Please follow me on twitter, new handle: www.twitter.com/DimmyBad and check out the follow up post to this article, http://diminbeirut.typepad.com/my-blog/2012/10/corruption-and-influence-peddling-in-the-english-game.html
Also check out latest follow up, after Clattenburg's return to reffing United: http://diminbeirut.typepad.com/my-blog/2012/10/the-whole-worlds-watching.html
Oliver Stone once said: “Paranoia is having all the facts”. Many of us die hard football fans know exactly what he means.
I've long held the view that something very fishy goes on in English football.
I’m not the most naturally trusting of guys anyways. When it comes to institutions, I'm downright skeptical of them. I have very little respect or trust in governments, police, and media or football institutions. It's not me being paranoid either: week after week, I’m proven correct on my doubts about them (to any Liverpool fan the findings of the Hillsborough report came as absolutely no surprise).
When it comes to football, it's not even lack of trust. It's plain common sense.
In recent years, we've had a huge number of corruption scandals all across Europe. Several of them in Italy, the corrupt referee Hoyser in Germany, Fenerbahce being docked their title in Turkey, Spain's second division scandals, Marseille a while ago in France, Porto in Portugal etc...
Of course, the one league where nothing ever gets proven to be dodgy is in England. The richest and most watched league in the world is, we are told, completely squeaky clean.
Leaving aside the sheer ridiculousness of that statement, ask yourself this: if corruption gets proven all across Europe, how is the most popular league in the world, with the biggest prize monies in football, whose clubs are owned by some of the richest people in the world, run by stakeholders that are the most powerful media moguls in the world, immune from this? With the amounts of money at stake, how has it managed to be so clean for so long?
To dismiss any talks of corruption in the premier league is to fall for 2 of the traits that characterize the English the most: a sheer egocentric belief that they are better than anyone else and their complete faith in the country's institutions. To them, it’s entirely logical that that stuff goes on abroad where institutions are corrupt, but it’s impossible in England. Just like diving is a foreign disease and Uruguay is the epicenter of racism, unlike the multi cultural tolerance of middle England.
I share neither of those traits. By pure logic, when I see corruption in every facet of English life (MP's expenses scandal, banking sector, the war on Iraq, Leveson enquiry, Hillsborough, The Guilford 4, The Birmingham 6 et all...) as well as entire European football, I ask why is it impossible as many deem, for it to be happening in English football too?
I have followed football since 1986. I have seen for years how Manchester United benefits from refereeing decisions. I don’t need an investigation to tell me this: it happens on a near weekly basis to the point where people are so immune to it, they laugh it off.
I've long held the view that something very fishy goes on in English football.
I’m not the most naturally trusting of guys anyways. When it comes to institutions, I'm downright skeptical of them. I have very little respect or trust in governments, police, and media or football institutions. It's not me being paranoid either: week after week, I’m proven correct on my doubts about them (to any Liverpool fan the findings of the Hillsborough report came as absolutely no surprise).
When it comes to football, it's not even lack of trust. It's plain common sense.
In recent years, we've had a huge number of corruption scandals all across Europe. Several of them in Italy, the corrupt referee Hoyser in Germany, Fenerbahce being docked their title in Turkey, Spain's second division scandals, Marseille a while ago in France, Porto in Portugal etc...
Of course, the one league where nothing ever gets proven to be dodgy is in England. The richest and most watched league in the world is, we are told, completely squeaky clean.
Leaving aside the sheer ridiculousness of that statement, ask yourself this: if corruption gets proven all across Europe, how is the most popular league in the world, with the biggest prize monies in football, whose clubs are owned by some of the richest people in the world, run by stakeholders that are the most powerful media moguls in the world, immune from this? With the amounts of money at stake, how has it managed to be so clean for so long?
To dismiss any talks of corruption in the premier league is to fall for 2 of the traits that characterize the English the most: a sheer egocentric belief that they are better than anyone else and their complete faith in the country's institutions. To them, it’s entirely logical that that stuff goes on abroad where institutions are corrupt, but it’s impossible in England. Just like diving is a foreign disease and Uruguay is the epicenter of racism, unlike the multi cultural tolerance of middle England.
