No bent games in Blighty? Don't bet on it.

People may view match-fixing as a foreign issue, but British football must not be ignorant of similar problems at home, writes Graeme Long.

What might have been: Tony Kay (second left) saw his one off flutter cost him his career.

The names of the players that day are ingrained in the mind of pretty much every football fan: Gordon Banks, Alan Ball, Nobby Stiles, Bobby Moore....Tony Kay? Don't worry if you don't recognise that last one, you won't be alone; what could have been a household name linked to English football's greatest hour is synonymous only with on of its saddest “what might have been” tales. 

Born and raised in Sheffield, boyhood Owls fan Kay made his debut for Wednesday aged 17, and by the 1958-59 campaign the skillful midfielder was an integral part of a side that won the Second Division and promotion to the top flight. A very respectable fifth-place finish was achieved the following season, before even better a year later: Kay was Wednesday's star man and an ever-present as only Spurs' famous double-winning side stopped them taking the title.

By now he was perhaps English football's hottest property, and in December 1962 an ambitious and big-spending Everton (honestly, ask your granddad) broke the British transfer record to take Kay to Merseyside. He started each of the 19 remaining games of that season and was an immediate success, brilliant in an Everton side that took the title for the first time in 24 years.

That summer newly-appointed England manager Alf Ramsey gave Kay his England debut, which he duly marked with a goal. So, 25 years old, cap on the mantlepiece next to your league winner's medal, the England manager wants to make you a key part of a squad gearing up for a World Cup on home soil. What could possibly go wrong?

Unfortunately for Kay, things were about to go very wrong indeed. In December 1962, just a couple of weeks before his move to Everton, Kay and two other young Wednesday players had bet £50 each on their team to be beaten by Ipswich. All three played in the game, and, as far as reports and their own testimony is to be believed, gave 100%. One of the saddest aspects of the tale is just how naïve they appear to have been: to this day, Kay maintains the bet was proposed to him as, effectively, an insurance policy against defeat as Wednesday "always lost at Portman Road”. 

"Punters can now bet on levels of football not available five years ago, featuring youth players or semi-pros who get paid little more than expenses"

In 1964 the story was passed to the Sunday People by Jimmy Gauld, the ex-pro who had approached the three men with the idea for placing the bet in the first place, and who had now decided that selling “England Star In Match Fix Shock” headlines to a newspaper was a better way to make money than gambling on football. Gauld even attempted to secretly record Kay talking about the bet in a poorly-executed( but far ahead of its time) 'sting', similar to that which the News of the World would still be using to catch out greedy, naïve sportsmen 50 years later. 

At the end of a lengthy investigation the three players were not only banned from all aspects of the game for life (unable even to attend matches as spectators or play at amateur level), but sentenced to four months in jail. As his former team-mates and friends danced around Wembley with the World Cup trophy in 1966, 28-year-old Kay was fresh out of prison, unemployed and completely ostracised from the game that had been his life since he left school.

The story of Tony Kay is an interesting one for many reasons, one of which being that, the rights and wrongs of the case and the punishment aside, it still seems shocking that a leading player in English football could be convicted of such a thing. Match-fixing is something most fans in this country have probably never really thought about, and for good reason: the British game is probably as clean as any in the world. In Italy, for example, aside from the major scandals of 1980 (which led to a two-year ban for future World Cup winner Paolo Rossi - wonder what Tony Kay made of that?) and 2006, incidents that would cause outcry in England are common practice. Put simply, if one team need a result in a game that matters little to their opponents, chances are they get it.

For example, the final day of the 2006/07 season and two fairly poor sides who need to win to stay up, Siena and Reggina, have home games against two sides who have already secured top 4 finishes, Lazio and AC Milan. Both relegation threatened sides start their matches at odds of 2/7 (for the non-betting folk, this is roughly what price Arsenal or Man United would be at home to, say, Stoke), and both win. One Italian journalist wrote that Siena were so inept in their attempts to convert the many chances they were presented with that the Lazio players “looked disgusted” with them. For those who find watching paint dry too exhilarating, I recommend watching the last 20 minutes of an end-of-season Serie B match in which a draw suits both teams.

