Athlone Town aren’t the first football club to be caught up in a betting scandal
And won’t be the last, despite UEFA’s efforts
AS club officials, players and management prepare for a grilling in two local hotels tomorrow and Tuesday, it is of no consolation to Athlone Town to know they are not the first club ensnared in a matchfixing scandal – nor are they likely to be the last.
Nothing is proven, of course, but the allegations sting and Athlone, if found culpable in any way of throwing games, can expect to cough up far more than a fine to the FAI.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin pledged to clear up the scourge of match-fixing on his watch when elected last September and the savvy Slovenian wants this mess sorted out, and fast.
As his enforcer he has appointed the FAI chief executive John Delaney, the newly elected UEFA Executive Committee member.
In the coming weeks, Delaney will earn his €100,000-a year UEFA salary although the Irish Mail on Sunday understands he will not be directly involved in the Athlone inquisition over the coming days.
On Delaney’s watch, the FAI has stood firm with League of Ireland clubs who have stepped out of line.
For various transgressions, all financially related, Shamrock Rovers (2005) and Drogheda United (2008) were each hit with points’ deductions; Derry City (2009) were expelled from the League, while Cork City (2010) were dissolved.
As they stand in the dock, Athlone Town, and their loyal supporters, are entitled to feel fretful for the club’s future.
They might consider the case of Finnish club Rovaniemem Palloseura (RoPS), who beat Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League last summer.
In 2011, a Singapore businessman, Wilson Raj Perumal and eight RoPS players, six from Zambia and two from Georgia, were found guilty of fixing the outcome of league games.
Altogether, 24 games had been manipulated with the intended score achieved in 11 of those matches.
Raj Perumal was sentenced to prison for two years and ordered to pay back €150,000 in match profits. The sums paid to the players ranged from €500 to €10,000.
Another club, Tampere, were booted out of the Finnish League
Thus far, the FAI have been careful to avoid the phrase ‘match-fixing’
that same year for agreeing a €300,000 deal with a company linked to Perumal which investigators believed would have given him influence over recruitment and selection.
Such was the outcry, the Finnish League in 2011 was forced to kick off a week late.
Here, Athlone Town have already played 11 games and three of their results are now hled under a cloud of suspicion.
They have conceded 25 goals, 50 per cent more than the next club, Wexford Youths.
Thus far, the FAI have been careful to avoid the phrase ‘matchfixing’, preferring to highlight alleged ‘betting irregularities’ of Athlone’s games in their statements.
In fairness, due process must be seen to be carried out.
The governing body have been tasked by UEFA to root out the problem, which may mean reexamining its own procedures regarding the awarding of a licence to Athlone to compete in the First Division this season.
The FAI insists the licensing process is rigorous, independent and comprehensive, and nothing was apparently amiss with Athlone’s application to compete in the 2017 Airtricity League.