LOI betting scandal

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csirl

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Any views on the betting allegations concerning Eircom League matches that are doing the rounds?

How do fans react to the recent admission in the press by a player that he bet against his own team (though not involved in the particular match)?

My view is that the LOI should take a zero tolerance approach to betting on LOI games.
 

He wasn't involved and he lost his bet and it was a double with a cross channel game so I dont think we can assume that there was any malice involved. The other important fact in this case is that he didn't break any existing rules so zero tolerance for him would not mean anything. I do think that players should be banned from betting on their league and all games connected with LoI or whichever league they are involved in.
 
What I cant get my head around is why a player would want to bet againt his own team. Surely he'd want his team mates to get a good result, regardless of whether or not he was due to play the particular match?

One argument that I havent seen raised yet is insider information - information that would not be known by the bookmakers or general public. A member of a club squad may know what the team selection is for a particular match. He may be aware of what players are injured, being rested by the manager. He may be aware of what the coaching sqauds approach is going to be - all out attack to get a win, or sit back for a draw. He may know that a less than full strength line-up is being fielded for the fixture.

This potentially gives anyone connected with a particular club an unfair advantage in wagers as well as an incentive to place a bet on a fixture.


Another point I'd like to make is that, sports people have a lot of influence over the outcome of games. Its dangerous when a sports person gets involved in betting of any type, not just their own sport/league. If a sports person gets into financial difficulties as a result of betting, the temptation to rectify their finances by (i) influencing the outcome of games which they have bet on or (ii) coming under undue influence from disreputable people they own money to is far too great.
 
What I cant get my head around is why a player would want to bet againt his own team. Surely he'd want his team mates to get a good result, regardless of whether or not he was due to play the particular match?
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It was stupid and it must have went down well the other players but he could argue that it was a win win situation i.e if his team won thats great but if they lost at least he will have gotten some comfort out of it. Regards inside info thats a fair point but two to have a real advantage you would need the info on both teams and that could come from collusion between players and even then if all the players on the field are legit the beauty of sport is that anything can happen. I hope that this is the extent of the scandal and that nobody will actually try to influence a result.
 
Meaning what exactly? For example in this specific case what would you recommend?
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I dont know what sanctions are in the FAI rulebook, so difficult to say.

Rules should say (if they dont already) that it is against the rules for any LOI player/manager/coach to place a bet on any LOI game full stop. The penalty should be severe - multiple years suspension with more severe penalties if your own team is involved and possible lifetime if you had any influence over the results.

If these hypothetical rules were in place in the FAI, and I were on their disciplinary panel, I'd be seeking the following:

(i) 10 year suspension for the player.
(ii) 10 point deduction for the club.
(iii) A full investigation into the team to make sure that this is an isolated incident. If it were not an isolated incident, at betting was commonplace, I'd be going for the "8 men out" penalty.

In American they take a very hard line on betting in sport. If you bet on your own sport, even competitions your team has no involvement in, you generally get a life time ban. You will also generally get a life time ban if you engage in illegal betting in ANY shape or form e.g. playing backjack in an illegal casino.
 
Lets get real here. It was a €20 bet.

It is not as if the football authorities can take the moral high ground here when there are clubs that are supposed to be regulated not paying their players the proper salaries due to them because of lack of funds. It is getting to the case that not having an asterix beside your name for points reduction is the exception rather than the rule!

The idea of a professional soccer league in this Country is dead. The only way to rescue it is to follow rugby's example and set up something like the Magners league but I know the difficulties involved in football in such a concept.
 
Is this not all at least partly related to the fact that, unlike here in Ireland, "off course" betting is largely illegal in general in most of the USA?
 
It is not as if the football authorities can take the moral high ground here when there are clubs that are supposed to be regulated not paying their players the proper salaries due to them because of lack of funds.
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This is part of the problem now as people will feel that players will need other avenues to boost their income, may not be true but suspicion is ther imo.
 
MrMan said:
This is part of the problem now as people will feel that players will need other avenues to boost their income, may not be true but suspicion is ther imo.
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I agree. The leagues credibility is finished.
 
Lets get real here. It was a €20 bet.
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The issue isnt just this particular bet. Its the rumours that players betting on LOI is a common occurance accompanied by rumours about strange happenings in certain fixtures.
 


Pats have nothing to play for on the first point so sure he doesnt care too much about the result they had qualified for EUrope anyway. And on the second point this was raised on MNS last night on tv.
 
MrMan said:
Maybe not finished but certainly it has taken a big hit.
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Personally I think it is finished as it stands. Two teams with 10 point reductions and a couple more that probably should have had points deducted in a Country's premier league is hard to defend. It looks like the champions curse could well hit Bohs next year as well
 
If bookies and betting exchanges are stupid/greedy enough to take large bets on inconsequential fixtures, what do they expect? Of course, players and others with inside information will be tempted to take advantage. I don't see for a moment how the case in question undermines the Eircom League's credibility. Only a fool would suggest that the same sort of thing does not go on occasionally in GAA and rugby.
 
csirl said:
The issue isnt just this particular bet. Its the rumours that players betting on LOI is a common occurance accompanied by rumours about strange happenings in certain fixtures.
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Hard cases make bad laws. Rumour and innuendo following on from a single proven incident presumably make even worse ones?
 
ClubMan said:
How exactly?
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Well I am assuming that they were spending heavily on the basis that they would have money from the sale of Dalymount park which after the court ruling and the general credit crunch has to be questioned. They got once off non refundable loans from the developer which has funded them so far but where does the money come from now. Could be wrong but looking at Cork and Drogheda, it seems like winning the league is a bad omen!

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/bohs-face-sanctions-if-stadium-deal-falls-1528694.html
 
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