Is football on a sure bet?

It's interesting looking at archived footage of football matches from the 70s and 80s. Apart from the grainy images, dodgy hairstyles and goalkeepers picking up passbacks, you can take a look at the businesses that were putting their money into football back in the day.

Advertising hoardings urging you to decorate your home with Johnstones Paints, watch Match of the Day on a Hitachi tv, eat Danepak bacon for your Sunday fry-up, and bank your cash at the Halifax were the norm. All of them were recognisable names on the high street and in any typical home.

Speed forward to the present day, and football fans are urged to fly to Malaysia, drink exotic sounding far-eastern beers, invest any savings they might have with a US conglomerate, and gamble using online spread betting agencies.

The number of online gambling businesses investing in elite football in the UK over the last few years has seeped through without comment.

News this week that Everton have announced a deal with Dafabet to be their international betting parrtner adds to the overwhelming list of betting companies splashing out to be seen as part of the greatest game - Genting Casinos, Bet365, 32red, sbobet and 12bet, among others now adorn the shirts of clubs competing in the FA Premier League for season 2012/13.

The FA themselves, not to be outdone, proudly announced William Hill as Official Supporter to the England squad and the FA Cup in January 2012.

Peter Cavanagh was banned
for eight months for his part
in the Accrington scandal

With football accepting these deals, do they not see the potential for a huge conflict of interest? Italian football has been rocked by its second match-fixing scandal within a decade, while closer to home, it is only three years since the last domestic case of match-fixing, when five players were involved in betting on the result of an Accrington Stanley v Bury fixture.

Recent claims from former Southampton player Claus Lundekvam that spot fixing was common among Premier League players during his time at the club have added to the issue.

Not for one minute should it be implied that these sponsorships are anything other than genuine financial deals between the organisations concerned, but it does leave an uneasy feeling that the integrity of sporting fair play has a greater opportunity to be tinkered with.

The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) has introduced guidance for their members following the Accrington scandal, giving examples of the use of inside information and match fixing. It should be pointed out that the football authorities in the UK do work closely with betting operators and the Gambling Commission, so are policing betting patterns in the sport.

Perhaps accused of scaremongering, Chris Eaton, a director of the International Centre for Sports Security (ICSS) claimed at a conference in London recently that  "match-fixing has been going on for many years but is now almost out of control.

"Fixing sports results is endemic in some areas and more deeply entrenched than some have the courage to acknowledge."

A summer holiday on the cards for the Community Shield?

As the Barclays Premier Leagues gears up for another season with the FA Community Shield on Sunday, news from Germany should be interesting the marketing team at Wembley.

Villa Park - venue for the 2012 FA Community Shield
Pic (c) thefa.com

The traditional curtain-raiser to the season, this year between PL champions Manchester City and FA Cup winners Chelsea is held at Villa Park, the first time since 1974 that the game has been played away from Wembley.

That is only a 114 miles hike from the home of English football, but if current trends within other major European football leagues are anything to go by, supporters could miss out on their day out, or face a trip half-way round the world to see their side start the season.

Lyon won the 2012 Trophee des Champions
at the NYC Red Bull Arena
Pic (c) newyorkredbulls.com

The German Bundesliga are to meet next month to consider taking their equivalent fixture to China, following in the footsteps of the French Ligue1 who have played fixtures in the USA, Canada, Tunisia and Algeria.

The Italian Supercoppa is being played in Beijing's Olympic Stadium this weekend for the second year running, with it's first trip to foreign soil way back in 1993 when it was held in Washington DC, as a prelude to the 1994 World Cup. Since then, it has returned to the USA, held in New York in 2003, and Tripoli in 2002, before it's first visit to China in 2009.

Beijing's 'Bird's Nest' Olympic Stadium
Pic (c) bbc.co.uk

Having abandoned the infamous 'Game 39' concept, the FA, along with all Premier League clubs are forever looking at expanding their fanbase and tapping into foreign markets, with pre-season tours to the USA, China, Malaysia and other Far Eastern countries the norm.

Never ones to be seen as behind the times, it can only be a matter of time then, before the FA give in, and move the Community Shield fixture abroad.

Is the SPL's TV deal fit and proper?

The confirmation of today's vote by the SPL clubs not to admit the new Rangers into the league next season, means that the Ibrox club will be playing in the SFL - but at what level?

The vote by the SFL on the 12 July looks at the moment like it will lead to a place in Division Three for the 'newco', if current public statements by various SFL clubs is anything to go by.

