How do you find out that a footballer is betting on the game? They don’t walk into bookies and hand a slip over at the counter, this stuff is all done on smartphones or by telephone.
Betting information is protected by the Data Protection Act, the SFA have no authority to ask and bookmakers have no authority to tell, even if they know a player is breaking SFA rules.
Even if a player sits in the dressing room, and announces that he’s just bet on the match about to take place, and all his team-mates reported him, he would be able to dismiss the charge on the basis that his comments were a joke. No one could prove otherwise.
But, very specific charges are levelled at players.
The betting industry survives on the quality of their information being better than that of their customers. “Are you likely to win at the weekend?”, “Any inside info on who the new manager will be?”, “Who’s struggling to be fit for Saturday (and therefore unlikely to be first scorer)?”
If you are a player, you have the inside line on a market worth hundreds of millions each year. Football has an unhealthy relationship with bookmakers, at some clubs, the betting partner has their own lounge and has full access to the players’ lounge. Many players are big gamblers and some have big incomes. They are both significant clients for bookies and potential sources of inside information. Like many big gamblers, they are offered special odds, not available to the general public.
Let me tell you one way of catching a player who is gambling on football. He is tempted away from his old bookie to one who has become friendly with, possibly after giving his former bookie a bum steer on a striker who was supposed to be injured. The former bookie then ‘discovers’ that the name on one of their accounts doesn’t match the name on the linked bank account, and that this account holder is a footballer.
The bookie is now officially concerned that illegal match fixing is going on. With the possibility of criminality (even if it is without basis), they can alert the authorities. That would teach the player a lesson for leaving, while making money through advantageous odds and feeding bum information back, and destroy whatever competitive advantage the other bookie has.
Does anyone know of any other way a specific charge of gambling on football could be raised?
Maybe the players are all just daft laddies. Maybe the SFA decline to release reports into players gambling because there is nothing to see in them. Maybe you can break the rules on betting but not be punished because it’s a silly rule.
You don’t need to be match fixing to be involved in serious criminality when dealing with a bookmaker. The football watching public need transparency from the SFA on this issue, no matter how much money floods into the game from the gambling industry.
Book your tickets now for the CQN11 St Patrick’s Day event at the Kerrydale Suite on Friday 13 March. It’s going to be another great Celtic night. You can buy tickets direct near the bottom of this page or email me, celticquicknews@gmail.com
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Hoopy Birthday H.T.
Acgr@13.18
You are a bad mhan
:-)))))
HH
dena29
13:00 on
23 January, 2015
Bawsman
12:54 on
23 January, 2015
Broon is STILL not a £4 Million player.
Have to disagree when he was absent we realised what he brought to our mid-field and any good mid-fielder is worth £4 million any day of the week imo
but we can agree to disagree ktf
=======================================
Said it before mate, I love Broonie, he plays for Celtic how I would play for Celtic 100 MPH and gets wired in, canny control or pass the ball well enough.
When you compare him to some of the midfielders in Europe at clubs and leagues smaller than ours we got short changed…….IMHO
filippis haircut
13:14 on 23
Joe he’s 22, what you get is what you see. Is he good enough just now to get in the first 11?
Has he been a stand out against us?
BT
That was a cracker of a first post after your soujourn!
Hope you are well my friend!
Genuine questions, I don’t know enough of the lad and only really recall that last match against us
Right the blog has spoken my rant of 12:52 got no replies so was either scrolled by or you all agree with my husband and I do a Frozen (let it go) so be it
but I’m still very cross :-((
HH
dena29…
…and I always thought you were a bloke!
:-)
I also did not like Ricksen but that is not the issue the guy is very ill and needs all the help he can get I hope the Bears turn up in huge numbers to support him.I also hope we can get an agreement with Kris Commons he is a good squad player and could also be used to help bring on youth players at the club and now Kayal is away there might be a little more movement by the club. H.H.
i read someone earlier say we could get any current Scotland player for 3 million.
Don’t think so unless they were at the end of their contract.
Armstrong is worth whatever a club are willing to pay. The market rate is 3 million. Celtic don’t pay they will end up paying half for a shot in h dark gamble.
Armstrong is the real deal.
joe filippis haircut
13:14 on 23 January, 2015
Armstrong is more than a promising youngster. He’s 23 in March, in his fifth season as a first team player at DU, close to 150 first team appearances and is improving and scoring more goals year on year.
He’d be in the Scotland team if he played down South or with us.
£3m for a proven player in our league, the best attacking midfielder in the league, a player of great potential to improve, the type of player that the team is crying out for and a player who has the all important sell on value, is not too much when you consider what we’ve wasted over the last few years on punts from abroad.
Bawsman
Said it before mate, I love Broonie, he plays for Celtic how I would play for Celtic 100 MPH and gets wired in, canny control or pass the ball well enough.
When you compare him to some of the midfielders in Europe at clubs and leagues smaller than ours we got short changed…….IMHO
I agree Broonie is not the best midfielder but as you say he gives his all and I still believe he was well worth the £4 million and it will cost us much more to replace him
HH
kdc. I wouldnt mind the Bhoy in our squad but not for 3 million but we will see what big Peter decides. H.H.
Philbhoy
13:27 on
23 January, 2015
dena29…
…and I always thought you were a bloke!