I share neither of those traits. By pure logic, when I see corruption in every facet of English life (MP's expenses scandal, banking sector, the war on Iraq, Leveson enquiry, Hillsborough, The Guilford 4, The Birmingham 6 et all...) as well as entire European football, I ask why is it impossible as many deem, for it to be happening in English football too?
I have followed football since 1986. I have seen for years how Manchester United benefits from refereeing decisions. I don’t need an investigation to tell me this: it happens on a near weekly basis to the point where people are so immune to it, they laugh it off.
I have seen the influence Alex Ferguson has on every facet of the English game. When his Darren son got fired as manager of Preston North End, I watched with bemusement as Ferguson immediately recalled his loan players from Deepdale. I then watched in horror as another club in the premier league, managed by Ferguson’s father’s friend Tony Pullis, also recalled their loan players from PNE.
The message was clear: Mess with Mr Ferguson or his children, and you will be punished.
And not just from Mr Ferguson either. By his friends in football.
Recently, ex referee Jeff Winter stated that he once sent Roy Keane off in a match. He was then criticized by Ferguson and not given a Manchester United game to referee for 2 years. He saw that as punishment as he said that “The FA is reticent to give Manchester United games to referees that Ferguson has criticized in the past”.
Read that statement again. Ferguson criticizes referees that give decisions against his club. Most likely, these decisions happen in games Manchester United lose. The FA reacts to the criticism by not assigning said referees in future Manchester United games. Thus, the only referees assigned to United games are ones that Ferguson approves of.
The referees that have given decisions Ferguson deem to be incorrect against United, however, no longer referee their games (usually the most high profile ones). It’s a terrible indictment of sporting impartiality, justice and the way the game is run in England. This form of selective referee assignement led to the Juventus scandal in 2006.
Winter’s comments prompted me to do my own research. I focused on the referees that took charge of United 2 biggest high profile losses in the last decade or so.
Alain Wiley refereed United’s 4-1 loss to Liverpool in 2009. In that game, he gave both United and Liverpool penalties and sent off Nemanja Vidic. All 3 decisions were absolutely correct and Wiley was praised by Sky TV co-commentator Andy Gray for his performance. Not even Ferguson complained.
Later that year, Wiley was given another United game to referee and despite sending off Kieran Richardson of Sunderland, Wiley was lambasted by Ferguson for being “fat and unfit”. The game ended 2-2.
That would be the end of Wiley’s refereeing career. Wiley, it says cryptically on his Wikipedia page, “agreed to retire” at the end of that season. Agreed with whom? No one knows.
Last season, Manchester City romped to a 6-1 win at Old Trafford, inflicting on their rivals their biggest embarrassment under Ferguson. The referee on that day was Mark Clattenburg. He sent Johnny Evans off in the second half for a clear professional foul.
There have been 34 Man United league games since that day. The number of times times Clattenburg has refereed them? Zero. Not a single one.
It seems that the FA, for whatever reason, doesn’t want Clattenburg to referee Man United games anymore. Some of us more paranoid folk may just wonder who’s behind that decision.
The FA has no hesitation to hand United games to Howard Webb though: he’s been the most used referee in 34 United games since the 6-1 defeat to City.
Webb’s history in Man United games are well known and documented. All I have to say on the matter is that more than 18% of the penalties he’s awarded in his ENTIRE premier league refereeing career have gone to Manchester United. Over a 9 year period, that’s a huge percentage.
Webb’s history in Man United games are well known and documented. All I have to say on the matter is that more than 18% of the penalties he’s awarded in his ENTIRE premier league refereeing career have gone to Manchester United. Over a 9 year period, that’s a huge percentage.
So in closing, let’s resume what we’ve discovered. We have an ex premier league referee who has openly stated he was not handed a Manchester United game for 2 years after sending off one of their players. We have an FA who, in said referee’s words, don’t hand Manchester United games to referees that the United manager has previously criticized.
We have a referee who took charge of a heavy United defeat and “agreed to retire” a year later after being called unfit by Alex Ferguson. We have another referee who hasn’t been handed a United game to officiate since he reffed a heavy United defeat 34 league games ago.
Meanwhile, the most used official in United games in that time is the man who has handed 18% of his entire career penalty awards to Ferguson’s team.
