Ian Black notice of complaint

[ian1964 10,411]

“The SFA had better be prepared for a huge amount of players coming to Hampden to face charges as gambling within football is rife.

 

“But if anything good comes from Black’s case then hopefully it’s going to help that culture disappear.

 

“There are facts which need to be faced on this issue and the biggest one is that Black is just the tip of a large iceberg in Scottish football.”

 

Rangers immediately launched their own probe into the situation and Black has until Monday, August 26, to respond to the complaint ahead of attending a Hampden disciplinary hearing on September 12.

 

The most damaging accusation is that of betting on his own team not to win matches, and on the date of the first alleged offence Black played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a game they lost 1-0 to Motherwell.

 

The SFA have refused to divulge the matches in which he is accused of betting on his own team not to win and it is unclear if the Inverness v Motherwell game is one of them.

 

On July 28 this year, he is accused of making a bet on the date he scored for Rangers as they beat Albion Rovers 4-0 in the Ramsdens Cup.

 

Record Sport understands the SFA has set up stricter “integrity” checks with the help of bookmakers and one of them flagged up the bet made by Black on July 28.

 

An investigation into Black’s account history with the bookmaker has provided the SFA with enough information to charge him with three breaches of Disciplinary Rule 22.

 

The rule states: “No club official, player, match official or other person under the jurisdiction of the SFA shall bet in any way on a football match (except authorised football pools).”

 

However, the SFA released a statement insisting there was no evidence to suggest Black breached the disciplinary rule which pertains to match fixing.

 

If found guilty of breaching SFA anti-gambling rules, the governing body could fine Black anything from £500 to £1million and suspend him or even expel him from the game.

[der Berliner 3,245]

Lunny has a habit of making us suffer first ... wasn't Aluko his very first target when he fined Sone for his supposed dive (after others did the same and where actually caught doing it on TV)? Maybe we appear to be an easy target for some ...

 

NB: Lunny and Co. will make sure that even if there is a hint about him being guilty, he'll be hammered with the worst possible fine / suspension.

[Waltersgotstyle 297]

Could this come at a worse time?

 

Blackie seems to have stepped up to the plate this season and has the potential to be a big player for us.

 

My question is - how long have Rangers known this was coming?

[DUDE 0]

I reckon the SFA will do anything to make an example of Black, to post a warning to other players betting on their own matches. This comes at the worst time possible Waltergotstyle, I agree. Both for Black and Rangers. He is starting to gain some momentum lately and the club are still shaken by the boardroom troubles. Bad timing indeed.

 

Personally, I don't want to participate in any misplaced condemnation. We need to wait for some facts.

[Guest BigSwanley]

I would hazard a guess that the press or people in power have shit like this on a lot of people and will sit on it and pull the trigger when most convenient.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

 

It does look to be some well orchestrated campaign, as it managed to reach the German Handelsblatt (essentially a city paper) and all of the German tv's teletext sites (who, btw, have him playing for Hearts till June 2013) in no-time. Which is rather strange indeed.

 

Not really in this age of instant tweeting etc.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

According to a couple of media reports I read it was Ladbrokes that contacted the SFA. Apparently they have some sort of arrangement in place to 'protect the integrity' of the game. I'm not sure when it happened though.

 

That makes sense especially in the light of all that's happening with FIFA/UEFA about match fixing etc. e.g. http://www.uefa.com/uefa/disciplinary/news/newsid=1974566.html

 

I know we are not talking about match fixing here per se but betting on your own team to lose especially if you are playing in the match gets pretty close.

 

 

Protecting the integrity of the game

 

Published: Thursday 28 March 2013, 11.42CET

 

The Professional Football Strategy Council has adopted a joint position paper that includes a concrete action plan to protect the integrity of football and fight match-fixing.

 

http://www.uefa.com/uefa/stakeholders/professionalfootballstrategycouncil/news/newsid=1935156.html

 

 

VI. Contribution of betting industry

• Organiser's right to a fair return in the context of sports betting as a compensation from the betting industry for the commercial exploitation of sports competition organisers' rights
  
• Contractual and binding agreements with betting operators, also to establish the types of bet allowed
  
• Prohibition to offer bets on youth competitions at national and European level
  
• Financial revenues to be deployed in the fight to protect the integrity of sport, as well as to support grassroots sport, youth development or CSR activities
  
• Introduction of betting operators standards in cooperation with sports bodies
  

 

This may well explain the timing because if the agreement was implemented in March then it filtered through the various associations and they put the agreements in place with the bookies and Ladbrokes reported it to the SFA then all that takes a few months. You don't investigate a report about betting on 150 odd games overnight.

 

Also I don't believe that this would have been sprung on Black or Rangers yesterday. I am pretty sure that both Club and player would have been on notice that he was under investigation and probably given the opportunity to comment before charges were brought.

Edited August 20, 2013 by BrahimHemdani

[BrahimHemdani 1]

That's what is the interesting bit,why now if he has been doing it for 7 years?,and just before a board meeting!,the timing is very strange.

 

I don't believe there is any connection whatsoever.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

In my book, there are 3 issues.:

Is he guilty?

How did this information arrive in the hands of the SFA. Also when and why, when this has been going on since 2006.

Lastly, have any Data Protection laws been broken - a serious criminal offence.

I would tend not to pre-judge any of these until there is more information available.

The Information Commissioner would happily determine the answer to the last question.

Presumably the SFA will answer the first question and then would be the time to discuss consequences.

The second answer may come out via a report by the Information Commissioner and some subtle reading of the SFA inquiry. However this should also be public knowledge.

 

Disagree, there is only one issue; "Is he guilty"; if so he's out of out of football, probably for life.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

Lunny has a habit of making us suffer first ... wasn't Aluko his very first target when he fined Sone for his supposed dive (after others did the same and where actually caught doing it on TV)? Maybe we appear to be an easy target for some ...

 

NB: Lunny and Co. will make sure that even if there is a hint about him being guilty, he'll be hammered with the worst possible fine / suspension.

 

Isn't this the same kind of paranoia that we accuse Celtic fans of?