by Tony Attwood
One of the great things about running a blog like Untold Arsenal which for over a decade has been digging into issues that everyone else ignores is the fact that people who are kind enough to read what’s here then often come up with other information, or even supporting evidence.
So, if you have been following the story thus far, you’ll know that Uefa has put out a statement which says that match fixing is growing at such an alarming rate they cannot cope with the problem on their own. Instead they are now seeking help from private companies, and inviting organisations to come up with plans for monitoring football matches and spotting fixed games.
They would then present the evidence to Uefa who will decide what to do next.
As I have pointed out one of the most interesting aspects of this story, which was widely covered in the European press, is that it has not been covered in England by the media at all. But it was all there in quite big writing and in English for anyone interested.
Here is how one European paper covered the story. There is a pay wall but you can see enough (if you speak French) to show that they are providing news totally censored by the English media – I suspect under instruction from an English football organisation.
Now that is interesting because we have been raising questions about match fixing in England for some ten years, pointing out how sophisticated it has become through the adoption of “Type Three”, how when we investigated 160 consecutive Premier League matches we found a large number of incidents that did not look right, and how England is one of the few countries in Europe that has a policy of utter secrecy in terms of refereeing issue – via PGMO.
We could also add that the way the media reports refereeing issues has changed. We’ve noted before how BBC commentator Alan Green would previously often comment on refereeing “mistakes” and how then he suddenly stopped doing this, seemingly because he was under orders.
Now we have another report: this being the first report of the Independent Sport Integrity Hotline which gives a snapshot of integrity breaches, and allegations of corruption and abuse.
Their press release says that “More than 240 allegations of corruption in sport have been reported to the Sport Integrity (SI) Hotline, highlighting a significant number of match-fixing, internal corruption and sexual abuse issues.”
The SI Hotline was established in 2018, by the International Centre for Sport Security, to provide a safe and secure whistleblowing platform dedicated to reporting misconduct in sport, and it has now issued its first summary of reported cases showcasing the scale and scope of integrity violations impacting global sport.
And although I am sure that the media in the UK will ignore it, coming fast on the heels of the Uefa report, it makes worrying reading, showing as it does that football is the sport most affected by allegations with 87% of the reported cases.
As for the most regularly reported types of crimes match-fixing, money laundering and internal corruption are right there at the top of the list.
They also say that the types of crime reported include terrorism, tax evasions, and player trafficking – issues that Untold has been highlighting for years – although I must admit feeling quite often that we have been on our own.
Explaining how they work, the ICSS report says,
“Once a case is submitted, an integrity expert at the Sport Integrity Unit (SIU) will analyse the alleged information to verify for authenticity. As content verification is the most challenging part of the investigation, the process goes through multiple checks for the authenticity of the report before the SIU determines to involve the relevant authorities and law enforcement agencies, this is done by way of an SIU Integrity Alert. Throughout the reporting and case management process, strict precautions are taken to protect case confidentiality and the anonymity of the whistleblower.”
For more information on Sport Integrity Hotline and the whistleblower process, please visit; http://theicss.org/sport-integrity-hotline/
So here we are: the story is spreading and growing across Europe, but is not being reported very much if at all in England. Maybe it is true that everyone in newspapers and broadcasting all individually thinks this is not a story. That could be. Or it might just be that the rules under which broadcasters get permission from the PL to work, and journalists get permission to be in the press box, prohibit any talk of match fixing – even when Uefa says that the situation is growing so fast they can’t keep up.
The latter case seems more likely to me, but I guess that is just because I somehow don’t take everything the PGMO says at face value. Not because I have ever caught them lying, but rather because I prefer openness to rampant all encompassing total secrecy.
Referees? VAR?
Will they EVER criticise? It seems not if this is anything to go by. The following from Dermot Gallagher on SKY Sports regarding the disallowed goal against Palace:
DERMOT SAYS: The VAR’s thinking that when he diagnoses it, so to speak, he thinks Chambers trips Milivojevic. I think it’s a tough, tough call but for me, it’s not a foul. There’s not enough contact and I don’t think it’s clear and obvious. But the official at Stockley Park took his time, he went through it frame-by-frame and that’s the decision he came to.
I think it took a while because he wanted to be sure. VAR looked at it and saw the two players tangle. We disagree with him but sometimes that’s how it is with decision making, but if you take your time and get it right, everyone would praise you so if he takes his time and people disagree, you’ve still got to give him the same respect.
So even though the VAR man was wrong he avoids any critisism and to come to that conclusion Gallagher has to tie himself in knots.
So we have to totally contradictory statements:
“There’s not enough contact and I don’t think it’s clear and obvious.”
So there we have confirmation that to overturn an on field decision there has to be a ‘clear and obvious’ error.
Now correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t ‘clear and obvious’ ,, clear and obvious ? Why then would the VAR man need to do the following:
“But the official at Stockley Park took his time, he went through it frame-by-frame and that’s the decision he came to.” “I think it took a while because he wanted to be sure”
Why would you need to go through it frame by frame if it’s clear and obvious?
Why would you need to take your time if it’s clear and obvious?
All of which makes this statement:
“…if he takes his time and people disagree, you’ve still got to give him the same respect”.
one of the most perplexing and ridiculous comments I think I’ve ever read.
So despite the VAR man ‘taking his time’ to make one of the worst VAR decisions I’ve ever seen, we’ve got to ‘give him the same respect’!!
FFS, talk about defending the utterly indefensible.
All of which Tony suggests:
“We’ve noted before how BBC commentator Alan Green would previously often comment on refereeing “mistakes” and how then he suddenly stopped doing this, seemingly because he was under orders’
is a lot closer to the truth than many would like to admit.
The more I read that load of tripe from Gallagher the more I couldn’t believe what I was reading. In essence what he was saying was, not only did he f*** up, but he looked at it closely and took his time f***ing it up.
And for doing that, for f***ing it up, we should give him RESPECT !!
Is he serious?
Honestly, you couldn’t make it up.
VAR messes up again.
Spurs got away with a handball penalty against Everton today. Atkinson didn’t give the penalty it should have been when Ali jumped with his arm up and VAR, after numerous replays which clearly showed Ali’s arm touching the ball finally decided it wasn’t clear and obvious enough for them. It looked pretty damned clear and obvious to me, though I may be biased.
Pretty sure it would have stood had it been one of our players though.
It is simply incredible how they get away with it time after time.
The game was marred by a terrible injury for Gomes of Everton after a tackle from behind from Song caused him to catch his leg in the turf. Looked a bad break similar to Ramsey. I hope he recovers well as Ramsey did eventually.
Nitram – what is clear and obvious is that the PGMOL selected monkey in Stockley Park took his time eating his burger and munching on his banana before Atkinson was told. The official on the field of play is ultimately responsible. So what we have is Atkinson abdicates all responsibility to te Stockley Park monkey.
Gallagher, bless his cotton socks, has to avoid a deduction in pay and goes with the Riley flow. The truth is they are all in it with their ultimate ‘human error’ excuse despite frame by frame evidence enough to hang them.
2 points robbed by PGMOL in that match and probably a few hundred million pounds over the period of their existence. It’s an expensive business and Arsenal are being bled.
MickHazel- the only ‘clear and obvious’ matter is the fools that accept PGMOL as fair & honest.
The FA are corrupt in bringing them into the game as a Limited company and even more corrupt in allowing them to be secretive and selective in their processes.
The latest entry on Football is Fixed doesn’t pull many punches