Factor in the fact that Manchester United CEO is ON THE BOARD OF the English FA, Alex Ferguson is a knight of the realm with political connections that go a lot deeper than football (just read Allistair Campbell’s diaries if you don’t believe me), and the evidence in the Darren Ferguson sacking that clubs that cross Ferguson get punished by his friends, and you have all the tools there for someone more investigative than me to really delve into.
But yet, nothing happens. Year on year, I watch as not a single journalist utters a peep on the subject. I watch as decision after decision goes United’s way and people in the UK, so much better than everyone else and trusting of their institutions remember, brush them off with insouciance.
In Italy, there would have been phone tap investigations a long time ago. In "so much cleaner than everywhere else" England, we’re paranoid.
Why is that?
Well, when you look at who runs the sport in the country, you understand a bit more. Rupert Murdoch’s Sky live off the premier league. So do his other publications like the Sun. The English media’s last priority is going to investigate and damage one of their biggest cash cows.
Imagine the hit to the revenue streams of the media and clubs if corruption is proved in the premier league? The richest league in the world, so carefully and beautifully marketed across the world, would suffer a huge blow. The effects an investigation would have on Manchester United, the cash cow’s biggest cash cow, would also be devastating.
So it’s all swept under the tabled and every refereeing decision shrugged off. “They even themselves out” we’re told by journalists who get banned from United press conferences for asking a question about team selection.
God knows what would happen to them if they investigate United’s behind the scenes dealings.
Maybe, like Preston, they’ll learn that if you cross Man United, all of football will turn their backs on you too…
It is also worth noting that Mike Jones didn't ref a top flight football match after Newcastle's 1-1 draw with United at Old Trafford last season. Atkinson is also if I remember correctly never reffed a Man United game since the one against Chelsea in 2011 at Stamford Bridge when there were calls for David Luiz to be sent off and he awarded The Blues a penalty converted by Frank Lampard, needs more checking though.
Posted by: Omar | 09/26/2012 at 06:27 PM
Yes, Atkinson was the ref against Chelsea, and Ferguson was banned after making comments on his performance. Since then Atkinson didn't officiate in United games up until March 2012. Also Atkinson should have been a ref for Liverpool-Man United FA cup game, but was replaced due to illness.
Posted by: Graaf_x | 09/27/2012 at 02:39 PM
hey! arent you in that Justin Timberlake video......CRY ME A RIVER!
Posted by: Lynton | 09/27/2012 at 04:02 PM
"Wiley, it says cryptically on his Wikipedia page, “agreed to retire” at the end of that season. Agreed with whom? No one knows."
Maybe his bosses, just a thought.
Posted by: King Brenny | 09/27/2012 at 05:06 PM
How obsessive
Posted by: Jin | 09/27/2012 at 05:22 PM
We are in total agreement.
Posted by: Julie and Chatmaster | 09/27/2012 at 05:29 PM
This disgrace MUST stop now.
Posted by: Billy the Boozer | 09/27/2012 at 05:30 PM
..in addition. The referees no longer allow the Liverpool `keeper to pick the ball up from a back pass.
This was the secret to our success.
Posted by: quietlurker | 09/27/2012 at 05:35 PM
Hahahah. Fantastic to see so many of our Red Issue brethern on here, some of those comments are golden! Dont expect any of you to agree with anything I wrote, but glad to see you here.
Posted by: Dimmy B | 09/27/2012 at 05:39 PM
It's not on, let's have a boycott, no more wins for Liverpool until it's sorted
Posted by: fish | 09/27/2012 at 06:59 PM
Over the past 10 years United who have on average I would guess finished 15 points per season ahead have been been awarded a MASSIVE 5 more penalties and actually had 2 more players sent off when compared to the scouse victims down the road. The truth is out there.... and its definitely someone elses fault.
Posted by: boyliesHairyCornflake | 09/27/2012 at 07:20 PM
On Alan Wiley: What the ns blog fails to mention regarding Referee Alan Wiley is the following: Alan Wiley was criticised by SAF after a Man U game in 2008: Alan Wiley went on to referee many more United games. Alan Wiley retired NOT as a consequence of the criticism by SAF after the Sunderland game: He retired following fitness concerns by the referees committee after poor refereeing decisions in 2 games involving Arsenal/Stoke and a cup semi final involving Spurs/Portsmouth. He AGREED to become a full time referee coach the following season. Our blogger is selective with the truth.