:-)
no but I’m fefinitely a bhoy :-)
HH
We usually always pay over the odds for a player from this league
fefinitely =definitely
thats cos I’m tired and cross need to keep out of the families way for a while :-)
HH
“So it’s all right for us to think we can buy a player for buttons like VVD then a year or two later claim he’s worth 10 million ”
Deniabhoy,
Vvd did not cost buttons.
Vvd has now been called up to the Dutch squad.
Epl clubs are being asked to pay 10m by some fans.
Celtic is not an epl club.
dena29
Hahaha!!
Looks like I’m well out of step with the general blog but. I don’t much like the Ricksen money. Frankly, he earned more at deidco than I’ll earn in a lifetime. I don’t think a ‘greedy’ ex is much excuse. Then there is the expenses to come off so how much does MND actually get?
I’d rather it went to supporters with MND, any club as people who might actually need it or straight to MND.
If Ricksen needs more cash than he’s already had then let the cheats supply it.
HH
I’d rather have Armstrong than all of Pukki, Balde, Mubarak, Tonev and Guidetti.
philvisreturns
13:13 on
23 January, 2015
gary67 – I thought Kevin Bridges was the official Celtic wag. (thumbsup)
We get Kevin Bridges, they get Andy Cameron.
seems about right !
“We usually always pay over the odds for a player from this league”
Bada,
I can’t agree. Apart from Broony there’s barely a player been bought for over a mill.
I think Hartley is the only player in over 10 years we’ve paid over a million for.
dena 29
you must be happy as you never received the parcel you were not to get????
We need a quota of players trained in Scotland for the European squad.
Armstrong scores goals from midfield.
2.5m plus a decent sell on %….no brainer, if he wants to come.
HH
philbhoy
13:36 on 23 January, 2015
I’d rather have Armstrong than all of Pukki, Balde, Mubarak, Tonev and Guidetti.
Boerrigter, Bangura, Berget, Scepovic, Rogic, Gershon, Lassad, Miku and Brozek
Dundee Utd are entitled to ask for 3 million, of course.
We need to ask ourselves if Stuart Armstrong is worth spending 3 million on.
As other posters have said, he arguably wouldn’t get in our team.
I’m far from convinced i’d have him in ahead of Stokes, Johansen or Forrest.
He is a good SPL player but not miles ahead of Pawlett or young McLean at St Mirren for example.
F.A.B….
My concern is how much money will get to those who deserve it.
The huns have a horrible history re charity matches.
jamiebaby
13:37 on
23 January, 2015
dena 29
you must be happy as you never received the parcel you were not to get????
but I’m sitting in waiting on it ………………..not
HH
I dont get it 3 million for Armstrong if that is what he is worth and as some say the best midfielder in the league who are the clubs fighting with us to sign him ? I have not heard of many that might be the 3 million might be putting other clubs off.However,if we sign him for whatever fee he will get my support. H.H.
tinytim
12:58 on 23 January, 2015
Guidetti for me……(did you pick up my IMO apology yesterday …misread due horizontal in bed ….no well ….hahahaha
Catching up after a couple of days.
HT.Many happy returns. Hope yer team
wins tomorrow.HH.
Doc.
Hope your wife enjoys better health soon
Expecting football players not to bet on
football matches is like expecting teenagers not to experiment with illegal
substances.
Admirable , though highly unlikely.
Joe Filippis Haircut
Much less of a risk than spunking 2/3 million on Amido balde and Bangura and other similar flops. He plays in the league and knows it well, will easily adapt and improve.
My view on things…
Broony has been worth every penny of his 4.25million transfer fee.
When u consider that we’ve had 6 excellent years service out of him, and likely a further 3 years or so…. Sounds like good value to me.
He is the leader of our ship… Our ship is a tanker…..
As for Armstrong…. The sorcerer’s apprentice.. oor next Broony.
We bid 2mil they want 3mil. We’ll get him for 2.7mil.
Again, what’s not to like. Would be a tremendous signing!
Philbhoy
Agree. A direct payment to MND would have been sufficient and appropriate.
On Armstrong, never worth £3m. That is over the barrel money.
HH
Gary 67
What you said.
There is a development ceiling at Celtic where the gap between it and Celtic first team, in terms of fan expectation is much wider than at other clubs.
Thus youngsters find it easier not only to break through elsewhere but get enough games under their belt to become more seasoned pros.
The gap for them and Celtic first team is not so great, so less risk to Celtic in signing them.
If wage inflation means guys in that category now come in at £2m and above then that is the state of the market.
We loan out players to help them bridge that wider gap at Celtic. Unless we have the one in a million Messi coming through from a died in the wool Tim background, meaning he stays, we are not going to see many youngsters make a straight step up because of the expectations placed on them.
Big Judith looking well :):)
joe filippis haircut
13:41 on 23 January, 2015
I dont get it 3 million for Armstrong if that is what he is worth and as some say the best midfielder in the league who are the clubs fighting with us to sign him ?
Maybe the reason we don’t hear him linked to clubs is because he doesn’t have an agent trying to punt him to clubs down South or trying to generate interest via the media,
I also find it bizarre the way some fans throw the figures of 2/3 million around like its pocket change.
I am possibly overlooking some people but, right now, I can only think of Broonie as the last player we paid over 3 million for?