On November 25th 2011 there was a fixed League Two match involving Barnet and Macclesfield.
Barnet won 2-1 via two penalties from Izale McLeod and the later sending off of Roy Draper just two minutes after Macclesfield had pulled a goal back.
The referee for this event was Dean Whitestone.
He is still an active official, his last refereeing spot being QPR's 1-0 victory over Charlton and he is selected as 4th Official for several Premier League games per season.
The current Lincoln City manager Gary Simpson was manager of Macclesfield at the time of this fixed match.
He reported his suspicions to the authorities.
Simpson: "I was told there had been an irregular betting pattern on it [the game] during the game and before the game... We heard from the authorities that it was correct and there had been an irregular betting pattern in the game."
So.
A fixed match.
Apparent involvement of a referee according to Simpson.
Knowledge of event by authorities.
No action.
Yesterday the Football Conference put out a statement: "The Football Conference takes all matters relating to the integrity of
the game very seriously but it cannot make any comment on today's story
as it would be inappropriate to do so."
And the impact was considerable in football terms in that Macclesfield were relegated from the Football League in season 2011/12 while Barnet finished third-bottom.
__________________________________________________________________________________
On October 29th 2008 there was a fixed Premier League match involving Fulham and Wigan Athletic.
Fulham (managed by Roy Hodgson) won 2-0 with two goals by Andy Johnson who was so certain that he would score that he revealed a t-shirt boasting of such even though he hadn't scored a goal for 7 months. He boasted of his prior knowledge on the Match of the Day interview post-game.
There were irregular betting patterns on the game.
We posted a blog about this event and, two days later, received threats and menaces of the 'we know where you live' variety.
These emails were traced to the London offices of a leading football agent who was closely associated with the Fulham/Wigan fix.
We informed this individual of our forensics and went to the police.
Later, we approached Paul Kelso of the Daily Telegraph over this fixed event when Hodgson became manager of England - Kelso was the Chief Sports Reporter of the Telegraph.
His refusal to meet despite betting patterns, testimonies, evidence was assumed to be related to previous work co-operations with the agent at a different newspaper.
Yet it is now the Telegraph that is exposing lower league and international match corruption in English, Irish and Scottish football.
To say that we are curious about Telegraph attention on the shit that rises to the top would be an understatement worthy of note!
__________________________________________________________________________________
This investigation into corruption in the English game CANNOT be allowed to continue to its fruition as figures at the very summit of British society and the game will be implicated - administrators, senior government ministers, club owners, newspaper editors, managers, referees, players, agents, lawyers, commentators, football writers, ex-players, accommodating European-based bookmakers, the entire business hierarchies of the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Jersey and Guernsey, the mafiosi groups of several British cities...
Gordon Taylor's betting millions are just the tip of the iceberg.
Oh!
And he's still in a job, isn't he?
For many more itemised angles on corruption follow us on Twitter @FootballIsFixed
© Football is Fixed 2006-2013
Friday, 29 November 2013
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Football Is Fixed!
FOOTBALL IS FIXED!
BUT ONLY LOWER LEAGUE FOOTBALL WHERE THERE IS NOT SO MUCH MONEY TO BE MADE BY THE PERPETRATORS...
... AND FOREIGN FOOTBALL BECAUSE WE ARE ALL SO SQUEAKY CLEAN IN THIS COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO THE RAMPANT CRIMINALISATION OF FINANCIAL MARKETS.
The Telegraph investigation into match-fixing in the lower English leagues brings the focus of the spectre of the criminalisation of our beautiful game ever closer to the Premier League.
The revealing report written by Claire Newell and Holly Watt manages to expose a world that no insider is prepared to whistleblow and expose for fear of the consequences (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/10479667/Football-match-fixing-six-arrested-by-police-investigating-betting-syndicate-as-rigging-hits-British-game.html).
It is surely of passing relevance that it takes two women non-footballers to reveal the ugly truth about the English game.
To date, at least three current players and a former player-turned-agent have been arrested (amongst others).
Before moving onto the holistics of football corruption in this country, we would like to point out that we approached Paul Kelso (the Chief Sports Reporter) for the Telegraph with fulsome evidence (including testimonies) of a fixed English Premier League match from 2008.
As he had formerly worked under one of the perpetrators of that particular match-fix, we were not surprised when he refused our offer of a meeting. But this should be born in mind when we discuss where the real match-fixing is happening in England.
