Le Tissier admits part over Cheat Spread Betting Attempt

Former footballer star Matthew Le Tissier has confessed his act in a failed spread-betting scam whilst playing in an English Premier League match for Southampton against Wimbledon 14 years ago. The colourful footballer is in retirement since 2002 and has proceeded to become a TV Analyst, led a bid to buy Southampton and now even written an autobiography about his life.

Le Tissier, who also represented England at international level has revealed in his autobiography that he attempted to fix the time of the first throw-in in a game against Wimbledon during a 1995 Premier League Match by deliberately over-hitting a long pass. His attempt at cheating failed, however, when a team-mate chased down his wayward ‘pass’.

Matthew-Le-Tissier

“Spread betting had just started gaining popularity. It was a new idea which allowed punters to back anything from the final score to the first throw-in,” Le Tissier wrote in his autobiography Taking Le Tiss, quoted in the Daily Mail.

Associates of Le Tissier had put money on the time of the first throw-in with the footballer receiving a payoff amounting to a four-figure sum if the bet was successful. In the end, the ball went out of play at a neutral time when another player intercepted his pass, which meant all bets were returned.

He claims to have agreed to the £10,000 betting scam as Southampton were safe from relegation and he believed the throw-in would not alter the game’s outcome.

“Obviously I’d never have done anything that might have affected the outcome of the match, but I couldn’t see a problem with making a few quid on the time of the first throw-in.”

Seems like Le Tissier has landed himself in some poo with his bragging because now the police are investigating the claim and discussing the matter with the Football Association! It is however disgraceful how he tried to pass it off like it was acceptable as the bet was void. “I would never interfere with crucial parts of games” What? Obviously you would certainly consider it for not important matches.

Update September 23: Police said discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have now been dropped on the basis that the case is not in the public interest and does not represent appropriate use of police resources. Matt Le Tissier will therefore not face criminal charges!

Tags: Le Tissier, spread betting

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