France, of course, had the famous case which saw Marseille relegated and stripped of titles in the early 1990s. In Germany, referee Robert Hoyzer was jailed in 2005 after admitting fixing German Cup and lower-league games. Spanish side Hercules' promotion to La Liga last year is shrouded in suspicion amid allegations that they bought results in their promotion push: two rival teams officially complained, and the Spanish FA only dropped their investigation after a judge intervened to deny them access to supposedly incriminating taped conversations.

The point of this is not to denigrate 'Cheating Johnny Foreigner', but to highlight how important it is that we don't get complacent in Britain. Football fans in this country will bear shitty signings, poor performances, dodgy chairman, pretty much anything. But can you imagine finding out that 3-0 defeat that ruined your weekend a few months ago was bent? Where would that leave you as a paying spectator? I honestly cannot think of anything that would do more damage to the game than a proven incident or two of match-fixing, and we shouldn't presume that we are safe from it just because that sort of thing “doesn't happen” here.

It is perhaps hard to envisage at the top level of the game (if only because, well, how much would you have to pay someone on £3million a year to run the risk of pissing it up the wall?), but the FA and other authorities need to do everything they can to ensure it doesn't creep in lower down the pyramid. Punters can now bet on levels of football in a high-street bookie that were not available to them even five years ago, featuring youth players or semi-pros who get paid little more than expenses. 

There has already been a Blue Square North game this season that was subject to such suspicious betting patterns with a number of different betting firms (the bets being for a team to be winning at half-time but subsequently lose the game) that some have refused to pay out winning bets until the match is investigated. Of course there is also responsibility on the part of the bookmakers, and big strides are being made in this area: in recent years they have begun sharing information with each other and with governing bodies, which they have never done before. More than anything though, it is absolutely vital that the authorities don't bury their head in the sand over this, because the very last thing the game in this country needs is a 21^st Century Tony Kay.

Whatever happened to the 1999 West Ham youth side?

Sean Lightbown


As far as future golden generations go, the West Ham under-19s team of 1998/99 promised much. That season they became one of the few academy teams to win the league and cup double. The two-legged cup final, against Coventry City, was a rbmarkably one-sided affair. West Ham won 9-0 on aggregate, 3-0 away at Highfield Road first and then a thumping 6-0 triumph at Upton Park (Seems like Chris Kirkland's habit for conceding bucket loads started early). You can see the goals from the first leg here and second leg here.


A cursory glance at the starting eleven sees two names immediately stick out: the midfield pairing of young Michael Carrick and Joe Cole, the former in particular pulling the strings in the final's second leg. But what of the Bertie Brayleys and Stevland Anguses of this world, who along with Carrick and Cole were a part of one of the most talented youth sides seen in England since the Busby Babes and Fergie's Fledglings? Well, let's find out...

Bertie Brayley makes it 3-0 in the final against Coventry. 

Stephen Bywater
Ok, so you probably have heard of this one. Bywater wasn't exactly the star of the show as West Ham ran riot at the other end, but the Manchester lad went on to make over 50 appearances for the Hammers, the majority coming after the club was relegated from the Premier League in 2003. However, the arrival of Roy Carroll and return of Shaka Hislop meant the stopper had to seek playing time elsewhere. After a couple of loan spells at Coventry and Derby he signed for the latter in the summer of 2006. He helped the Rams gain promotion to the Premier League in his first season, but found himself loaned out to Ipswich the next year as Derby were sent straight back down. After facing competition again from old foe Roy Carroll, who Derby had signed before the new season, Bywater eventually established himself as first-choice in 2008, a position he is yet to relinquish.


Adam Newton
Attacking full back and scorer of the goal in the second leg which drew a familiar 'OWWWWWWWW' of approval from commentator Martin Tyler. However, Newton would only make two substitute appearances for West Ham's first team, and after a hat full of loan-outs was released in 2002. He signed for Peterborough, and became a cornerstone of their defence for six years. During his time with Posh he was called up to the St Kitts and Nevis squad for their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign. The arrival of Russell Martin from Wycombe however saw his first team chances limited, and he joineed Brentford after having his contract terminate. Despite being named club captain and helping The Bees win the League Two title in 2009 his one-year contract was not renewed. He is currently plying his trade with Blue Square Premier side Luton Town.


