Our friends down here in Faversham lost everything in the floods. It's very hard right now not to stick two fingers up at all things football and walk sadly away.
I am gutted by this because I liked both brothers and just thought they were just whole hearted players who were perhaps a touch naive.I certainly felt it was Sam's lack of discipline at crucial times which cost him a career at a higher level than League 1.
In light of this knowledge you could argue that Sam cost us automatic promotion in 2009/10 by his behaviour.Had we won against Swindon at home and Yeovil away then we would have gone up automatically above Leeds.
Although at Yeovil his brother Akpo played like a man possessed and pulled us back into the game almost single handed.I remember thinking we had a star player on our hands,how wrong I was.
Agreed. His sending offs in a Charlton shirt will now always be seen as very suspicious .
That's an understatement... They always seemed to come out of absolutely nowhere. Not a result of being wound up, frustrated or in a game with a few tasty tackles going round. Just a ridiculous sending-off tackle for no reason.
Not defending him in any way, but we can't assume that he's taken a bung for EVERY red card he has obtained in his career, and who's to say he didn't get anyone else at Charlton involved?
Sickening, but there's going to be a lot more to this story
Blackpool will be having some Chrismas party this year!
Think about it. You've been a footballer all your life. Seen some of your colleagues/friends move to the premier league and earn megabucks. You're stuck at a champ/league one pauper club. The chance comes along to get a bit of premier league lolly. As a footballer, short on brain cells and raised in a bubble what would you do?
I still can't get my head around the fact that there's this much dough being bet on nondescript Div 1 matches to make all this worthwhile. Bookies are far from stupid so why are they not seeing it?
I still can't get my head around the fact that there's this much dough being bet on nondescript Div 1 matches to make all this worthwhile. Bookies are far from stupid so why are they not seeing it?
That's what I can't work out , what are these bets that people have with these asian bookies on league one non live matches that a player gets a yellow card in the first half ...... I mean the odds have got to be pony cos I can't see them betting on a named player And also does it imply the bookies are the corrupt ones setting this up so how would they make money .... Make it 20 to 1 no yellow cards first half and get £200k put on it from mug punters It's all too moody I keep thinking it's all paper heists and not actually real moody bookies/punters setting most of this up
Former Premiership footballer DJ Campbell is among six people being questioned in connection with allegations of fixing in football matches, the BBC understands.
Mr Campbell, who plays for Championship side Blackburn, was one of six people arrested on Sunday.
The arrests came after ex-Portsmouth player Sam Sodje told a reporter he could arrange for players to be booked or sent off in exchange for cash.
I still can't get my head around the fact that there's this much dough being bet on nondescript Div 1 matches to make all this worthwhile. Bookies are far from stupid so why are they not seeing it?
That's what I can't work out , what are these bets that people have with these asian bookies on league one non live matches that a player gets a yellow card in the first half ...... I mean the odds have got to be pony cos I can't see them betting on a named player And also does it imply the bookies are the corrupt ones setting this up so how would they make money .... Make it 20 to 1 no yellow cards first half and get £200k put on it from mug punters It's all too moody I keep thinking it's all paper heists and not actually real moody bookies/punters setting most of this up
I think its the illegal bookies from Asia. When a large bet is placed they knows its dodgy so take the bet and then place the same bet with higher stake at another illegal bookies in another country.
I still can't get my head around the fact that there's this much dough being bet on nondescript Div 1 matches to make all this worthwhile. Bookies are far from stupid so why are they not seeing it?
Indeed, the 'grey' gambling markets are unbelievable, its impossible to get your head around.
An acquaintance of mine is a reporter on the Times of India and has done some work on the Cricket gambling culture over there and says it is absolutely incredible when you look at the scale of betting taking place.
Part of the problem in Asia/Africa (especially India) is that gambling is illegal.
Its like trying to ban prostitution, booze or drugs - only the criminally stupid think that it would be a good idea or have any chance of working.
And yet football still allows betting organisations to sponsor clubs and get involved in sponsoring competitions. All gambling and all gambling companies have corruption endemic within them and it can be no surprise that gambling organisations (legal or illegal) would have a negative impact on the sports they leech off of.
And yet football still allows betting organisations to sponsor clubs and get involved in sponsoring competitions. All gambling and all gambling companies have corruption endemic within them and it can be no surprise that gambling organisations (legal or illegal) would have a negative impact on the sports they leech off of.
Yep, same for Rugby League here in Oz.
They have had a couple of major betting scandals here too (similar to this one in the UK) and yet the game is basically propped up by betting companies sponsorship.
Amazing really, look at the three sectors that pump huge dollars into sports sponsorship: Cigarettes (pre-ban), Alcohol and Gambling.
Maybe they should just let the local knocking shop advertise too and be done with it.
DJ Campbell. What's his excuse, money wise? A player we apparently considered last close season after promotion, but did not think to be worth 22k/week. 22k/week. Already a millionaire. ****.
DJ Campbell. What's his excuse, money wise? A player we apparently considered last close season after promotion, but did not think to be worth 22k/week. 22k/week. Already a millionaire. ****.
Greed Prague, and sadly I feel this has a lot further to run. Fast cars, houses, bling, drugs, women, gambling, it all needs funding.
