Match-fixing, history and cultural perspectives

Mike Huggins, Emeritus Professor of Cultural History at University of Cumbria and President of the European Committee for Sport History, presents his research into the impact of match-fixing in sport through the ages. Professor Huggins said: “Match-fixing is now seen as the most major issue facing top-level football. Illegal betting markets in some parts of the world are turning over up to $4trillion US Dollars annually meaning that international criminal gangs are able to make huge sums out of fixing games. “There are examples around the world where this has led to some leading soccer leagues suffering drops in attendance because supporters did not trust results and this resulted in huge financial losses for clubs. Now all top sports organisations and clubs are setting up integrity units and developing a variety of high-cost strategies to combat it. “It was important for me to make the trip to the congress because all research focuses on this recent period when online gambling began and encouraged global criminal activity on match-fixing. My own research on British sport over the last three centuries has shown that in all sports where there has been a gambling market, including cricket, soccer, boxing, horse racing and athletics, match-fixing been has almost as common as left-handedness.