Sam Taylor
Taylor left football completely after being released by West Ham. His whereabouts are currently unknown.


Terrell Forbes
The defender failed to break into the Hammers' first team and after being released was snapped up by QPR in 2001. He spent three years with the club as a regular starter, and in the final year of his contract helped them to automatic promotion to the Championship. He spent subsequent seasons with Grimsby and Oldham before landed at Yeovil in 2006, spending four seasons with the South West outfit, as well as scoring his first career goal in 2009 with the club. The eagle-eyed or just plain sad of you may have noticed Forbes help Leyton Orient draw against 'the best team in the world' Arsenal at the weekend in the FA Cup, having been with the East London outfit since the start of the season. I hope he likes Vegas.


Izzy Iriekpen
One of the youngest in this side, Iriekpen was cruelly blighted by knee injuries during his time and was released without playing. He was snapped up by Swansea in 2003, but again was blighted by serious ankle and knee injuries. Despite this, he managed 137 appearances for the Welsh side before leaving in acrimony, having labelled Swansea's new contract offer a disgrace. He thenspent two years with Scunthorpe before short stays with Bristol City and Hamilton Academical, eventually leaving the Scottish club for family reasons. He is currently without a club and trying to regain fitness. If you want any more then you can catch up with him on twitter.


Stevland Angus
A scorer in that final as well as having a name like a Norwegian burger-maker, Angus spent time on loan with Brentford before being released by the Hammers in 2001. He was picked up by Cambridge United where he became a mainstay for four years, making 135 appearances. He fell out of favour with manager Hérve Renard in 2005, leading to a series of loan moves and eventually a permanent transfer to Grays Athletic. More moves to numerous non-league clubs followed, as well as a single appearance for Barnet. His last known club was Bishop's Strortford, whom he left at the end of the 2009-10 season.


Richard Garcia
Like Bywater, Garcia has forged a solid career in professional football since 1999. The striker's form in that year's Youth Cup was phenomenal, tallying eight goals and scoring in every round. He made a number of appearances for the Hammers, particularly after they were relegated in 2003, but he failed to nail down a starting spot and was signed by Colchester United a year later. He thrived with the U's, helping them seal promotion to the Championship. After seeing out his three-year deal he signed for Hull City, playing part in the side that beat Bristol City in the play-off final to reach the Premiership. He has remained with the Tigers since, and has also been capped by his native Australia.


Albert 'Bertie' Brayley
The midfielder-cum-striker with a name like a 1950s half-back showed a poacher's instinct in the West Ham academy, but was released without making a senior appearance. He was snapped up by lower-league Swindon Town, but could only muster a handful of substitute appearances before finding himself in the non-league game. He has appeared for over a dozen clubs since leaving Swindon in 2002, including Canvey Island, Braintree and Margate. On top of this, he has managed a handful of appearances for the England Learning Disabilities team. Brayley continues his nomadic footballing career with Harlow Town, who signed him from Billericay last week.


Anwar Uddin
Defender Uddin became frustrated with lack of opportunities at Upton Park, and after a very short stay at Sheffield Wednesday, ended up at Bristol Rovers in 2002. He made a handful of appearances in two seasons for Rovers and signed for Dagenham & Redbridge in 2004. He went on to serve the Daggers for six years, as well as being club captain and making nearly 200 apperances. This year he joined League Two side Barnet and has already been made club captain.

Adeus El Fenomeno: the proper Ronaldo retires.

Sean Lightbown looks back with fondness on the phenomenal career of Brazil's best number nine.


He was the idol of schoolboys the world over. Countless school dinners were spent - never, ever wasted - trying to emulate his staggering natural talent. For roughly a decade he was the man who gave defenders sleepless nights. Many strikers have had great skill, ferocious pace and iron-like strength, but only on very few occasions have these attributes been in a single player's repertoire. With these tools, this striker was able to get closer than another other player has previously to perfecting the art of goalscoring. This man is of course Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, better known as Ronaldo, who retired from the game earlier this week.

Boy's a bit special: Ronaldo was almost unplayable in his heyday with Barcelona.

