Condimentalist Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.I.C.O. Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 No. I happen to think that the standard of refereeing has not improved to match the higher standard of football nowadays. Footballers are athletes wheras we still have fat codger refs who are out-of-shape and in their 40s and 50s still plodding around trying to keep up with the game. These refs are probably intimidated by the biggers clubs to an extent but that's only because the rules need to be harsher on how players/managers communicate with a ref. The Sky 4 / other teams only surround refs and swear at them like Stevie Bin Dipper or Taggart because they can get away with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wol. Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 I don't get how anyone could come to the decision of yes. bbc summary from Nov 09 of match fixing in europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wol. Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 "The vast majority of cases being investigated by the Gambling Commission in the United Kingdom involve horse racing, football and snooker, but other sports are also aware of the threat." another bbc link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaretMahoney Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 I don't like absolutes. Do I think their is absolutely no chance of match fixing? No. The inverse question can be asked and I'd say the same. Won't rule match fixing out but it is improbable.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 I don't get how anyone could come to the decision of yes. bbc summary from Nov 09 of match fixing in europe Champions League: 3 Europa League: 12 Germany: 32 (second division or lower) Belgium: 17 (second division) Switzerland: 22 (second division) Croatia: 14 (first division) Slovenia: 7 (first division) Turkey: 29 (first division) Hungary: 13 (first division) Bosnia: 8 (first division) Austria: 11 (first division or lower) Under-21 European Championship: Unspecified Source: German police This is Premiership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wol. Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Why does that matter? its one of the most lucrative and most bet on leagues. All you need to do is get to one left back in an average team. They don't even need to pay him if they choose not to. It can be done and gets done imo. As for refs I;m sure they are made to realise its and old boys club at the FA and what results and finals they like to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted March 22, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted March 22, 2010 I'm 100% stone-cold certain that some games are fixed. Given the amounts of money that are bet in Asia on PL games, there are maybe only a few dozen players in the PL who are so highly paid that they'd be unlikely to be corrupted (and even with how highly they're paid, given how many of them blow their wages on cars, women, drugs, gambling, etc., I'm not sure they're uncorruptible). The refs are even easier to influence. Couple with the league and FA being able to get the ref to get the desired result (which is the most damning thing about the Donaghy affair in the NBA: that he formally makes the charge that the NBA fixed matches... what he did, which was manipulate the scoring totals, was much lower-level IMO) and I think you'd have to be a fool to argue that it doesn't ever happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 I'm a fool then. Don't think it happens in the Premiership at all. Other divisions possibly, not Premiership. Too high risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimandson Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 Yes I do, a lot more than most people realise. There's too many characters and too much money for it to not happen. I don't mean so much as scorelines, but I'd bet my left testicle that there was some serious money changing hands between teams players refs and chairmen. It'll come to light soon I reckon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
granville Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 One thing alone forms my opinion on this. 'Arry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted March 22, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted March 22, 2010 Not impossible. But I don't think so. I think there are dodgy goings on in Football, including the Prem. btu actual pre meditated fixing of matches (so not diving or on the pitch "cheating", that doesn't count) is highly unlikely imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted March 22, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted March 22, 2010 Yes, I think players, linesman and refs can all be brought and are. brought where? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 I think so top teams get too many desisions their way for ti to eb just accidents especially Liverpool. I dont think the PL has the bottle for an investigation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voinjama Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 I think referees are under pressure from authorities to keep the best teams, and the ones who generate the most money at the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonno_2004 Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 No of course not. There is however a strong bias to teams like Manchester United from referees. The comments from Sky commentators about not getting penalties at Old Trafford sum it up for me; it's as if its a given you will do very well to get a decision in your favour there. Which is what football really shouldn't be about, except the entire media 'big 4' circus means decisions will always favour those teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 No of course not. There is however a strong bias to teams like Manchester United from referees. The comments from Sky commentators about not getting penalties at Old Trafford sum it up for me; it's as if its a given you will do very well to get a decision in your favour there. Which is what football really shouldn't be about, except the entire media 'big 4' circus means decisions will always favour those teams. A big reason why you don't get many penalties at old trafford as the away side is because you hardly have the ball and even less do you have the ball whilst dribbling in Man Us penalty area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormandyVillan Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 I think so top teams get too many desisions their way for ti to eb just accidents especially Liverpool. Liverpool? Well, there was a time when they seemed to get an annoying number of penalties from Gerrard doing his "starfish" act, but I don't think it's working for him any more. This season in fact they don't seem to be getting much luck with refs at all (except maybe with the Ngog dive against Blues). In their game last week the ref seemed determined to keep the score down for Portsmouth by refusing to give Liverpool even the most obvious penalties. At Arsenal they had a stonewall penalty denied in the last minute when Fabregas stretched a hand up to save a free kick. They've also had quite a few soft red cards given against them, and had a goal allowed against them despite being deflected in off a beach ball... Not that I'm complaining, of course . I love the fact that we now have a real chance of finishing above them. I just don't see how anyone could say they've been favoured by refs this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonno_2004 Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 No of course not. There is however a strong bias to teams like Manchester United from referees. The comments from Sky commentators about not getting penalties at Old Trafford sum it up for me; it's as if its a given you will do very well to get a decision in your favour there. Which is what football really shouldn't be about, except the entire media 'big 4' circus means decisions will always favour those teams. A big reason why you don't get many penalties at old trafford as the away side is because you hardly have the ball and even less do you have the ball whilst dribbling in Man Us penalty area. That's a given though really isn't it? I'm talking more about penalty appeals and the amount of good shouts that are turned down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted March 22, 2010 Moderator Share Posted March 22, 2010 Incompetence yes, match fixing no. If I thought football was that bent that matches were being fixed, I'd have stopped watching it a good while ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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