Betting allegation overshadows league clash

Shelbourne defeated Monaghan United 2-1 on Friday night but the match was overshadowed by allegations of irregular betting patterns.

Speaking to Extratime.ie after the game, both Alan Mathews and Roddy Collins revealed that they were made aware of irregular betting patterns on the game by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) prior to kick-off.

Shelbourne manager Alan Mathews said: “Fran Gavin (Airtricity League Director) came into the dressing room before the game to tell us that there were irregular betting patterns on the game.”

Gavin also told Monaghan United boss Roddy Collins of the irregular betting patterns before kick-off.

However, when asked, Collins said he had already been made aware of the issue before the game, when a girlfriend of one of his players texted the player. 

Collins said: “I knew before the game. One of the players had a text from his girlfriend saying that there was irregular betting on a penalty. But I didn’t know."

He later revealed that the girlfriend worked in a bookmakers.

Collins said that he asked Gavin what exactly the betting was on but Gavin said he couldn’t say.

Collins, speaking separately from Mathews, said: “I think it’s something that has to be investigated before you could make a public statement."

He went on to say that he had spoken to his players about the issue before the match and warned them that if any players were involved in any such matters they would face serious consequences.

He said: “If anyone ever tried to get involved in something like that I’d bring them straight to a police station and I’d make sure they never kicked a ball again because that for me is the lowest of the low.”

When questioned on whether or not he was aware of any Monaghan players were involved in the betting he said that he did not know but that he would be extremely unhappy if any were: “If it is the truth I will be absolutely sick to the pit of my stomach. You don’t want to hear about it in the League.”

Neither Alan Mathews nor Roddy Collins were aware of how much money could have been involved or how or where the irregular betting had occurred.