Irish Sports
There is currently 1 person viewing this thread.
28 Jul 12
10:46
Joined:
Date Joined:
05 Jan 10
By Vincent Hogan in London
Saturday July 28 2012 irishindependent.ie
THE Irish Olympic squad was rocked last night by claims of a betting scandal involving a member of the team.
Olympic Council of Ireland President Pat Hickey confirmed to the Irish Independent that they had received an allegation concerning one of the competitors due to compete at the London Games.
He said the council sought legal advice on the matter and were told that they had a duty "under the rules of natural justice" to inform the competitor of the allegation being made.
The OCI subsequently received a detailed letter from the competitor's solicitor on Thursday and a full investigation is now under way.
The allegation is that on a previous occasion the competitor made two bets backing an opponent to win an event in which they themselves were directly competing.
The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) code of conduct specifically outlaws this practice.
Indeed, earlier this month IOC chief Jacques Rogge said “the fight against doping and illegal gambling remain the absolute priority of the IOC”.
While the OCI is – as yet – merely in receipt of an anonymous email making the allegation, the Irish Independent has taken possession of detailed documentary evidence suggesting the competitor used their personal account with a large bookmaking firm to place two separate bets, both backing a specific opponent to claim victory in a competition they themselves were entered in.
The bets, at a price of 12/1, were placed the day before their competition started. Both were successful and the competitor withdrew €3,600 in cash on returning from the event.
Hickey said that if found guilty, any competitor would face “severe sanctions” that could include exclusion from the Olympics. That is unlikely to happen in this particular case as the time-frame is too tight for a proper investigation to be completed.
“This is fraught with legal issues,” explained Hickey last night, “and, right now, our priority is not to cause any unnecessary upset to the competitors.” In the documents held by the Irish Independent, the competitor is seen to have made a credit card deposit of €300 into their personal betting account.
Three minutes later, they place a bet of €41 at 12/1, backing an opponent to win gold. Roughly 20 minutes later, they then place a second bet of €259 backing the same opponent at the same price.
The following day, they went into competition against that opponent. Records show that the first bet brought a winning return of €533 and the second one €3,367. The competitor's home address and mobile number are among the details included in the documentation in our possession.
It's news that the Irish team could have done without just as the Games begin. It has been a fraught Olympic build-up for the Irish with a legal row over the make-up of the women’s 400 metre relay team as well two Irish athletes taking cases for non-selection to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Boxer Joe Ward's appeal was rejected on Thursday and the fate of show-jumper Denis Lynch will be known today.
Saturday July 28 2012 irishindependent.ie
THE Irish Olympic squad was rocked last night by claims of a betting scandal involving a member of the team.
Olympic Council of Ireland President Pat Hickey confirmed to the Irish Independent that they had received an allegation concerning one of the competitors due to compete at the London Games.
He said the council sought legal advice on the matter and were told that they had a duty "under the rules of natural justice" to inform the competitor of the allegation being made.
The OCI subsequently received a detailed letter from the competitor's solicitor on Thursday and a full investigation is now under way.
The allegation is that on a previous occasion the competitor made two bets backing an opponent to win an event in which they themselves were directly competing.
The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) code of conduct specifically outlaws this practice.
Indeed, earlier this month IOC chief Jacques Rogge said “the fight against doping and illegal gambling remain the absolute priority of the IOC”.
While the OCI is – as yet – merely in receipt of an anonymous email making the allegation, the Irish Independent has taken possession of detailed documentary evidence suggesting the competitor used their personal account with a large bookmaking firm to place two separate bets, both backing a specific opponent to claim victory in a competition they themselves were entered in.
The bets, at a price of 12/1, were placed the day before their competition started. Both were successful and the competitor withdrew €3,600 in cash on returning from the event.
Hickey said that if found guilty, any competitor would face “severe sanctions” that could include exclusion from the Olympics. That is unlikely to happen in this particular case as the time-frame is too tight for a proper investigation to be completed.
“This is fraught with legal issues,” explained Hickey last night, “and, right now, our priority is not to cause any unnecessary upset to the competitors.” In the documents held by the Irish Independent, the competitor is seen to have made a credit card deposit of €300 into their personal betting account.
Three minutes later, they place a bet of €41 at 12/1, backing an opponent to win gold. Roughly 20 minutes later, they then place a second bet of €259 backing the same opponent at the same price.
The following day, they went into competition against that opponent. Records show that the first bet brought a winning return of €533 and the second one €3,367. The competitor's home address and mobile number are among the details included in the documentation in our possession.
It's news that the Irish team could have done without just as the Games begin. It has been a fraught Olympic build-up for the Irish with a legal row over the make-up of the women’s 400 metre relay team as well two Irish athletes taking cases for non-selection to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Boxer Joe Ward's appeal was rejected on Thursday and the fate of show-jumper Denis Lynch will be known today.
sort by:
Show
per page
Replies: 83
|
By:
I find it a bit odd. Not many of our athletes compete in sports that would be priced up by the bookies let alone accept a 300 quid bet at 12/1.
