Former Premier League striker among six arrested in crackdown on syndicate which 'rigged English league matches'

Detained: Facey, seen playing for Bolton against Everton in the Premier League in 2003, is one of six arrested in the NCA swoop

Six members of a suspected betting syndicate have been arrested on suspicion of fixing English football games, it was revealed last night.
Officers from the National Crime Agency swooped on the group, who include at least three footballers, over the past two days.
It is understood that among those arrested is Delroy Facey, a player-turned agent who has played in the Premier League.
The operation took place after police were tipped off about an Asian betting syndicate attempting to target games across Britain.
None of the games are believed to involve teams playing in the two most senior leagues, the Premier League or the Championship.
But similar cases in other countries including Spain, Italy and Australia have shown organised crimes will attack the integrity of matches at any level.
The high-profile arrests will confirm the worst fears of sports experts who suspect English football is not exempt from the global problem.
Earlier this month a Government Minister said there are no plans to bring in match-fixing laws despite pressure from Europe.
Culture Minister Helen Grant said existing laws and sports rules are sufficient to tackle the problem.

The National Crime Agency operation began earlier this week when an internationally known fixer arrived from Asia and was arrested.
In a series of conversations covertly recorded by a national newspaper over the past fortnight, he claimed that lower league matches could be fixed for as little as £50,000.
He also correctly forecast the outcome of three games played by the same team.
During a meetings in Manchester, one of the fixers claimed he could rig games and that gamblers would make hundreds of thousands of pounds on Asian-based betting websites.

Journeyman: The striker also had spells at Bradofrd, Burnley and West Bromwich Albion before descending through the divisions. He is currently a free agent after being released by Hereford Town in 2012

The fixer, from Singapore, also claimed he controls teams in other European countries and could influence foreign referees to secure results.
He offered to target two football matches this month and said he planned to tell players how many goals he needed to be scored in total.
The fixer also told an undercover investigator to create certain results at half-time and full-time, to maximise the opportunities for gambling.
He also claimed he would pay one player an extra £5,000 to take a yellow card at the beginning of the game. This would serve as a signal that the match’s result would be fixed.
During one meeting boasted one match involved ‘my team’ after correctly predicted how many goals would be scored the following day.

DELROY FACEY: JOURNEYMAN

Huddersfield (1996-200) 82 games, 15 goals
Bolton (2002-2004) 14 games 2 goals
Bradford (2002) 6 games 1 goal
Burnley (2003) 16 games 5 goals
West Brom (2004) 9 games 0 goals
Hull City (2004-2005)  25 games, 6 goals
Huddersfield (2005) 4 games 0 goals
Oldham Athletic (2005) 9 games 0 goals
Tranmere Rovers (2005-2006) 41 games 9 goals
Rotherham  (2006-2007) 43 games 11 goals
Gillingham (2007-2008) 35 games 3 goals
Wycombe (2008) 8 games 2 goals
Notts Co (2008-2010) 71 games 12 goals
Lincoln City (2009-2011) 50 games 5 goals
Hereford Town 2011-2012 43 games 6 goals

Totals: 453 games, 77 goals

He added: ‘I know because they all tell me every time. Because sometimes I have extra money, I just send them some money … because sometimes they need money or they call me so I just leave them some pocket money.’
The suspected match fixers are being held under the bribery and fraud laws at a police station in the Midlands.
Investigators have already held preliminary discussions with senior lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service over what offences may have been committed.
Concern was already mounting across the footballing landscape that Asian match fixers were targeting lower league British games.
Chris Eaton, Fifa’s former head of security, said that match fixing had become ‘endemic’ internationally in a recent interview.
There are believed to be police investigations into football match fixing in more than 60 countries.

A National Crime Agency (NCA) spokesman said: Six men have been arrested across the country as part of an NCA investigation into alleged football match fixing.
‘The focus of the operation is a suspected international illegal betting syndicate. The NCA is working closely with the Gambling Commission and the Football Association.
‘This is an active investigation and we are unable to provide further detail at this time.’
A Football Association spokesman confirmed it was aware of a ‘number of arrests’ and said it is ‘working closely’ with the NCA.

FIXING IN FOOTBALL: THE BEAUTIFUL GAME'S BETTING SHAME

A First Division match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford on Good Friday in April 1915 was fixed in United’s favour, with players from both sides benefiting from bets placed on the result.
Three players from the English first division — Peter Swan, Tony Kay and David Layne — were paid to fix a game between their side, Sheffield Wednesday, and Ipswich in December 1962, which Wednesday lost 2-0. All three got four months’ imprisonment and life bans.
Unusual betting patterns were reported on a match between Accrington Stanley and Bury in May 2008. A FA investigation resulted in Jay Harris being banned for a year, David Mannix for 10 months, Robert Williams and Peter Cavanagh for eight months and Andrew Mangan for five months. They were fined between £2,000 and 5,000.
Four Australian players, who used to play for Hornchurch, were arrested in September after allegedly conceding goals as part of a match-fixing ring.