Prestwich_Blue
Well-Known Member
On Good Friday 1915, the last season before the league ended for WWI, the rags were in serious danger of relegation when they went into the Good Friday game against Liverpool (whe were also in the bottom half of the table). The rags won 2-0 but there were a few suspicious incidents during the game, primarily when a Liverpool player hit the bar with a shot and some of his team-mates were clearly unhappy with him and when the rags were awarded a penalty, when 1-0 up and the penalty taker nearly hit the corner flag.
Afterwards, bookies complained about suspicious betting patterns on the result and the FA investigated. They found that players on both teams had conspired to arrange the result and a number were banned. Those two points enable the rags to finish 18th with 30 points, one place ahead of Chelsea with 29 while Spurs, with 28, were relegated.
Of course, we had to be dragged in, with City player Fred Howard found guilty of betting on the result. After the war, most of the players were pardoned apart from one, who fought the decision and lost. Billy Meredith was playing for the rags at this time, following his transfer there after our little financial scandal in 1906. That came about after allegations that he'd tried to bribe a Villa player to throw a crucial game but there's no evidence to suggest he was involved in this scandal.
Just proves that cheating is in their DNA.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-32152534" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ma ... r-32152534</a>
Afterwards, bookies complained about suspicious betting patterns on the result and the FA investigated. They found that players on both teams had conspired to arrange the result and a number were banned. Those two points enable the rags to finish 18th with 30 points, one place ahead of Chelsea with 29 while Spurs, with 28, were relegated.
Of course, we had to be dragged in, with City player Fred Howard found guilty of betting on the result. After the war, most of the players were pardoned apart from one, who fought the decision and lost. Billy Meredith was playing for the rags at this time, following his transfer there after our little financial scandal in 1906. That came about after allegations that he'd tried to bribe a Villa player to throw a crucial game but there's no evidence to suggest he was involved in this scandal.
Just proves that cheating is in their DNA.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-32152534" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ma ... r-32152534</a>