (had a white stick "just in case") and also got approached during a Darlo game with his pad and paper and put on a voice of a mentally handicapped person and said "I like my stats" in the piss take voice we all used to do at school but never realised it was so offensive. Spot fixing has been going on (with people like this) for years at lower leagues and the chinese pay my friends friend a handsome sum for it. What would become of him if he thought "I've had enough" I have no idea as it's almost gangster style. Guess they're graduating to match fixing now. £50k to a non-league player is a lot of money. £50k to a premierleague player is pocket money for his Saturday night out. It would be serious money if it happened at PL level
Ok going to show my naivety here. Are they on about spot fixing or fixing results in games? I cant imagine all 11/22 players, even at lower levels being willing to fix a match? How do you fix spot betting at footy? scores after certain times? Can see how easy it is to spot bet on cricket (the no ball fiasco) and how easy it is for one person to throw a snooker match but how do they fix footy.
Easily done get a mate to bet on red cards and send a player off for nowt. I have been saying for years that games have been fixed when I have people have said I was nuts.
Absolutely cracking series..My oldest lad got me to watch one of the episodes, and then I was hooked..
Very good. Thats fine when individual players are involved. Jesus they do it themselves on purpose anyway so they miss a meaningless match or the festive period. Doubting an actual game can be fixed though.
The National Crime Agency have confirmed that two people have been charged over football match-fixing allegations and that one further arrest has been made. Six men were arrested earlier this week over the allegations following an investigation by the Daily Telegraph. Three of the other suspects are said to be current footballers and it is understood the probe involves clubs in the Football Conference. A statment on the NCA website read: "Two men suspected of involvement in football match fixing were charged this afternoon. "The Crown Prosecution's Organised Crime Division found sufficient evidence and was satisfied it was in the public interest to authorise charges of conspiracy to defraud. "The men, who are alleged to be members of an international illegal betting syndicate based in Singapore, are among six people arrested earlier this week as part of a National Crime Agency investigation. "A seventh man has since been arrested and he and four others were bailed today pending further enquiries. "Chann Sankaran, a 33 year old Singapore national, and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan, a 43 year old with dual UK and Singapore nationality, have been remanded in custody and will appear before Cannock Magistrates on 29 November." In an undercover video recorded by the Telegraph during the course of its investigation, an internationally known fixer, who claims 'players can be bought for £70,000', correctly predicts the results of three games played by the same team. Sky News' Paul Kelso spoke exclusively to one of the undercover investigators used by the paper. Michael Pride, who runs Australian based agency Sports Intelligence, explained how gambling syndicates work in general and alleged that English football had been a target for many years. "They've been in business - if you like to call it that - or fixing matches internationally for over a decade even probably more than that Paul (Kelso). "We see this as a major impact on fixing internationally. They have been set up in this particular way with tentacles throughout the world. If they have one investor they will put 50,000 euros to pay the players and then on top of that they will be laying out about 200,000 euros on the betting market. "It doesn't surprise me at all, especially with lower divisions, they're always a target for these syndicates that are looking at lower divisions and players and administrators of clubs and teams that can be manipulated easily with money and the attraction of money." "They see the UK as a good place to base some syndicated members to control operations around the UK and Europe in general." Sports lawyer Kevin Carpenter insists the problem of match-fixing needs to be tackled on a global scale and believes more focus needs to be on the individuals orchestrating the corruption. He told Sky Sports News: "It is the single biggest threat to football and to sport more widely. It has ruined and stopped many leagues from functioning correctly, sponsors are walking away from the sport, it is a truly global problem. "FIFA and Interpol have a 10-year agreement where they are doing a number of different initiatives. Interpol are doing a great amount of work in co-ordinating police forces because it is a global problem and police forces must work together. "On the sporting sanction side they (people involved in match-fixing) are likely to face lengthy bans from the sport - life bans are being given by national associations and extended by FIFA - that is a ban from any activity in football, so it is the end of your career in that sport. "I would stress that what we really need to do is focus on the criminals behind the players, who get to them and force them to match-fix, sometimes under duress, we need to arrest these people, imprison them and cut off their funding."
World Cup qualification matches may have been fixed by the international gambling syndicate at the centre of the British football scandal. The alleged fixer arrested earlier this week claimed he fixed World Cup games and matches in Europe and Australia. During a secretly recorded meeting earlier this month, he said “I do Australia, Scotland. Ireland. Europe. World Cup. World Cup qualifier”. He claimed to control the entire team for one African country, which cannot be named for legal reasons. The Telegraph understands that the National Crime Agency (NCA) which has launched an investigation into match fixing in Britain’s lower leagues is now co-operating with other international law enforcement agencies following this week’s arrests. The Telegraph was approached by an undercover investigator with links to Fifa, who had been gathering evidence against suspected Asian match fixers offering to operate in Britain. During undercover meetings in Manchester earlier this month, the fixer told the former Fifa investigator that he could pay referees and players to manipulate the results of games. However, during the course of the conversations about English matches, the fixer also said that he could rig matches “all over” the world, except in Singapore where the penalties are very high. “I do Australia, Scotland. Ireland. Europe. World Cup. World Cup qualifier,” he said. “What, the World Cup?”, asked the investigator. “At least, at least 15,” the alleged fixer claimed. “I bought the match.” The Singaporean national claimed that he controlled one African country’s “whole team”. The fixer said that he worked closely with a registered Fifa agent, which meant he could organise matches throughout the world. “He’s a very close friend”, explained the alleged fixer. “My boss is the one who asked him to spend the money to get the licence.” The alleged fixer claimed to have set up international friendly matches. Some of these matches have already been the focus of concern amid allegations they were fixed. In a series of covertly recorded conversations in this country, the alleged fixer was asked how the illicit trade worked. Asked if the betting syndicate paid for the Fifa licence, the alleged fixer replied: “Yeah so he is very close with me… I'm [the] one who's sending money…he can organise any match around the world….that's the reason why I say I can organise any game any tournament…’Cause I use his licence I will ask him if ok he can arrange international friendly for this team before, usually before any world cup match or any tournament there will be friendly match, just a warm up match.” In a later meeting, the fixer boasted about the teams he could use to control matches in Europe. “I got team in Belgium. France as well I got,” said the alleged fixer. “Good teams. Their country, most of these place their salaries are very low…Like Germany, the players, they pay high…France not so high. Very moderate. But Finland, Belgium, Sweden, all everybody all [earn] very less [sic]". The NCA has arrested six men – including three footballers and Delroy Facey, a player–turned–agent who has played in the Premier League – who are suspected of involvement in an international betting syndicate. It is the first time in decades that police have amassed sufficient evidence to hold those suspected of attempting to fix a match in Britain, following a series of similar scandals abroad. In a statement, the NCA said: "Six men have been arrested across the country as part of an NCA investigation into alleged football match fixing. "The focus of the operation is a suspected international illegal betting syndicate. The NCA is working closely with the Gambling Commission and the Football Association." The operation is one of the first by the agency, dubbed Britain's FBI, which was launched this year to fight suspected organised and serious crime. What is happening to our game?
