Stanley in FA probe

[Tin basher]

Seems the FA are to launch a probe into irregular betting patterns and contact the gambling comission regarding the Accrington Stanley V Bury match at the weekend. With the teams sitting in 15th and 17th neither could be relgated or make the playoffs so on the surface a meaningless game. Why then was more money wagered (£281,358) on this one fixture than almost the total amount wagered on the rest of the league two fixtures combined. For example the total amount bet on the Chester v Macclesfield was only £4,732. Most of it was on Bury to win (they did) with a sizable amount on a chap called Bishop to score first (he did with a penalty). The FA even changed the ref and his assistants late on the Friday night for the Saturday game. The bookies stopped taking certain bets or drastically changed the odds they were offering. Summat's not right.

Manager of the Mighty Stanley John Coleman when asked about match fixing said "That is absolute rubbish"

 

[SgtScribbly]

The FA even changed the ref and his assistants late on the Friday night for the Saturday game.

this is standard practice apparently, even if there is no reason to suspect its the officials that are at it, they change them anyway irrespective

 

[propersplitbrainme]

Why then was more money wagered (£281,358) on this one fixture than almost the total amount wagered on the rest of the league two fixtures combined.

Someone smashed all the club's piggy banks, scooped the lot into a pile and decided it was sh1t or bust?

 

[AllWoman]

In the bookies I work in all betting on that match was suspended by the time I opened up Saturday morning and no bets taken on the game whenever they were placed are being paid out at all until the enquiry by the ABB has been concluded!

 

[Tin basher]

this is standard practice apparently, even if there is no reason to suspect its the officials that are at it, they change them anyway irrespective

Agreed changing the officials was probably not connected with the strange betting pattern preceding the match and it was just the FA adopting a belt and braces approach. When the FA and ABB have finished looking at this one it will be interesting to see what sanctions, if any, are proposed. For example if say Accrington Stanley where found to have done something against the rules deducting 10 points that would then give them 41 points one fewer than relegated Mansfield who have 42. There is little to be gained by imposing a fine as Stanley are skint anyway and Bury are even worse of financially. If there is anything in it then this could lead to a large tin of worms being opened up.