Motherwell match-fixing investigation: the facts

By Luke Edwards

5:05PM BST 06 Oct 2011

The Allegations

The arrests were made as part of an investigation into unusual betting patterns relating to the match, shown on live television, between Motherwell and Hearts on December 14 2010.

Motherwell lost the game 2-1, although the allegations centre on the behaviour and subsequent sending off of midfielder Steve Jennings.

Having already been booked for a foul on Hearts centre-forward Kevin Kyle in the first half, the former Tranmere Rovers player was shown a straight red card for complaining to referee Stevie O’Reilly about the failure to award his side a penalty kick in the 83rd minute.

An investigation by the Gambling Commission, formed as an independent body under the Gambling Act (2005), began a day later after members of the Association of British Bookmakers publicly raised concerns about betting patterns on the game.

Earlier that day, someone in Liverpool opened an account with Blue Square to register two £100 bets on a Motherwell player being sent off.

The same individual attempted to make further big bets, but was halted by the company's online security filter.

The Player

Steve Jennings began his career at Everton before signing for Tranmere’s Centre of Excellence in 1998. He made his debut for the Merseyside club in 2003, his progress halted at the end of that year when he suffered a serious knee injury in a car accident.

He eventually returned to the first team and was voted Players’ Young Player of the Year in 2008 before signing for Motherwell the following summer.

The 26-year-old has spent three season at Fir Park and signed a new one year contract back in July after impressing in the SPL.

Taken from telegraph.co.uk