Born in Rio De Janeiro, Ronnie made a name for himself in various youth teams before being spotted by a certain Jair Venturo Filho, a.k.a Brazilian World Cup winner Jairzinho. Thanks to him, Ronaldo ended up with Cruizero in 1993. The following season, the precocious 17-year-old had netted 12 times in a mere 14 appearances, earning himself a place in the 1994 World Cup squad.

Inevitably it wasn't long before Europe's elite became interested. PSV Eindhoven won the race to sign him and in his first full season was the Eredivisie's top scorer with 30 goals. His second year at the Dutch club was marred by a knee injury, but he still managed to chip in with 12 goals from only 13 appearances.

He left The Netherlands after two seasons, leaving for the sunnier climes of Barcelona in a £17m deal. Despite only spending one season at the Catalan club his impact was felt worldwide. The Brazilian magician racked up a stunning 47 goals in 49 appearances, and often defied belief with some of his strikes. For instance, his slalom-like run and finish against Compostela showed his natural strength - at points fending off defenders who were almost trying to wrestle him - and amazing acceleration with the ball at his feet. It's a similar case with this goal against Valencia (how did he get through that gap?), as well as this one against Deportivo (from lying on his backside 30-plus yards out to scoring in four seconds). The reaction of the Barcelona manager, the late Sir Bobby Robson, in each of those videos tells its own story.

With his first of three Fifa World Player of the Year awards in the bag, Ronaldo transferred to Inter Milan for a record £19m fee. With the Brazilian's help, the Nerazzurri secured the UEFA Cup while Ronaldo yet again won player of the year. A year later, he won player of the tournament at the 1998 World Cup, despite his non-existent if not controversial showing in the final; it was claimed after the match that he had a seizure on the eve of the game against France.

Like at Eindhoven, a knee injury in his second season with Inter curtailed his playing time. However, the after effects of this one made many people doubt whether Ronaldo, still only 23 at the time, would rediscover his prime form. His comeback game in the 2000 Coppa Italia final lasted merely six minutes, the left knee buckling under him and forcing the great man to limp off. He ended up needing a further two operations to repair tendons in his knee, on top of months and months of rehabilitation.

"His performance away against Manchester United was at such a level that even the home fans applauded when he was substituted."

The extent of this injury only makes it more remarkable that he would come back to the world stage in 2002 to lead Brazil to their fifth World Cup. With eight goals in the tournament, scoring in all but one of Brazil's matches, Ronaldo cemented his third and final Fifa Player of the Year award, as well as a transfer to Real Madrid worth €39m.

Despite missing the pace of his earlier days, Ronaldo continued to confound critics who saw him as past it. He hit 23 goals in his first season despite being injured for the first two months, and won the La Liga title which had eluded him at Barca. His performance in the semi-final second leg of the Champions League away at Manchester United, in which he scored a hat-trick, was at such a level that even the home fans applauded when he was substituted. He had shown once again that despite injury and weight problems, he was as deadly a finisher as ever; whether from six yards, 18 yards or 30.

However, with the acquisition of Ruud van Nistelrooy and continuing injury problems, Ronaldo saw himself out of Fabio Capello's first team plans in the next few years. A transfer to AC Milan followed, but never again did we see him hit the heights he had reached previously, even though he became the World Cup's all time top scorer in 2006 by taking his tally to 15. A two year spell back in Brazil with Corinthians book-ended his career, with their exit from the Copa Libertadores signalling the end. "Mentally I wanted to continue but I have to acknowledge I lost to my body," he said.

It is odd to think of Ronaldo as a wasted talent, considering his numerous trophies and awards and his frankly startling goal statistics: 352 club goals in 517 appearances, and 62 in 97 for Brazil. Despite this, injury and lack of fitness saw him miss many games from 2004 onwards, and even when he did play it was clear that this was a shadow of the teenager that lit up the world stage a decade earlier. Still, I will always remember Big Ronnie fondly as the childlike striker with the Cheshire cat grin; a man that was born to score goals and someone who, barring injury, may well have been mentioned in the same breath as Maradona or Pele. He has inspired budding schoolboy strikers around the world, but none will ever be as good.