But the SFL are lobbying their members to agree to have Rangers accepted into Division One next season. This would appear to go against the normal procedures for clubs who apply for membership of the SFL - why would a club be given immediate membership at Division One level?

Payments to the SFL from the SPL of £2 million per year will apparently dry up, according to a statement from Clyde FC today.

That payment will be reliant upon the continuation of TV money being paid to the SPL. The latest deal was agreed in November 2011, beginning 2012/13 season for five years. The scenario of Rangers not being available to SKy and ESPN viewers as part of this deal is supposedly putting this agreement in jeopardy.

The BBC reported in February 2012 that if Rangers were not a part of the SPL, then this deal could be scuppered, claiming that "Its [the SPL] TV deal includes a clause stipulating the participation of both Celtic and Rangers in the SPL".

That statement should ring alarm bells; anyone who has ever shouted "Who's the mason in the black?" at a game when their side has played Rangers may have done so in jest, but consider this scenario -

The last game of the season - Rangers/Celtic lie second bottom of the division, with the bottom club winning their last game comfortably, and the Glasgow giant are losing. With five minutes of the last game of the season to go, one of the Old Firm are looking like relegation fodder.

But, they are on the attack - their star striker goes down in the penalty area, claiming a dubious penalty.

What does the referee do? Everyone knows he should make the right decision by what he sees, but really, he knows that his decision might put the future of Scottish football in jeopardy.

If he gives the penalty, and it is scored, then the SPL retains its TV rights. If he doesn't and the Old Firm are split for a season, then millions of pounds are lost to the game.

I know, it is highly unlikely. But, the fact that a sporting body have agreed with broadcasters that certain clubs will be playing in their competition, brings into disrepute those involved in that decision, and puts under scrutiny all decisions made which come into question the integrity of officials across Scotland.

Let's hope that Rangers, playing through the three SFL divisions, bring some financial reward to those smaller clubs who struggle along each year, while at the same time, the rest of the SPL can become a competitive league once more.

London Welsh get thumbs up for promotion

The decision last Friday to promote London Welsh to the Aviva Premiership was great news for anyone who holds the integrity of sport at heart.

Having declined their original application through not meeting the Minimum Standards Criteria (MSC) for playing Premiership rugby, the RFU had no option but to admit them to the top tier, on the basis of the decision by the independent panel led by James Dingemans QC.

Kassam Stadium
Pic (c) footballaway.co.uk

The panel met to decide on London Welsh's argument that the rules governing the Primacy of Tenure section of the MSC had infringed UK and EU competition law. London Welsh were successful in arguing their case, so are now free to play their fixtures at their new home, the Kassam Stadium in Oxford.

The ground is home to Oxford United, and owned by the club's former chairman, Firoz Kassam, who oversaw the completion of the stadium's construction over a decade ago.

Given the ground's main status prior to the introduction of the London Welsh scenario, it would be difficult to see how Primacy of Tenure could justifiably have been given to the rugby club.

Ground-sharing between different sports clubs at the highest level in England has been a feature of the sporting landscape since the advent of professionalism in rugby union during the 1990s.

London Irish have used the Madejski Stadium in Reading since 2000; Saracens have been Watford FCs tenants at Vicarage Road since 1997 (although will be moving to their own ground at Barnet Copthall before the end of season 2012/13); and London Wasps playing home fixtures at Adams Park in Wycombe since 2002, and prior to that, Loftus Road from 1996-2002, as part of their ownership by Loftus Road Holdings plc.

Sale Sharks have shared Stockport County's Edgeley Park since 2003, and will now play at the Salford City Stadium, alongside the Salford Reds Super League side. That move comes at a time when they remain as the only northern side in the Premiership, while there are five clubs within the London area.

The Newcastle Falcons will of course, face at least a year in the Championship, under the guidance of Dean Richards, who has a great track record in that division, taking Harlequins back to the Premiership in 2006 at the first attempt after their relegation the previous year.

The side who take up residency at the Kassam meanwhile, will not only have to prepare for life on the playing field among the rugby elite, but also need to build up their fan base in a city that up until now, has only been served by professional football. Rugby fans in the town may already have their allegiances with nearby London Irish in nearby Reading, or any of the clubs within reasonable travelling distance, including Gloucester, further along the A40 to Wales.

They need to recruit a new list of club sponsors who are willing to support the new venture - what happens to those businesses who have supported them over the years in Richmond, their spiritual home?

Despite much hype surrounding the Championship Play-off Final played at the Kassam, only 3456 turned up; a fair proportion of which would have been Cornish Pirates fans.

