To this day, the match between Manchester and Liverpool is one of the most interesting confrontations in English football and the world. The scandal of 1915 is associated with betting on this particular match. Sports betting was popular in those days, and many people made money from it.
On April 2, 1915, a huge number of people gathered around Old Trafford Stadium, wanting to watch the game. The teams were equal opponents, and no one could predict the outcome of the match. Therefore, a huge number of bets were placed, and many people really counted on winning.
However, something strange happened that day. During the game, one of Manchester’s players, Patrick O’Connell, suddenly began to play very poorly. He made mistakes and even intentionally missed the ball. This was very unusual for him, as he was one of the best players on the team.
It was later discovered that he had received money from the bookies to lose the match. He had given the money to his teammates to play poorly as well.
When this became known, a nationwide scandal erupted. Many people were outraged that players could sell matches and get money for it. An investigation was conducted, and several players were disqualified for several years.
This scandal was one of the loudest in the history of football and led to the rules of the game being tightened to prevent similar cases in the future. Thus, professional football players are prohibited from betting and are not encouraged to gamble. However, according to twinspinca.com, there are many online casinos that accept users from different countries. Therefore, players may very well gamble anonymously online.
The 1915 match is far from the most famous scandal in football. In 2006, Italy uncovered a large-scale operation to bribe referees and players in Serie A, called Calcopoli. As a result of the scandal, two teams, Juventus and Fiorentina, were stripped of their titles, and other clubs were relegated.
In 2011 a scheme to bribe players and referees in the Bundesliga was exposed in Germany. Two clubs, Karlsruhe and Bochum, were stripped of their licenses as a result of the scandal.
In 2015, a scheme to bribe referees and players in the Super League was uncovered in Turkey. As a result of the scandal, two teams, Fenerbahce and Besiktas, were stripped of their titles.
Also worth noting is the scandal that took place in 2016 in Spain, when several people were detained on suspicion of participating in a scheme to bribe players and referees in La Liga. As a result of the scandal, several people were detained, and several clubs were investigated.