It says in the article and they used the same phrase on the news i heard on the radio "both bets were sucessful", it was the same bet but saying like that sounds more sinister like it was more than a once off. |
|
By:
 |
|
By:
Well i haven't a clue who it is but we all know which is the most corrupt sport because of it's judging system.
|
|
By:
No one knows the scores until after it's over, it's a bit like having a bet on Frankel and it winning 10 lengths then the judge calling the result 1st Excalabration.
|
|
By:
what sport , boxing ? Don't you see the scores as it happens in amateur boxing ?
|
|
By:
Don't see why it has to be a corrupt sport that the bet was placed on
|
|
By:
It could be a non-story, like say some sligo player backs cork to win the all-ireland, it's probably against the sports guidlines but not corrupt.
|
|
By:
The article does state The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) code of conduct specifically outlaws this practice.
I would call it naivety unless the Irish competitor was at the sharp end of the competition |
|
By:
It's says both bets were successful.
No medal has been decided yet so what is that all about? |
|
By:
Sorry I had a quick read and I see that they are referring to a previous competition.
|
|
By:
Its the price which leads me to believe somebody knew something?, its not as if the bets were placed on a 5/4 shot, 12/1 was pretty tasty odds to be putting on decent cash.
|
|
By:
The size of the bet and the fact that it was accepted by the "large bookmaker" suggest that better odds may have been avalable elsewhere.
|
|
By:
available !!
|
|
By:
If he placed the bets on his own account then it's probably a case of stupidity rather than corruption.
Presumably the bookie reported the transaction. Would this have happened if the bet had lost? Just wondering. |
|
By:
12/1 is not that big really though if you knew, say, that one of the shorter-priced favourites was ill or injured or whatever. Some of the sports at the Olympics have 2 short-priced competitors at the head of the market followed by the 3rd-fav at double figs, especially where there is no each-way betting. Inside information as opposed to non-trier stuff
All speculation on my part of course. If it's non-trier stuff then that's totally different. |
|
By:
It would help if we knew the sport involved, as it is we're just surmising.
|
|
By:
The competitor is seen to have made a credit card deposit of €300 into their personal betting account.
Three minutes later, they place a bet of €41 at 12/1, backing an opponent to win gold. Roughly 20 minutes later, they then place a second bet of €259 backing the same opponent at the same price. The following day, they went into competition against that opponent. Records show that the first bet brought a winning return of €533 and the second one €3,367. |
|
By:
Boxing!
|
|
By:
Yap has to Silvergreaser, the world championships were only weeks ago, i'm guessing it was in this.
|
|
By:
Doubt it was boxing. Because of odds I would imagine it was something with a number of contestants in the field.
|
|
By:
Maybe someone working with the bookmaker thought it a good idea to flog details of bet to paper ! An act of stupidity on behalf of the athlete for sure but those responsible for releasing the story should examine their own motives .
|
|
By:
Peter O'leary silly boy
|
|
By:
Some performance to get 300 quid on at 12s with spoils !
|
|
By:
Knew it would have to be Spoils but was afraid to post in case of getting it wrong. Jeez they are some wrong ones. I know it was strictly wrong but of one is a punter and has a keen knowledge of a sport it must be tempting to step in. I'll bet there was no suggestion of "throwing" his own chance
|
|
By:
I also read he is the grandson of Archie O Leary of Florida Pearl fame
|
|
By:
Thought it might hav been one of our boxers..... Maybe placing a bet on the Leinster bare knuckle championships.....doing a 300 treble baldy James Quinn,Dinny McGinley and Big Paul Joyce in their respective fights.....the world would be gone completely mad....if they didn't allow ya have a few bob on one of your cousins.....
