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June
Match-fix allegation rejected by bookies
Miami,FL,USA - June 08, 2006
A CLAIM that Vladimir Romanov believed the SPL fixture between
Celtic and Hearts at Parkhead last season was fixed were dismissed
out of hand by both leading bookmakers and the Scottish football
authorities yesterday.
In the BBC documentary Romanov: King of Hearts, which was broadcast
last night, former Hearts chairman George Foulkes said that the
Tynecastle club's Lithuanian owner had suspicions that the 1-1 draw
on 15 October had been "contrived".
Foulkes declined to detail the reasons for Romanov's allegations
over the game, which proved to be George Burley's last in charge
of Hearts before his sacking as manager with the club at the top
of the SPL.
Graham Sharpe of bookmakers William Hill summed up the widespread
incredulity towards Romanov's alleged claim when he told The Scotsman:
"When anyone suggests something like this, you do check back
and see if there was anything irregular about the betting patterns
on the game at the time. The fact is there was absolutely nothing
untoward.
"I am not aware of any evidence whatsoever from any bookmakers
that would support Mr Romanov's reported claim."
Steve Freeth, of internet bookmaking firm Bet 365, said: "We
have checked our records and I can assure you that a draw was a
great result for us. There was virtually no money on it. There is
definitely no whiff of match-fixing about this game.
Source Code: http://sport.scotsman.com/ |