So, despite congratulations on a deserved promotion, the real battle starts by trying to win the hearts and minds of the good people of Oxford, and also their supporters from the bad times.

When is a suspension not a suspension?

Answer -

When it is an RFU suspension.

The RFU have just announced their verdict on a citing for Newcastle Falcons' Taiasina Tu'ifua. The Samoan flanker pleaded guilty to a dangerous tackle during the last league game of the season at London Wasps.

His punishment - a four week ban, running from 1 June to 28 June, allowing him to play again from 29 June.

As an international, Tu'ifua misses out on three Samoan test matches, against Fiji on 10 June, Japan on 17 June, and Scotland on 23 June.

But he remains free to play for his club from the start of next season. Surely there hangs a case to argue for RFU suspensions to be delivered in matches rather than weeks.

London Welsh fight on for Premiership place

The ongoing saga as to whether London Welsh can claim a place at rugby's top table next season seems as if it will continue long after tonight's final whistle was blown.

The second-leg of their Championship Play-off match against Cornish Pirates at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford may be irrelevant, if the RFU have their way.

The 29-20 win, for an overall aggregate victory, saw the Old Deer Park side earn the right to play in the Premiership - or so you might think. 

Pic (c) walesonline.co.uk

But the RFU decided on 23 May that London Welsh would not be eligible for promotion, after hearing the findings of an independent audit, requested by the London Welsh club.

The audit was requested after the RFU had deemed that the London Welsh club did not meet the Minimum Standards Criteria for playing in the Aviva Premiership as set by the Professional Game Board.

Their Old Deer Park ground in Richmond is unfit to hold Premiership rugby. The club attempted to work around this by arranging a ground-sharing deal with Oxford United, to play at the Kassam Stadium.

Despite this deal, the independent audit turned down this opportunity, claiming that primacy of tenure was one of several issues.

Another issue was that the club's back-up venue of Brentford FC's Griffin Park, was over 30 miles from the first option.

That in itself reeks of irony, in that Griffin Park lies only 3 miles away from Old Deer Park, when the club themselves are prepared to relocate 50 miles away in Oxford.

The final decision now lies in the hands of solicitors, and the bargaining carried out in the corridors of power. But really, what would a move 50 miles away from its traditional home mean to the club? 

The play-off match tonight certainly attracted what appeared to be a sell-out crowd to the Kassam, as the issue has galvanised a lot of support, but it has made for an interesting talking point.

Consider this - how far would you want your club to move just so they could play a couple of seasons of top flight sport? And would London Welsh then return to Richmond once their spell at the top is over?

RFU decide on Tuilagi tackle

Pic (c) Getty Images

An RFU disciplinary panel yesterday dismissed the citing of Leicester Tigers' Manu Tuilagi for an incident in the first minute of last Saturday's Aviva Premiership final, which Harlequins won by 30-23.

The tackle, on Danny Care, saw the Harlequins scrum half 'tipped' by Tuilagi, brought off his feet in the tackle, and made to land on his upper body. The tackle can be seen on the Aviva Premiership website.

Under the IRB Law 10 - Foul Play, 

"Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground is dangerous play."

should result in a penalty kick. The referee, Wayne Barnes, played an advantage at this point, stating that although "the tackle was above the horizontal, it wasn't dangerous".

That comment was heard by anyone who had taken advantage of the Ref Link - a service where spectators at major rugby matches can hear the referee's comments during play. 

Harlequins played through the advantage, gaining ground past the point where the tackle had taken place. 

The incident was quickly forgotten in the stadium as the match was played at a frantic pace, and Quins displayed a game-plan that brought them their first ever Premiership title.

The RFU regulations allow for a player to be brought before a disciplinary committee after a game, even if, as was the case in this incident, the match referee had seen it and acted upon it.

The Citing Procedures state clearly that 

"Before bringing a citing complaint the Premiership Citing Officer must be satisfied that in his opinion the act of foul play merited the award of a Red Card"

Previous high profile incidents had brought this particular part of the game to the fore, not least the Wales captain Sam Warburton having been sent off during the RWC 2011 semi-final against France.

Although the game was allowed to go on, it came as no surprise to hear that Tuilagi had been cited for the tackle afterwards. The hearing, heard by Christopher Quinlan QC, Dan White and Nick Dark "was not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the referee was wrong in not sending off the 21-year-old" according to the RFU press release issued after the hearing.

Conveniently, the centre is free to travel as planned to South Africa with the England squad, where they are on tour during June.