Posted by: The Govan Toolmaker | 09/27/2012 at 09:38 PM
On Mark Clattenburg: He is the 4th official on the Man U Spurs game next week: He has only refereed 2 Premier league games this season. There were not 34 United league games since city beat them in Old Trafford. He has refereed 8 times in the league in Old Trafford but only 4 times in Anfield. He has only refereed 19 premier league games since the Man U Man City game in old Trafford last year.
Posted by: The Govan Toolmaker | 09/27/2012 at 09:39 PM
On Jeff Winter: Guess who Jeff Winter refereed in his final game? Yes you have guessed it. Manchester United V Millwall FA Cup final. Jeff Winter is and was regarded by his colleagues to have a high opinion of himself, is a sectarian bigot and has had his own website removed and was questioned by the police regarding posting anti catholic sectarian opinions on his personal website. An egoist referee. The blog title is "the truth is out there" he is right it is out there if you look for it. He has not looked for the truth. Its just the biased opinions of a bitter Liverpool fan.
Posted by: The Govan Toolmaker | 09/27/2012 at 09:40 PM
Murdoch is the key in all this, bskyb were losing a lot of money before the premier league came along, he hates Liverpool for obvious reasons (according to Thatcher's private secretary he'd be in Downing street at least once a day whilst the old bitch was in power) he obviously owned a large-ish stake in muplc and would later try to buy them outright.
Follow match fixers and you'll get match fixers, follow money and you'll find all kinds of shit.
After a challenge was brought to contest the formation of the premier league In 1990 a judge declared the fa to be 'beyond judicial review' (above the law to you and me, http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/21/luis-suarez-liverpool-appeal-options). Why? What possible reason could there be to declare a private company above the law?
The FA is an unregulated, suprajudicial multi billion pound business, on that basis alone there is absolutely zero reason to assume it's on the level but even if nothing is going on, surely everything we've seen over the last twenty years would warrant some kind of investigation?
We've been here before with the English media of course,
Don Revie, a manager pretty much everyone knew was fixing matches was lauded by the media.
Posted by: AgainstTheDay | 09/30/2012 at 08:39 PM
Hahahaha, this is utterly laughable! I'm a Norwich fan but by god the delusion levels are sky high here. Ferguson often gets banned by the FA for his comments, what's he doing that for if he's in control?! Hahahaha.
Posted by: John | 09/30/2012 at 09:35 PM
Lynton, your "joke" is as old as that song.
Posted by: Tom | 09/30/2012 at 10:03 PM
The paranoia is hilarious
Posted by: lejen | 09/30/2012 at 10:05 PM
What a bitter writer!....
Posted by: Max | 10/01/2012 at 09:46 AM
Very interesting ans good to see figures to confirm what many suspected over the years.
You forgot to mention the fact that man united has played more injury time than any other side. Ave of 170 seconds when ahead and 260seconds when behind.
Fergie is the don of the EPL.
Posted by: Crack | 10/01/2012 at 01:02 PM
Well the sceptical should watch closer. How United fouls are ingored and any other team players would easily get yellow/red/penalty kicks...Just keep an open mind and watch. But not all referees are influenced...Some are very fair.
Posted by: Marc | 10/01/2012 at 01:16 PM
Fergie time is something that cannot be properly policed because refs have a certain amount discretion on it.
Outright fouls and cards can be reviewed. So thats why they get so much extra time.
Posted by: Crack | 10/01/2012 at 01:50 PM
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.”
Posted by: Martin M. | 10/01/2012 at 08:07 PM
No mention of the fact that David Dein (ex-arsenal) was once vice chairman, that Phil Gartside, Bolton Chairman (current board member of the FA), that Brian Barwick (lifelong Liverpool fan) was once FA CEO. Of course it is not as trendy to point these facts for the ABU brigade.
Posted by: @JoetheWag | 10/01/2012 at 09:36 PM
If you look at the viewing figures for the Premier League in Asia, then look at the most supported club in Asia, you'll notice an interesting link. Manchester United are the biggest brand that the Premier League 'sell'. Ensuring their best selling 'product', continues to be successful is in both United and the Premier Leagues best interests. If United were to fold tomorrow through the Glazers ownership, the Premier League would be buggered.
Posted by: Mr S | 10/01/2012 at 11:35 PM