The SFA have been asked by bookmakers to investigate suspicious betting patterns during Saturday’s match between Dundee and Hearts which the Edinburgh side won 1-0.
Jamie Walker scored the only goal of the game in the 75th minute but according to a report in the Daily Mail it was the bookings of four Dundee players that has raised ‘serious concerns’ with bookies.
Any individual match offers hundreds of betting opportunities from yellow and red card options through to free-kicks and corners.
Betting patterns will all be fairly regular with any surge towards particular bets easy to identify.
The Daily Mail reports:
Bookmakers have asked the SFA to look into suspicious betting patterns flagged up during last Saturday’s Premiership clash between Dundee and Hearts at Dens Park.
Third-placed Hearts won the game 1-0 thanks to a late strike from Jamie Walker. And Sportsmail understands several gambling firms have now raised serious concerns over a number of bets placed on yellow cards for Dundee players.
Dens first-team stars Max Anderson, Leigh Griffiths, Paul McGowan and Danny Mullen were all booked by referee Willie Collum.
Leading bookies have agreements with the SFA to exchange any intelligence on irregular betting patterns surrounding Scottish football.
And suspicions over the sums staked on bookings at Dens Park have now been referred to the SFA Security and Integrity unit.
Should any evidence of insider betting be uncovered, the matter will be handed over to the SFA’s compliance officer to consider disciplinary proceedings and a Notice of Complaint.
Bookmakers have yet to rule out a complaint to Police Scotland or potential criminal action.
The SFA’s task force is chaired by Security and Integrity officer Martin Stolarek, who tackles any issues relating to match fixing and is tasked with increasing awareness and education amongst clubs, players, coaches and officials.
Dundee were last night asked for comment, while Hearts said they were unaware of the investigation.
The report doesn’t indicate whether the alarm was raised before or after the match or whether it was online bets or whether they were staked in shops.
Dundee had players booked in the 47th, 54th, 58th and 85th minutes with Walker booked in the 59th minute alongside team-mate John Soutar in the 80th minute.
Bookmakers have the right to withhold paying out on any bet they have concerns with, until recently the three main Scottish competitions were sponsored by Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfred.
Griffiths moved on loan to Dundee on the final day of the transfer window and could be back at Celtic next month. So far he has started eight matches, came on as a sub five times, scored one goal and been booked twice with the other yellow card coming at Ibrox earlier this month.
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The bookies are to blame in all of this. What happened to the home win,away win or draw. To much to bet on now .red cards yellow cards corners penalties. Open for manipulation I’d say.
If Griffiths has anything to do with this Celtic should sack him immediately, he’s had more than enough chances.
I said when he first went on the sick he was a chancer and got slagged rotten for it.
A total little fly man, get rid. NOW CELTIC get him off the wage bill.
I hope the referee is also under investigation . I’m sure the odds of a red card and the amount of money gambled would have been far higher than the odds on 4 bookings given Collum was in the centre!!!!!
Surely if there is a spate of bookings, the first place you should look is the referee.
The bookies have only themselves to blame, The integrity of taking bets on such areas of the game as red or yellow cards is questionable. the large betting companies are so greedy and deserve no sympathy when some people manipulate the system for their own gain. I would say that the football authorities must also take a bit of responsibility as they take the betting companies sponsorship money they should
set standards the betting firms must adhere to when laying the odds on in play football matches.
I’d be looking for suspicious betting patterns by anyone involved at the Govan cowp. I’m pretty sure one of them will be betting the huns get a penalty or opponent red carded every single game they can, and that’ll be how they can afford to keep giving “soft loans” to keep that hellhole opened…