|
|
By:
Spot on there bobby
 And rocketfingers got it wrong !! has this happened before, rocket to be wrong ? |
|
By:
Not in a while Jay just look at my Laois thread for yesterday
 , to be fair i'm amazed you could get 300 on a 12/1 in a sailing contest on one account but there you go. |
|
By:
SAILOR: Peter O'Leary accused in betting scandal
Bet claims made out of vengeance -- Olympian Allegations about O'Leary 'made for maximum negative impact' Sunday July 29 2012 Solicitors acting for the Irish athlete at the heart of the alleged Olympic betting scandal that has rocked Ireland's Olympic bid have rejected the complaint and said it was made 48 hours before the Games opened to cause the "maximum negative impact" on Cork sailor Peter O'Leary. The well-known sailor who is competing in his second Olympics is the boyfriend of hurdler Derval O'Rourke. Mr O'Leary has been accused of placing two bets backing an opponent to win an event at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 in which he directly competed. Mr O'Leary, who qualified for the Olympics in 2011, is due to make his first appearance at the 2012 Games later today alongside his teammate David Burrows. A series of high-level discussions took place yesterday between Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) boss Pat Hickey and members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who have reportedly demanded a "full explanation" into the affair. It is believed the Ethics Committee of the International Olympic Committee are satisfied the complaint was taken seriously by the Irish organisation and are preparing to nominate someone to carry out a full investigation. The IOC's code of conduct specifically outlaws the practice of betting against yourself. An IOC spokeswoman said last night: "We have seen the media report. The IOC has looked into the matter and is in contact with the Irish Olympic Council. The case is not related to an Olympic event." Ranked 20th in the world, Mr O'Leary was born on March 29, 1983, and has been described as "one of Ireland's most talented sailors". He came sixth at the ISAF Youth Worlds in 2001 and won Irish Sailor of the Year in 2007. He comes from a famous Cork sailing bloodline, being the grandson of Archie O'Leary, who is the founder of the well-known O'Leary Insurance brokerage in Cork. Mr Hickey confirmed they had received an allegation concerning one of the competitors; however, insiders have said it was decided to "park" the issue until after the Games concluded. The email was sent to the OCI on July 21, from a named email address. The OCI took legal advice and were told Mr O'Leary had to be informed of the allegations. His solicitors replied that the allegations had been made out of "vengeance and spite" and said the allegations were made to cause Mr O'Leary "maximum negative impact" just 48 hours before he was due to compete in the Games. However, more detailed information has been supplied alleging that the athlete placed two separate bets, both backing a specific opponent to claim victory in a competition he himself was entered in. It is claimed that the bets, at a price of 12/1, were placed the day before their competition started and both were successful, netting €3,600. The money was collected from ****, Castle Street, Cork on August 27, 2008, according to the allegations. There was anger in government circles that no one was made aware of the allegations so close to the 2012 Games. Speaking from London yesterday, Sport Minister Leo Varadkar hoped it did not "mar" morale in the Irish team. "I only learnt about it today from the Irish Independent and don't know the details. I understand it's being investigated and I really hope it does not mar team morale at the start of what should be a great Olympics." Junior Sport Minister Michael Ring said yesterday he too was in the dark, but it was a matter for the OCI. "I hope this is put to bed quickly and does not spoil the Olympics," he said. This incident comes days after Mr Hickey became only the second Irishman to become a member of the executive committee of the IOC. While making no comment yesterday, Mr Hickey told the Irish Independent on Friday night that the council sought legal advice on the matter and were told that they had a duty "under the rules of natural justice" to inform the competitor of the allegation being made. It received a detailed letter from Mr O'Leary's solicitor last Thursday and a full investigation is under way. Mr O'Leary's lawyers, Ronan Daly Jermyn, said the emergence of the allegations 48 hours before the games were designed to cause the "maximum negative impact possible". The email sent to the OCI alleges that Mr O'Leary made a credit card deposit of €300 into his personal betting account. It claimed that three minutes later, he placed a bet of €41 at 12/1, backing an opponent to win gold. Roughly 20 minutes later a second bet of €259 backing the same opponent at the same price was allegedly made. The following day, Mr O'Leary went into competition against that opponent. Records show that the first bet brought a winning return of €533 and the second one €3,367. An OCI spokesman said the council has informed the athlete, whom it will not name, about an anonymous allegation that two bets were made in favour of an opponent in an unspecified sport prior to the Olympics. The spokesman said it was now a legal issue and that the council would not make any further comment. - DANIEL McCONNELL CHIEF REPORTER INDEPENDENT.IE |
|
By:
Great call yesterday re-Laois rocket, well done on that, and never really in doubt from throw in...........
|
|
By:
As it happens O Leary out in front at the turn in his class (Star class) and miles clear after a mill behind at the turn. Finished second this morning and looks in great shape.
Commentator just described him as a great man for the horses and also unwittingly said "putting his money where his mouth is today" |
|
By:
spoils traders must have lost the plot that day. 300 at 12/1 how the phuck did he get that on
|
|
By:
what ever happened client confidentiality?.....doesnt say much for boyyles method of doing business.....paddy peowers wouldnt give him up.....when they took the 2m off the fellow from the post office......they didnt go to the papers....or report him to gamcare.....fair play to paddy.....
|
|
By:
All the nice girls love a sailor....
|
|
By:
Spoils waited 4 years with this -despicable.
|
|
By:
to put things into context, o leary was priced at 500/1 to win the event, 33/1 to medal. ie a no hoper. he may have seen all the main contenders in training and took a punt on the eventual winner at 12/1, as after all your average trading room would not have a clue about sailing let alone how to price a sailing race.
the scandal here is not that he had the bet, that the confidential bet was released to a press source. i wonder would one of the boyle traders such as mssrs hayes or hassett who post here care to comment. doubt it. look at it this way, if an inter county hurler from say perhaps carlow or laois(2 counties with in reality no chance of winning a senior all ireland) decide to have a decent bet on one of the real contenders winning, does this constitute a scandal...not at all. the only thing this story highlights, is that b..oyles clearly have very poor control and low standards. can gimmeabreak answer if there will be an internal investigation and can we expect a dismissal and a public apology from the company to the client? |
|
By:
fair point kl, but surely the bigger question is how spoils allowed a bet of that size on an event they would know nothing about.
|
|
By:
That is not a bigger question moneypenny, it is simply a question and a puzzle.
The release of the information about the bet is far far more important. |
|
By:
I think Keen Leader has hit the nail on the head-was this leak officially sanctioned-if not who leaked it and what action will be taken to ensure private betting details remain private.
|