Match Fixing and Bolton?

Ok, I first want to make absolutely clear that there's been no suggestion whatsoever that the club or players have been involved in any game fixing but it does make you wonder how we have performed so badly for well over two years yet by enlarge played the same team and tactics throughout that period.

There have been a number of players who seemed to have been completely indifferent - at least on the surface - as to whether we even won or lost a game.

There's be very little passion on the pitch throughout that time - we certainly have had no leadership or drive on it - and certainly bums haven't been kicked off it, as the same players (and tactics) have been used match after match - ad nauseam.

If Champions League games held in England have been fixed (see link below) - it does make you wonder how far the corruption may have spread?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21319807



Oh, I've put the thread in this section as a general chat of our opinions on football and corruption as we have to stay clear of saying anything specific about any player or club.

I reckon one or two referees have been involved in fixing games.

Match fixing - we clearly don't do enough of it.

I don't think you need to bribe our players to lose games, it's a habit for them.

xmiles wrote:I don't think you need to bribe our players to lose games, it's a habit for them.

Does make you wonder, I mean look at how much 'assistance' Sir Alex gets from match officials and the FA. Its no lie that 'fergie time' does exist.

The FA are also very Lenient with the champions league clubs when It comes to bans and the like.

Maybe its because the amount of money to be made by the various organisations involved, cannot be lost - for example, I think advertising during the FA cup final or champions league final commercial breaks is something like £1,000,000 a min! If your paying that amount of money for advertising you want as big as possible an audience watching it as possible.

have you ever wondered why almost every season, man city and man united end up playing each other in the FA cup or league cup, that's because the money the FA can make out of it is more than if they drew teams like Gillingham or Preston NE. The more people guaranteed to watch on TV, the more money they make.

That said, I did expect us to draw either Citeh or the red socks and stoke get the other for THAT FA cup semi, I would assume the FA wanted a manc derby final instead of a semi... think somebody fucked up there.

SO the fact that the 'big' clubs do get a lot of help winning games, along with the fact several 'big' fixtures seem to pop up a lot in the cup games, even when the probability of them being drawn together is small is a little strange.

of course, Giant killings do happen that fuck it up a little bit, but in the early stages, clubs like Bolton usually draw another 'mediocre' club but the 'big' clubs generally always get drawn against the minnows - thus making it easier for them to progress to the next stage.

Its always seemed a little dodgy to me.

Whos also to say Refs are not bribed by clubs? I mean they earn peanuts compared to footballers, so why would they not throw a game or favor one team over another if they are promised a 'gift' of a £20,000 Rolex or something equally expensive should the team in question win.

Im sure Graham poll has tentatively brought up the subject in the past.

so all that said, I see no reason why massive, international gangs of gambling criminals, betting for massive stakes to win money - cannot influence the outcome of football matches.

i love a conspiracy!

I can understand it in a Champions League match in the group stages where one team has automatically qualified. Why would they put out their best squad when the result is irrelevant?

I can't remember how long ago it was but it was during the past 3 seasons when Celtic had to beat United to go through - and hey what do you know they beat them, if I remember rightly united were on fire in the group stages but still lost to celtic, not saying that was the fixed game but it does make you wonder.

The Group stages are ripe for fixing, especially if one team has an unassailable lead with a couple of games to go. The old style sudden death home and away format was much more exciting.

I don't get how people think the fa cup draws are fixed, you can see the balls being drawn.

It's easily done with Frozen Balls (no not sexual)

The NBA had a similar controversy when many said the commissioner froze an envelope to get the Knicks (his team) the number 1 pick in the draft.

not that anyone will be particularly interested but here is the draw.

The match fixing apparently relates to the Liverpool v Debrecen Champions League match
Debrecen: Liverpool Game In Match-Fixing Probe

Hungarian club Debrecen have confirmed their Champions League match against Liverpool in 2009 was part of a match-fixing inquiry.
Liverpool, who won the game in question 1-0, are not suspected of any wrongdoing.
The Anfield club have told Sky there has been no contact from European enforcement agency Europol or governing body Uefa in relation to alleged match-fixing.
Their home victory over Debrecen came from a Dirk Kuyt goal.
Europol said on Monday that one Champions League match in England was one of 380 games under investigation.
And Debrecen confirmed a report in Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet that their games were involved.
Debrecen said Uefa had taken action against goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic in 2010 for not reporting approaches from fixers before two European matches - against Liverpool and Fiorentina.
Poleksic was banned for two years but the Uefa charge at the time only specified Fiorentina.
And Liverpool say they have never been notified by any organisation that the match at Anfield was under investigation.
A statement from Debrecen said: "The (Uefa) disciplinary committee's position was that Vukasin Poleksic neglected his obligations when he didn't report in time that, before two international matches of DVSC, unknown persons attempted to persuade him to influence the outcome of the matches.
"The two matches were the away game against Liverpool and the home encounter with Fiorentina.
"Neither DVSC nor the player wish to react further, all the more so as all the information has been released about this affair during the summer of 2010."

http://news.sky.com/story/1048098/debrecen-liverpool-game-in-match-fixing-probe

It would be extremely difficult to fix the FA Cup draw. The whole thing is televised from more than one angle and the pickers cannot even see the balls, they have to feel for them. ( Bolton Hater, no pun intended.)

Gary Cahills sending off against Tottenham the other season was a bit dubious

JonnyRandom wrote:Gary Cahills sending off against Tottenham the other season was a bit dubious

Probably more down to a crap referee rather than corruption though.

xmiles wrote:

JonnyRandom wrote:Gary Cahills sending off against Tottenham the other season was a bit dubious

Probably more down to a crap referee rather than corruption though.

oooh I dunno, Gartside seemed to have a wry smile after that!!!