For sure, corruption exists in the lower leagues - the other week the ninth most traded match in one Asian market (on a Champions League night!) was Buxton versus Stockbridge Park Steels!
But when excessive and inappropriate volume exists on a lower league match, the majority of bookmakers and market makers simply suspend the book (unless they are able to hedge or advantageously trade the 'knowledge' elsewhere).
But the primary corruption occurs where the liquidity is secure and deep - the major European leagues, the Champions League and the World Cup Finals.
There are currently active police investigations into football match-fixing in over 60 countries.
That represents more than 30% of the FIFA Family.
The estimated global turnover on football betting is projected as £650 billion.
Although illuminatingly excessive, we suggest that this figure is an understatement.
The most voluminous trading on football markets takes place in Dark Pools where the footballing equivalent of institutional investors square off their illicit controls and acquired knowledges at the poker table that eventually determines the match outcomes.
Liquidity is everything as profits are proportional and we would be astonished if the flow of money over a year didn't exceed £1 trillion.
One of the most corrupt leagues on the planet is the English Premier League.
Yet here there is no exposure.
There are no arrests.
But there are also no regulations preventing corruption.
And inappropriate structures abound that are seemingly primed for corruption.
An example...
The biggest turnover English Premier League matches are the televised events as these matches attract far more Asian underground money.
More volume = more profit if one is in control of the market.
One of the poorest referees on the PGMOB Select Group roster is Jonathan Moss (think the matches between Man Utd/ Crystal Palace, Man City/ Everton and Norwich/ West Ham this season for starters).
There also appears an unconscious bias in the officiating of Mr Moss in favour of West Bromwich Albion and against Aston Villa...
... entirely unconscious of course.
Mr Moss is a close acquaintance of Mr John Colquhoun - former footballer, football agent, Guardian newspaper football overlord, Scottish tourism ambassador, professional gambler, those sort of jobs - and they have been entwined together since their time at Sunderland two decades ago.
Colquhoun is immensely well connected in the English game and would appear to have some influence over Keren Barratt (the man at the PGMOB responsible for the selection of match referees).
For example, look at all the appointments in the Premier League for Mr Moss this season:
Chelsea v Hull City (Sky Live)
Everton v West Brom (4th Official)
Arsenal v Spurs (4th Official) (Sky Live)
Man Utd v C Palace (BT Live)
Liverpool v Southampton (4th Official)
Man City v Everton (BT Live)
West Brom v Arsenal (4th Official) (Sky Live)
West Ham v Man City (4th Official) (Sky Live)
Liverpool v West Brom
Norwich v West Ham (BT Live)
Fulham v Swansea (4th Official)
Cardiff v Man Utd (4th Official) (Sky Live)
Spurs v Man Utd (4th Official) (BT Live)
So.
13 games.
9 major turnover live matches.
3 games involving West Brom.
Other referees of his standing and status have received between 0 and three live appointments.
This is a structure that clearly represents a potential conflict of interests if Mr Moss were criminalised (which we have to assume he is not) or if Mr Colquhoun had an interest in the global football betting markets (which, despite him being a professional gambler, we are sure he hasn't).
When one of the match-fixers states that referees across Europe can be bought for £20K per game, having one person in charge of selection of the officials for Premier League matches is a calamity waiting to happen.
This is just one example of the way that illegitimate loopholes might occur - we could offer you many others.
In football as in life, there are two forms of corruption.
That within the loop where all key power groups share an interest...
... or peripheral corruption of no benefit to those in the loop and therefore problematical as it might draw attention to the activities of those in the loop.
Interestingly, the police have made no contact with either the Premier League (under Mr Scudamore) or the Football League (under Mr Harvey) over their current investigations into match-fixing in the English game.
This could just be the biggest scandal to hit English football in decades (as the Telegraph are claiming).
Disclaimer: Nothing in this article suggests that any of the people mentioned are anything but beautiful warm-hearted individuals with the best interests of the integrity of the game at heart.
We merely point out systemic structures that could be easily utilised for corruption if ever a criminalised individual was ever to venture near the world of football. That's all, folks.
For many more itemised angles on corruption follow us on Twitter @FootballIsFixed
© Football is Fixed 2006-2013
BUT ONLY LOWER LEAGUE FOOTBALL WHERE THERE IS NOT SO MUCH MONEY TO BE MADE BY THE PERPETRATORS...
