Transparency International UK’s new guidance to serve as a resource for club officials

London, 2 September 2014: Transparency International UK has launched its new guidance, Safeguarding the Beautiful Game: A Guide to Preventing Match-Fixing in Football at Club Level.

The guidance uses real scenarios to illustrate the danger of match-fixing addressing how players may be approached and what actions a club should take to protect them to safeguard the integrity of the club and the sport.

Match-fixing linked to sports gambling has been on the increase in recent years. Because of football’s global popularity and the fact that the global betting market is now worth $700 billion annually, match-fixing has attracted the attention of criminals and organised crime.

“Football authorities have long-recognised that match-fixing leaves sport – and players – damaged, and they have introduced a number of counter-measures to address the problem. But as match-fixing evolves, with new technology making it possible to bet large sums on almost any aspect of a sporting event on the planet in real time, more needs to be done to educate those directly targeted by match-fixers,” said Robert Barrington, Executive Director of Transparency International UK.

Neil Doncaster, Scottish Professional Football League Chief Executive, said: “It is important that we work together to maintain the integrity of the beautiful game.  The work done by Transparency International UK is welcomed in that context.”

Simon Barker, Professional Footballers’ Association Assistant Chief Executive, said: “The PFA and FIFPro have led in the provision of corruption-resources-corruption-resources-education for players on match fixing in football. A guide such as this which continues to raise awareness of this issue can only lead to better understanding of what players, clubs and Leagues can do to counter this ever growing threat to our sport.”

The guidance has been developed as part of Staying on Side: How to Stop Match-Fixing¹ Transparency International’s first multi-country project specifically relating to corruption and sport. It is targeted at football club officials and those who work with football players in all levels in the United Kingdom.

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Notes to Editors:

1. The Staying on Side project was funded by the European Commission in partnership with the European Professional Football Leagues and the German Football League. The project aims to build a strategic partnership between football leagues and anti-corruption associations in six European countries as well as at the regional level. Safeguarding the Beautiful Game: A Guide to Preventing Match-Fixing in Football at Club Level was supported by the European Commission, the European Professional Football Leagues and Edwards Wildman LLP. The contents of the publication are the sole responsibility of Transparency International UK.

2. Transparency International (TI) is the world’s leading non-governmental anti-corruption organisation. With more than 100 Chapters worldwide TI has extensive global expertise and understanding of corruption.

3. Transparency International UK(TI-UK) is the UK chapter of TI. We raise awareness about corruption; advocate legal and regulatory reform at national and international levels; design practical tools for institutions, individuals and companies wishing to combat corruption; and act as a leading centre of anti-corruption expertise in the UK.