TheBrownBottle

‘Charley sez: would you like another cup of tea, Mike?’

FIFA can

Matt Targett is on 100k a week. I wouldn’t blink at giving Kalvin Phillips the same

Not sure what use that would be, given it’s a worldwide ban. It would raise suspicions you’d think.

Don’t know tbh - Joey Barton was still on full whack in prison

Now there’s a healthy addiction. Get stuck into that one, Sandro.

If (when) he receives his lengthy ban, you do wonder how a gambling addict being paid millions to sit on his arse will fill those long, boring days during his suspension

I can understand your anger, but I can’t go along with the ‘sack him’ option. The lad deserved punishment - and he’ll get it - but I’d still rather the club provided support and helped him, most importantly for his personal life and also his professional one too. I’m not going to criticise any supporter who wants shot of him, though. Tonali has done himself no favours.

Yeah, completely agree - we have a duty of care. And you’re right - if it pre-dates us signing him, maybe not. I find myself furious with the player for putting us in this position, but also thinking that the ban will be punishment enough for the lad. He’ll need proper support and hopefully he’ll come out at the other end of the ban having his addiction under control.

Not sure about that. The club won’t do it because he’s a valuable asset, but doing something expressly banned would likely constitute gross misconduct

There would be no real FFP benefit this season. Next season he’d likely be back in any case - and we would have got rid of a £50m+ player for nowt.

They can if there’s no proof of prior knowledge.

I hope Bruno hasn’t picked up any habits from his midfields mates Paqueta and Tonali. Stick to playing with your dog Bruno - there’s a good lad.

Sadly, you’re right. Especially if he’s been using secretive betting websites etc. Like you said, probably not (we hope), but by doing it in the first place you leave yourself open to suspicion. edit: the stories coming out also relate to what Tonali has admitted to. He’s owned up to betting on Milan - but only to win. Would he willingly state that he bet against them?

Betting on your own defeat provided stronger evidence of match-fixing, but the potential for match-fixing remains with betting on your own team to win. And it is matches being fixed which is the issue with players gambling. edit: match fixing can be very difficult to prove - a player could bet on their own team winning knowing that the match is fixed, and yet the proof of match-fixing never gets uncovered.

That’s not betting

That’s fair enough - we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one point

There’s a good chance that the lad’s mind will not be 100% focussed on the match tbf.

I know there isn’t - but the point is that you don’t bet on outcomes because it opens up the potentiality of corrupt practice. Which is why it doesn’t matter if you’ve bet on your team or the opposition. Calciopoli was a bit more recent, it’s just that the Milan - Brescia game is a great singular example.

‘Tonali starts Satder. I fart in your general direction’

Is Joe Willock fit again yet? That’ll take the edge off

Agreed it is a leap, but again he has opened up the possibility of this occurring. Which is why betting on football matches is banned for professional players. I’d point to Milan - Brescia in the 92/93 season as an example of this.

Agreed, though it is damaging to our season and could potentially cost the club a lot more than the equivalent of one fifth of that transfer fee.

It isn’t. See my post above.