Matchfixing in the SPL?

Saying the SPL has had a wee bit of bad press in the last year or so would be like saying that passing a kidney stone is a wee bit sore.

You'd think an alleged matchfixing scandal involving Scotland's top flight might attract more attention. It's a sign of how low the stock of Scottish football has fallen that the arrest of Motherwell midfielder Steve Jennings is not causing larger headlines than it is. Jennings was lifted, along with eight men from Merseyside (where Jennings is originally from) on charges of Conspiracy to Defraud.

Interestingly, one of the blokes from Merseyside is apparently Wayne Rooney's father. Another is Rooney's uncle. Doesn't Wayne give them any pocket money?

Jennings has been a solid, if unspectacular, player for the Well since Jim Gannon took him north from Tranmere Rovers in July 2009 - he has been a fixture in the midfield since then, doing the 'water carrier' job in front of the centre backs. He reminds me very much of former Inverness player Russell Duncan, stuck in a role without glory, where fans rarely notice the intricate positional sense and 'dirty work' being done but constantly seize upon mistakes as a reason why the team doesn't need such a player. Of course, as soon as he's injured/dropped, his absence is quickly apparent as opposing midfielders rampage through the gaping hole that the 'water carrier' would normally be occupying.

Anyway, my point is that many non-Motherwell fans may not even have heard of Jennings - even though he has been a fixture in the team under three managers - Gannon, Craig Brown and Stuart McCall.

This is all to do with a Motherwell-Hearts game at Fir Park last December, shortly after Brown had left for Aberdeen and just before McCall was installed; the home side were under the caretaker management of Gordon Young. Hearts won 2-1. I'm sure I watched the match, and I remember seeing more than a few bizarre decisions from referee Steve O'Reilly, including an incident where, when a Hearts player deliberately encroached and blocked a quick Motherwell free kick from a yard away, the ref insisted no offence had been committed and let play continue!

Jennings was sent off in unusual circumstances late in the game. He had been booked earlier, but seemed to have been given a straight red card by O'Reilly after protesting his decision to turn down a penalty appeal. The official reason was 'foul and abusive language', and it is believed the word "cheat" was used. On the face of it, it could easily have been construed as a young man losing his cool and taking his frustration too far - he certainly wouldn't be the first or the last to have got himself in such hot water.

But it appears that there is more to this. Only a day after the match, the SPL was informed by the bookies Blue Square that numerous bets had been made, both with them and other bookmakers, on a Motherwell player being sent off, including from brand new accounts which seemed to have been created purely to wager on this outcome. This story hit the press at the time, but quickly seemed to disappear. I had assumed nothing had come of these claims, but in fact the investigations have simply continued under the radar. Jennings served a three match ban at the time, but, having received loud public support from his club, has played in several matches since, including last season's Scottish Cup Final. He signed a new contract at Motherwell in the summer.

Let's not get carried away. Innocent till proven guilty and all that. But that's a lot of arrests, and considering it's nearly a year since the incident, it is fair to assume that the police feel they have some evidence to work on. I would certainly assume Jennings is going to be suspended for the time being by Motherwell. Will he play for the club (or anyone else) again? Only time will tell.

But here's some food for thought - could anyone else be trying (and succeeding) to fix Scottish football matches? One thing's for sure - fans are going to be more suspicious about bizarre antics on the pitch. Which makes me think referees could be in for a hard time...

L.