FA probe Oxford star over yellow card ‘fixing’ claim

THE FA have opened a spot-fixing investigation into suspicious betting patterns surrounding the booking of Oxford defender Ciaron Brown in Monday’s FA Cup defeat by Arsenal. Sportsmail has learned that the FA have a dossier of evidence regarding supposed corruption, including alleged phone messages before kick-off at the Kassam Stadium which claim that Brown would be booked in a betting scam that allegedly cost one bookmaker more than £1,600. One message is understood to show a betting slip with around £200 staked on Brown being yellow-carded at odds of 8-1. The 24-year-old Northern Ireland defender was booked in the 59th minute for fouling Bukayo Saka with the score at 0-0, four minutes before Mohamed Elneny gave Arsenal the lead. Eddie Nketiah’s brace then gave the Premier League leaders a 3-0 victory.

It is unclear how many bets were placed on Brown being booked and the extent of other bookmakers’ liabilities, but the FA are taking the matter seriously.