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International Football

Former English Premier League Players In New Match-Fixing Investigation

Two ex-Premier League players "are being investigated by police over new match-fixing allegations," according to Miranda Prynne of the London TELEGRAPH. Former Portsmouth player Sam Sodje "allegedly agreed to fix a deal which would see another player deliberately earn a yellow card during a recent Championship match" in exchange for a £30,000 ($49,000) payout. The former Portsmouth player told an undercover reporter it was "easy" to influence games and claimed he would guarantee certain events such as bookings "one hundred percent" in return for cash. Sodje said he had "sorted" a particular player to get the booking in a forthcoming game. The 34-year-old demanded a payment of "thirty bags, three zero," then accompanied the reporter to the game where the player, who cannot be named for legal reasons, "was given a yellow card after making a sliding tackle on an opponent but during the wrong half of the game" (TELEGRAPH, 12/8). In London, Fariha Karim wrote a spokesperson for the National Crime Agency said, "An active NCA investigation is now under way and we are working closely with the Football Association and the Gambling Commission." The NCA "is already carrying out a separate investigation into an alleged international illegal betting syndicate." Michael Boateng and Hakeem Adelakun, both 22, "were charged this week with conspiracy to defraud contrary to common law." The AFP reported Football League CEO Shaun Harvey said any claims of criminal activity were treated "with the utmost seriousness." Harvey: "We would encourage anyone with any evidence to report it to the police. We will be giving our full assistance to the police during their investigation" (AFP, 12/9). In a statement, the FA said, "The FA is aware of the National Crime Agency investigation and is working closely with the NCA and other authorities. We will make no further comment at this time." A Gambling Commission spokesperson said, "The Gambling Commission has responded quickly in supporting this ongoing National Crime Agency investigation and continues to liaise with both the NCA and the Football Association" (London GUARDIAN, 12/8).

SCOTLAND NEXT?: In Edinburgh, Lindsay Herron wrote the Scottish FA "aims to stave off the scourge" of match-fixing by appointing an integrity officer to target corruption. The position, "which will be part funded by UEFA, has been advertised." SFA President Campbell Ogilvie said that Scottish football does not have a problem, but given the arrests of a match-fixing ring in England two weeks ago, "he cannot be complacent." Ogilvie: "It's a part of the game throughout the world that is a changing face and we want to be one step ahead. But I don't believe that we have any issues on that front." The worrying aspect for PFA Head of Communications Jack Ross "is that one of the match-fixers claimed that Scotland was a market they operated in" and he had also heard that £500,000 ($817,200) worth of bets were recently placed on a third-tier Scottish game. He "is concerned that vulnerable and susceptible players in the lower reaches will be targeted" (SCOTSMAN, 12/8).

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