British betting scandal of 1964
Encyclopedia
The British betting scandal of 1964 was a scandal
in English
association football in which eight professional players were jailed for offences arising from match fixing
.
Player Jimmy Gauld
over several years systematically interfered with matches in the football league, enticing players into betting on the outcome of fixed matches. His criminality came to light after he approached Sheffield Wednesday
player David Layne
, a former colleague at Swindon Town
, in December 1962 to identify a new target game. Layne suggested that Wednesday were likely to lose their imminent match against Ipswich Town
and proposed to his fellow players Peter Swan and Tony Kay
that they ensure the outcome. The three all bet against their own side in the match.
In 1964, Gauld, in search of a final "payday", sold his story to the Sunday People for £7,000, incriminating the three Wednesday players. The paper broke the story on 12 April. Gauld's taped conversations were ultimately to convict himself and the three Wednesday players, the judge
making it clear that he held Gauld responsible for ruining the other three.
The four received jail sentences at their trial the following year, as did Mansfield Town
players Brian Philips and Sammy Chapman
, along with Ronald Howells, Ken Thomson
, Dick Beattie
and Jack Fountain
. Gauld was described by the judge as the "central figure" of the case and he received the heaviest sentence of four years in prison. On release, they were banned for life from any participation in football. Thirty-three players were prosecuted, in total.
The incident was dramatised in 1997 in a BBC
film The Fix
directed by Paul Greengrass
and starring Jason Isaacs
as Tony Kay and Steve Coogan
as Sunday People journalist Michael Gabbert, whose investigative work led to the uncovering of the scandal.
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
in English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
association football in which eight professional players were jailed for offences arising from match fixing
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
.
Player Jimmy Gauld
Jimmy Gauld
James "Jimmy" Gauld is a former Scottish footballer who became notorious for being convicted of instigating the British betting scandal of 1964....
over several years systematically interfered with matches in the football league, enticing players into betting on the outcome of fixed matches. His criminality came to light after he approached Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
player David Layne
David Layne
David "Bronco" Layne is a former English footballer most famous for playing for Sheffield Wednesday and his involvement in the British betting scandal of 1964....
, a former colleague at Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
, in December 1962 to identify a new target game. Layne suggested that Wednesday were likely to lose their imminent match against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
and proposed to his fellow players Peter Swan and Tony Kay
Tony Kay
Anthony Herbert Kay is a former English footballer who became notorious after being banned from the professional game for life following the British betting scandal of 1964....
that they ensure the outcome. The three all bet against their own side in the match.
In 1964, Gauld, in search of a final "payday", sold his story to the Sunday People for £7,000, incriminating the three Wednesday players. The paper broke the story on 12 April. Gauld's taped conversations were ultimately to convict himself and the three Wednesday players, the judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
making it clear that he held Gauld responsible for ruining the other three.
The four received jail sentences at their trial the following year, as did Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
players Brian Philips and Sammy Chapman
Sammy Chapman
Samuel Edward Campbell "Sammy" Chapman is a former Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager.-Career:Chapman joined Shamrock Rovers in July 1956 from Glenavon F.C. ....
, along with Ronald Howells, Ken Thomson
Ken Thomson (footballer)
Kenneth Gordon Thomson was a footballer who played in The Football League for Hartlepool United, Middlesbrough and Stoke City. He made 278 appearances for Stoke.-Career:...
, Dick Beattie
Dick Beattie
Richard "Dick" Beattie , was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper in both the Scottish and English football leagues...
and Jack Fountain
Jack Fountain
John "Jack" Fountain is an English former footballer who played in the Football League as a wing half for Sheffield United, Swindon Town and York City. He received a prison sentence in 1964 for his part in the betting scandal which shook British football in the early 1960s.-External links:* at...
. Gauld was described by the judge as the "central figure" of the case and he received the heaviest sentence of four years in prison. On release, they were banned for life from any participation in football. Thirty-three players were prosecuted, in total.
The incident was dramatised in 1997 in a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
film The Fix
The Fix (TV film)
The Fix is a 1997 television film first shown on BBC One and directed by Paul Greengrass.It tells the story of the British betting scandal of 1964, following which a number of British professional footballers were jailed and banned from football for life for conspiring to fix the results of...
directed by Paul Greengrass
Paul Greengrass
Paul Greengrass is an English film director, screenwriter and former journalist. He specialises in dramatisations of real-life events and is known for his signature use of hand-held cameras.-Life and career:...
and starring Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs is an English actor born in Liverpool, who is best known for his performance as the villain Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, the brutal Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot and as lifelong criminal Michael Caffee in the internationally broadcast American television series...
as Tony Kay and Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
as Sunday People journalist Michael Gabbert, whose investigative work led to the uncovering of the scandal.
See also
- 1915 British football betting scandal1915 British football betting scandalThe 1915 British football betting scandal occurred when a Football League First Division match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford on 2 April 1915 was fixed in United's favour, with players from both sides benefiting from bets placed upon the result.At the time, Manchester...
, a similar scandal nearly 50 years previously. - List of professional sportspeople convicted of crimes
- 2011 Turkish football corruption scandal