match-fixing tip-off causes Norwegian FA to postpone game

The Norwegian Football Association made the bold step today of postponing a match in the Adeccoliga (Div 1) between Ull/Kisa and Ham Kam on the suspicion of match-fixing. Read the TV2 article below.

Adecco match cancelled on suspicion of match-fixing (translated from Norwegian)

Interestingly, there's little evidence to suggest a fix was in place - the Betfair market shows nothing untoward and other firms spoken to knew nothing either. It is believed the FA were tipped off about an approach being made and took steps to ensure it couldn't go ahead.

In response, my old friend Ragnar Liaskar (@raeggi) from TV2's sports betting programme Sport og Spill (the programme I appeared on as a guest - it was my profile pic) was interviewed:

Match-fixing in Norway (translated)

The Norwegian FA will hold a press conference this afternoon where more will be revealed. At the very least, it's bravo to Norway for reporting such an approach and bravo to their FA for acting swiftly to prevent anything going ahead.

UPDATE

At the press conference, it was revealed that one of the Ull/Kisa players had been caught betting heavily against his team. Ull/Kisa currently sit second on the table, while Ham Kam are 10th out of 16 clubs.

Also mentioned that other matches, including a match on June 24 in the third tier of Norwegian football, where Follo led 3-0 after 54 minutes, and then conceded four goals in 20 minutes to lose 4-3 to Ostsiden.

Here's the translated article from the press conference.

Comments

Spot-fixing - you will never, ever be able to stop it

According to this report , IPL tournaments so far have been rife with spot-fixing - that is fixing minor elements of the game - runs in a single over, number of wides bowled etc. The curious part of that article is that the Income Tax department are supposed to have found these crimes. What idiot would be stupid enough to put down 'big wad of cash handed to me by bookie' as a source of income? Backhanders for sportsmen, particularly in a celebrity- and cricket-obsessed culture like India are not rare. They could come from anything like turning up to open someone's new business (not a sponsor, but a 'friend of a friend' arrangement), to being a guest at some devoted fan's dinner party etc. The opportunities are always there, and there will always be people trying to become friends with players and their entourage - that is human nature. This form of match-fixing (and it's not really fixing a match, just a minor element of it) is very hard to prove, but also, ...

lay the field - my favourite racing strategy

Dabbling with laying the field in-running at various prices today, not just one price, but several in the same race. Got several matched in the previous race at Brighton, then this race came along at Nottingham. Such a long straight at Nottingham makes punters often over-react and think the finish line is closer than it actually is. As you can see by the number of bets matched, there was plenty of volatility in this in-play market. It's rare you'll get a complete wipe-out with one horse getting matched at all levels, but it can happen, so don't give yourself too much risk...

It's all gone Pete Tong at Betfair!

The Christmas Hurdle from Leopardstown, a good Grade 2 race during the holiday period. But now it will go into history as the race which brought Betfair down. Over £21m at odds of 29 available on Voler La Vedette in-running - that's a potential liability of over £500m. You might think that's a bit suspicious, something's fishy, especially with the horse starting at a Betfair SP of 2.96. Well, this wasn't a horse being stopped by a jockey either - the bloody horse won! Look at what was matched at 29. Split that in half and multiply by 28 for the actual liability for the layer(s). (Matched amounts always shown as double the backers' stake, never counts the layers' risk). There's no way a Betfair client would have £600m+ in their account. Maybe £20 or even £50m from the massive syndicates who regard(ed) Betfair as safer than any bank, but not £600m. So the error has to be something technical. However, rumour has it, a helpdesk reply (not gospel, natur...

Sport is made for betting

Search This Blog