... AND FOREIGN FOOTBALL BECAUSE WE ARE ALL SO SQUEAKY CLEAN IN THIS COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO THE RAMPANT CRIMINALISATION OF FINANCIAL MARKETS.
The Telegraph investigation into match-fixing in the lower English leagues brings the focus of the spectre of the criminalisation of our beautiful game ever closer to the Premier League.
The revealing report written by Claire Newell and Holly Watt manages to expose a world that no insider is prepared to whistleblow and expose for fear of the consequences (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/10479667/Football-match-fixing-six-arrested-by-police-investigating-betting-syndicate-as-rigging-hits-British-game.html).
It is surely of passing relevance that it takes two women non-footballers to reveal the ugly truth about the English game.
To date, at least three current players and a former player-turned-agent have been arrested (amongst others).
Before moving onto the holistics of football corruption in this country, we would like to point out that we approached Paul Kelso (the Chief Sports Reporter) for the Telegraph with fulsome evidence (including testimonies) of a fixed English Premier League match from 2008.
As he had formerly worked under one of the perpetrators of that particular match-fix, we were not surprised when he refused our offer of a meeting. But this should be born in mind when we discuss where the real match-fixing is happening in England.
For sure, corruption exists in the lower leagues - the other week the ninth most traded match in one Asian market (on a Champions League night!) was Buxton versus Stockbridge Park Steels!
But when excessive and inappropriate volume exists on a lower league match, the majority of bookmakers and market makers simply suspend the book (unless they are able to hedge or advantageously trade the 'knowledge' elsewhere).
But the primary corruption occurs where the liquidity is secure and deep - the major European leagues, the Champions League and the World Cup Finals.
There are currently active police investigations into football match-fixing in over 60 countries.
That represents more than 30% of the FIFA Family.
The estimated global turnover on football betting is projected as £650 billion.
Although illuminatingly excessive, we suggest that this figure is an understatement.
The most voluminous trading on football markets takes place in Dark Pools where the footballing equivalent of institutional investors square off their illicit controls and acquired knowledges at the poker table that eventually determines the match outcomes.
Liquidity is everything as profits are proportional and we would be astonished if the flow of money over a year didn't exceed £1 trillion.
One of the most corrupt leagues on the planet is the English Premier League.
Yet here there is no exposure.
There are no arrests.
But there are also no regulations preventing corruption.
And inappropriate structures abound that are seemingly primed for corruption.
An example...
The biggest turnover English Premier League matches are the televised events as these matches attract far more Asian underground money.
More volume = more profit if one is in control of the market.
One of the poorest referees on the PGMOB Select Group roster is Jonathan Moss (think the matches between Man Utd/ Crystal Palace, Man City/ Everton and Norwich/ West Ham this season for starters).
There also appears an unconscious bias in the officiating of Mr Moss in favour of West Bromwich Albion and against Aston Villa...
... entirely unconscious of course.
Mr Moss is a close acquaintance of Mr John Colquhoun - former footballer, football agent, Guardian newspaper football overlord, Scottish tourism ambassador, professional gambler, those sort of jobs - and they have been entwined together since their time at Sunderland two decades ago.
Colquhoun is immensely well connected in the English game and would appear to have some influence over Keren Barratt (the man at the PGMOB responsible for the selection of match referees).
For example, look at all the appointments in the Premier League for Mr Moss this season:
Chelsea v Hull City (Sky Live)
Everton v West Brom (4th Official)
Arsenal v Spurs (4th Official) (Sky Live)
Man Utd v C Palace (BT Live)
Liverpool v Southampton (4th Official)
Man City v Everton (BT Live)
West Brom v Arsenal (4th Official) (Sky Live)
West Ham v Man City (4th Official) (Sky Live)
Liverpool v West Brom
Norwich v West Ham (BT Live)
Fulham v Swansea (4th Official)
Cardiff v Man Utd (4th Official) (Sky Live)
Spurs v Man Utd (4th Official) (BT Live)
So.
13 games.
9 major turnover live matches.
3 games involving West Brom.
Other referees of his standing and status have received between 0 and three live appointments.
This is a structure that clearly represents a potential conflict of interests if Mr Moss were criminalised (which we have to assume he is not) or if Mr Colquhoun had an interest in the global football betting markets (which, despite him being a professional gambler, we are sure he hasn't).
When one of the match-fixers states that referees across Europe can be bought for £20K per game, having one person in charge of selection of the officials for Premier League matches is a calamity waiting to happen.
