Esmond Million, Keith Williams and Jimmy Gauld - Scandal
Nov 9, 2021 17:29:56 GMT
mangogas15 and absent like this
Post by bluetornados on Nov 9, 2021 17:29:56 GMT
Former Scottish youth international player Jimmy Gauld over several years systematically interfered with matches in the Football League, enticing players into betting on the outcome of fixed matches. It was when he learned that players at one of his former clubs - Mansfield Town - had been paid by Tranmere Rovers players to lose a game that Gauld first became involved in match-fixing.
In late 1962, Gauld approached Sheffield Wednesday player David Layne, a former team-mate at Swindon Town, to identify a target game. Layne suggested that Wednesday were likely to lose their match on 1 December 1962 against Ipswich Town and suggested to his fellow players Peter Swan and Tony Kay that they ensure the outcome.
The three all bet against their own side in the match, which Ipswich Town won 2–0. In an interview with The Times newspaper in July 2006, Peter Swan said "We lost the game fair and square, but I still don’t know what I’d have done if we’d been winning. It would have been easy for me to give away a penalty or even score an own goal. Who knows?”.
On the same day, two other matches were 'fixed' by Gauld and his syndicate: Lincoln City's home match against Brentford (Brentford won 3-1) and Oldham Athletic's home match against York City (Oldham won 3-2).
The following year, Gauld's betting syndicate tried to fix the result of a match between Bradford Park Avenue and Bristol Rovers (played on 20 April 1963); consequently, two Bristol Rovers players - goalkeeper Esmond Million and Keith Williams - were named in the Sunday People as having taken bribes to 'throw' the match (which had ended in a 2–2 draw). Million and Williams were fined and banned from football for life, as was Mansfield Town player Brian Phillips, who had made the initial approach to Million.
On 4 August 1963, Ken Thomson of Hartlepool United confessed in the Sunday People that he had bet with Gauld's syndicate on Hartlepool United losing a game at Exeter City earlier that year.
A week later, Jimmy Gauld was named by the Sunday People as the 'mastermind' behind the bribes ring.
In 1964, Gauld, in search of a final "payday" after having been discovered by the Sunday People, sold his story to the same newspaper for £7,000 (equivalent to £143,000 in 2019), incriminating the three Sheffield Wednesday players who had 'thrown' the game against Ipswich Town in December 1962. The paper broke the story on 12 April. The following Sunday, a number of other players were also named as having taken part in attempts to fix matches. Ten former or current players were finally sent for trial at Nottingham Assizes in early 1965. It would be the first time that taped evidence was admitted in an English court.
Jimmy Gauld's taped conversations were ultimately used to convict himself and the other players, the judge making it clear that he held Gauld responsible for ruining them. At the end of the trial on 26 January 1965, Gauld - described by the judge as the "central figure" of the case - received the heaviest sentence of four years in prison. Brian Phillips and York City wing-half Jack Fountain were each sentenced to fifteen months' imprisonment, Dick Beattie of St. Mirren received nine months', Sammy Chapman of Mansfield Town, Ron Howells of Walsall and Ken Thomson each received six-month sentences while David Layne, Tony Kay and Peter Swan each received four-month sentences.
On release, Layne, Swan, Kay, Beattie, Fountain, Chapman and Howells were banned for life from any further participation in football (Gauld, Thomson and Phillips had already been banned). Thirty-three players were prosecuted, in total.
It was established that Jimmy Gauld had earned £3,275 from betting on football matches and £7,420 from having sold his confessions to the Sunday People.
Gauld died in 2004.
In late 1962, Gauld approached Sheffield Wednesday player David Layne, a former team-mate at Swindon Town, to identify a target game. Layne suggested that Wednesday were likely to lose their match on 1 December 1962 against Ipswich Town and suggested to his fellow players Peter Swan and Tony Kay that they ensure the outcome.
The three all bet against their own side in the match, which Ipswich Town won 2–0. In an interview with The Times newspaper in July 2006, Peter Swan said "We lost the game fair and square, but I still don’t know what I’d have done if we’d been winning. It would have been easy for me to give away a penalty or even score an own goal. Who knows?”.
On the same day, two other matches were 'fixed' by Gauld and his syndicate: Lincoln City's home match against Brentford (Brentford won 3-1) and Oldham Athletic's home match against York City (Oldham won 3-2).
The following year, Gauld's betting syndicate tried to fix the result of a match between Bradford Park Avenue and Bristol Rovers (played on 20 April 1963); consequently, two Bristol Rovers players - goalkeeper Esmond Million and Keith Williams - were named in the Sunday People as having taken bribes to 'throw' the match (which had ended in a 2–2 draw). Million and Williams were fined and banned from football for life, as was Mansfield Town player Brian Phillips, who had made the initial approach to Million.
On 4 August 1963, Ken Thomson of Hartlepool United confessed in the Sunday People that he had bet with Gauld's syndicate on Hartlepool United losing a game at Exeter City earlier that year.
A week later, Jimmy Gauld was named by the Sunday People as the 'mastermind' behind the bribes ring.
In 1964, Gauld, in search of a final "payday" after having been discovered by the Sunday People, sold his story to the same newspaper for £7,000 (equivalent to £143,000 in 2019), incriminating the three Sheffield Wednesday players who had 'thrown' the game against Ipswich Town in December 1962. The paper broke the story on 12 April. The following Sunday, a number of other players were also named as having taken part in attempts to fix matches. Ten former or current players were finally sent for trial at Nottingham Assizes in early 1965. It would be the first time that taped evidence was admitted in an English court.
Jimmy Gauld's taped conversations were ultimately used to convict himself and the other players, the judge making it clear that he held Gauld responsible for ruining them. At the end of the trial on 26 January 1965, Gauld - described by the judge as the "central figure" of the case - received the heaviest sentence of four years in prison. Brian Phillips and York City wing-half Jack Fountain were each sentenced to fifteen months' imprisonment, Dick Beattie of St. Mirren received nine months', Sammy Chapman of Mansfield Town, Ron Howells of Walsall and Ken Thomson each received six-month sentences while David Layne, Tony Kay and Peter Swan each received four-month sentences.
On release, Layne, Swan, Kay, Beattie, Fountain, Chapman and Howells were banned for life from any further participation in football (Gauld, Thomson and Phillips had already been banned). Thirty-three players were prosecuted, in total.
It was established that Jimmy Gauld had earned £3,275 from betting on football matches and £7,420 from having sold his confessions to the Sunday People.
Gauld died in 2004.