Danny Mills was on 5Live yesterday afternoon discussing this story. Said he'd never been approached to get a booking or a sending off deliberately, but also said he knew a few players who got themselves deliberately booked or sent off to effect the timing of suspensions. Failed to mention anything about getting deliberately red-carded to get himself a few days off at Christmas.
Those in custody so far are Sam, Akpo, Stephen Sodje, Christian Montano at Oldham, DJ Campbell, Ian Goodison at Tranmere
Ian Goodison, that's sad as someone still playing at 40 you'd have hoped would have a great love for the game.
The Sam Sodje sending off was truly bizarre, like the Pakistan no balls from a few years ago, not very clever as it looked really odd. As a defender, picking up 2 yellows is pretty easy these days if you really put your mind to it
I always though Deon Burtons red against Swindon looked dodgy but thought at worst he wanted a few extra days off. The fact that Goodson's implicated, who would have been his captain in the Jamaican team makes me wonder and of course that's the problem, you go back and think did he mean to do that.
What no one has mentioned on here is that in the game Sam Sodje, allegedly, got himself sent off Portsmouth lost 1-0 to Oldham, who finished three points above one Scunthorpe, who were relegated. He was sent off in the 50th minute. and even though it was 1-0 at the time 40 minutes is long enough for a team to score two goals.
No one can even know but had that game finished 1-2 rather than 1-0 it could have affected other results and could have changed the outcome of the relegation.
i know that on one on here is condoning his actions but even though £70k seems like a lot of money for 'just' a red card, I would imagine there there will be some associated with Scunthorpe that would believe that he might have done more than just got himself an early bath for £70k.
Incidentally, I'm more than aware, before someone points it out, that Oldham were three points and a much better goal difference above the relegation zone, but that 1-0 win against Portsmouth took Oldham above Scunthorpe.
I have this awful feeling that this is going to grow and grow. God knows how many more players will be implicated by the end. If someone like DJ Campbell, earning the sort of money he was on, has (and I know they are, all, only alleged to have at this stage) then there could be players in every Championship Club within reach of the gangs that are running this sort of thing.
I fear that we might all think a lot less of football and footballers by this time next year!
Comments
In light of this knowledge you could argue that Sam cost us automatic promotion in 2009/10 by his behaviour.Had we won against Swindon at home and Yeovil away then we would have gone up automatically above Leeds.
Although at Yeovil his brother Akpo played like a man possessed and pulled us back into the game almost single handed.I remember thinking we had a star player on our hands,how wrong I was.
Sickening, but there's going to be a lot more to this story
To think he would put points at risk for our club by getting himself sent off for a few extra bucks pisses me right off.
The minute he got down that tunnel I bet he had a massive smile on his face.
Think about it. You've been a footballer all your life. Seen some of your colleagues/friends move to the premier league and earn megabucks. You're stuck at a champ/league one pauper club. The chance comes along to get a bit of premier league lolly. As a footballer, short on brain cells and raised in a bubble what would you do?
This is just the start.
And also does it imply the bookies are the corrupt ones setting this up so how would they make money .... Make it 20 to 1 no yellow cards first half and get £200k put on it from mug punters
It's all too moody
I keep thinking it's all paper heists and not actually real moody bookies/punters setting most of this up
Former Premiership footballer DJ Campbell is among six people being questioned in connection with allegations of fixing in football matches, the BBC understands.
Mr Campbell, who plays for Championship side Blackburn, was one of six people arrested on Sunday.
The arrests came after ex-Portsmouth player Sam Sodje told a reporter he could arrange for players to be booked or sent off in exchange for cash.
Portsmouth FC said it was "shocked".
An acquaintance of mine is a reporter on the Times of India and has done some work on the Cricket gambling culture over there and says it is absolutely incredible when you look at the scale of betting taking place.
Part of the problem in Asia/Africa (especially India) is that gambling is illegal.
Its like trying to ban prostitution, booze or drugs - only the criminally stupid think that it would be a good idea or have any chance of working.
More a reward for bribery skills
They have had a couple of major betting scandals here too (similar to this one in the UK) and yet the game is basically propped up by betting companies sponsorship.
Amazing really, look at the three sectors that pump huge dollars into sports sponsorship: Cigarettes (pre-ban), Alcohol and Gambling.
Maybe they should just let the local knocking shop advertise too and be done with it.
The Sam Sodje sending off was truly bizarre, like the Pakistan no balls from a few years ago, not very clever as it looked really odd. As a defender, picking up 2 yellows is pretty easy these days if you really put your mind to it
No one can even know but had that game finished 1-2 rather than 1-0 it could have affected other results and could have changed the outcome of the relegation.
i know that on one on here is condoning his actions but even though £70k seems like a lot of money for 'just' a red card, I would imagine there there will be some associated with Scunthorpe that would believe that he might have done more than just got himself an early bath for £70k.
Incidentally, I'm more than aware, before someone points it out, that Oldham were three points and a much better goal difference above the relegation zone, but that 1-0 win against Portsmouth took Oldham above Scunthorpe.
I fear that we might all think a lot less of football and footballers by this time next year!