This is just one example of the way that illegitimate loopholes might occur - we could offer you many others.
In football as in life, there are two forms of corruption.
That within the loop where all key power groups share an interest...
... or peripheral corruption of no benefit to those in the loop and therefore problematical as it might draw attention to the activities of those in the loop.
Interestingly, the police have made no contact with either the Premier League (under Mr Scudamore) or the Football League (under Mr Harvey) over their current investigations into match-fixing in the English game.
This could just be the biggest scandal to hit English football in decades (as the Telegraph are claiming).
Disclaimer: Nothing in this article suggests that any of the people mentioned are anything but beautiful warm-hearted individuals with the best interests of the integrity of the game at heart.
We merely point out systemic structures that could be easily utilised for corruption if ever a criminalised individual was ever to venture near the world of football. That's all, folks.
For many more itemised angles on corruption follow us on Twitter @FootballIsFixed
© Football is Fixed 2006-2013
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Friend Or Foe?
Robbie Savage described the decision by Kevin Friend to send off Wes Brown in the weekend match between Stoke City and Sunderland as "the worst decision I have ever seen."
Charlie Adam, the recipient of the tackle, said "I don't think it was a sending off."
But it is potentially more problematical than a very poor error of judgement.
Friend wasn't even going to blow for a foul until he was prompted over his earpiece.
This prompt could have been from the assistant referee, the 4th official or the Premier League match observer.
As Friend simply marched over and presented a red card without even consulting any of his on-field assistants, one is left with the conclusion that it was the Premier League match observer who made the decision.
This route to decision-making is illegal under Premier League, UEFA and FIFA rules although all three bodies utilise match observers in this illegitimate manner.
If television images are being utilised or hidden agendas enacted away from the pitch by faceless representatives then match outcomes are compromised by inappropriate inputs.
If video technology is being used surreptitiously then not only is this illicit but also it allows decisions on problematical decisions to be taken in secrecy as opposed to the more open manner of rugby and cricket and tennis.
Why can't the communications between match officials be on open microphone as is the case in legitimate sports?
And why do the Premier League insist that referees do not give post-match interviews?
And why are former referees in Premier League paid £50K on retirement as 'hush money'?
And why is the name Keren Barratt never mentioned in the media when he is the individual who makes all Premier League referee selections?
Why the secrecy?
What have the Premier League got to hide?
NB Following our intervention, the Wes Brown red card has been rescinded and Mr Friend has been stood down from officiating for a fortnight.
The full details of this case are not able to be printed in this place.
For many more itemised angles on corruption follow us on Twitter @FootballIsFixed
© Football is Fixed 2006-2013
Charlie Adam, the recipient of the tackle, said "I don't think it was a sending off."
But it is potentially more problematical than a very poor error of judgement.
Friend wasn't even going to blow for a foul until he was prompted over his earpiece.
This prompt could have been from the assistant referee, the 4th official or the Premier League match observer.
As Friend simply marched over and presented a red card without even consulting any of his on-field assistants, one is left with the conclusion that it was the Premier League match observer who made the decision.
This route to decision-making is illegal under Premier League, UEFA and FIFA rules although all three bodies utilise match observers in this illegitimate manner.
If television images are being utilised or hidden agendas enacted away from the pitch by faceless representatives then match outcomes are compromised by inappropriate inputs.
If video technology is being used surreptitiously then not only is this illicit but also it allows decisions on problematical decisions to be taken in secrecy as opposed to the more open manner of rugby and cricket and tennis.
Why can't the communications between match officials be on open microphone as is the case in legitimate sports?
And why do the Premier League insist that referees do not give post-match interviews?
And why are former referees in Premier League paid £50K on retirement as 'hush money'?
And why is the name Keren Barratt never mentioned in the media when he is the individual who makes all Premier League referee selections?
Why the secrecy?
What have the Premier League got to hide?
NB Following our intervention, the Wes Brown red card has been rescinded and Mr Friend has been stood down from officiating for a fortnight.
The full details of this case are not able to be printed in this place.
For many more itemised angles on corruption follow us on Twitter @FootballIsFixed
© Football is Fixed 2006-2013
Monday, 11 November 2013
The Crime Of The Ancient Marriner?
The Professional Game Match Officials' Board (PGMOB) under Mike 'Kipper'
Riley - the body that selects referees for matches - have some explaining to do.
The match referee for the Premier League match between Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion was supposed to be Lee Probert.
On Friday, Probert was replaced by Andre Marriner with no reasons provided.
During the match, Marriner booked 7 WBA players for only 15 fouls and blew for the generally derided fake penalty that gave Chelsea their 96th minute equaliser.
Mr Riley might also like to explain why Jonathan Moss who has officiated at just 6 Premier League games this season has been given 3 BT Sport Live Matches all of which have been controversial in one manner or another.
Firstly, there were the incorrect penalty and sending off in favour of Manchester United against Crystal Palace and then there were the spectrum of wrong calls that led to Manchester City defeating Everton with the triumvirate completed by Saturday's spectacle at Carrow Road.
We understand that Moss has close contacts in the BT Sports hierarchy but it still needs explaining why a referee who repeatedly underperforms is given 3 out of 11 BT Sports matches when he has only received 3 out of 99 other EPL appointments.
It is also a concern that all three BT Sports matches refereed by Moss have seen excessive insider gambling.
So Kipper...
Is there any rhyme or reason why Marriner was brought in?
And why is Moss sided with so?
For many more itemised angles on corruption follow us on Twitter @FootballIsFixed
© Football is Fixed 2006-2013
The match referee for the Premier League match between Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion was supposed to be Lee Probert.
On Friday, Probert was replaced by Andre Marriner with no reasons provided.
During the match, Marriner booked 7 WBA players for only 15 fouls and blew for the generally derided fake penalty that gave Chelsea their 96th minute equaliser.
Mr Riley might also like to explain why Jonathan Moss who has officiated at just 6 Premier League games this season has been given 3 BT Sport Live Matches all of which have been controversial in one manner or another.
Firstly, there were the incorrect penalty and sending off in favour of Manchester United against Crystal Palace and then there were the spectrum of wrong calls that led to Manchester City defeating Everton with the triumvirate completed by Saturday's spectacle at Carrow Road.
We understand that Moss has close contacts in the BT Sports hierarchy but it still needs explaining why a referee who repeatedly underperforms is given 3 out of 11 BT Sports matches when he has only received 3 out of 99 other EPL appointments.
It is also a concern that all three BT Sports matches refereed by Moss have seen excessive insider gambling.
So Kipper...
Is there any rhyme or reason why Marriner was brought in?
And why is Moss sided with so?
For many more itemised angles on corruption follow us on Twitter @FootballIsFixed
© Football is Fixed 2006-2013
A Massively Fixed Televised English Premier League Match
The fix involved (or was perpetrated in the knowledge of):
1) The match referee
2) Somebody at the Professional Game Match Officials' Board (PGMOB) who selects officials for EPL games
3) The managers of both teams
4) Three firms of agents
5) Players represented by these three firms of agents
6) Bookmakers who accepted the insider trading on the event and treated such corruption as primary knowledge to be traded elsewhere.
The insider gamble was landed to the benefit of all insiders...
... and the demise of the integrity of the game, the loss to fans who were expecting a competitive match when they turned up at the ground or paid for the tv coverage, bettors who were befuddled by the corruption etc etc.
The people behind this criminality all have considerable influence in the English game.
The result of the return match between the two sides involved in this scam is already decided as the two matches are a very simple and very visible version of the Italian 3 for 3 deal where two clubs agree to share the seasonal six points.
FOOTBALL IS FIXED!
For many more itemised angles on corruption follow us on Twitter @FootballIsFixed
© Football is Fixed 2006-2013
1) The match referee
2) Somebody at the Professional Game Match Officials' Board (PGMOB) who selects officials for EPL games
3) The managers of both teams
4) Three firms of agents
5) Players represented by these three firms of agents
6) Bookmakers who accepted the insider trading on the event and treated such corruption as primary knowledge to be traded elsewhere.
The insider gamble was landed to the benefit of all insiders...
... and the demise of the integrity of the game, the loss to fans who were expecting a competitive match when they turned up at the ground or paid for the tv coverage, bettors who were befuddled by the corruption etc etc.
The people behind this criminality all have considerable influence in the English game.
The result of the return match between the two sides involved in this scam is already decided as the two matches are a very simple and very visible version of the Italian 3 for 3 deal where two clubs agree to share the seasonal six points.
FOOTBALL IS FIXED!
For many more itemised angles on corruption follow us on Twitter @FootballIsFixed
© Football is Fixed 2006-2013
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