Former banned English star says ‘match fixing’ still rife in top-flight football

London: Former England star Peter Swan, who was banned for his part in the infamous 1960s betting scandal, has claimed corruption in football is worse these days than it ever was, adding the game is still firmly in the grip of match-fixing.

Swan said he isn’t surprised following the shocking revelations about corruption in English football, saying where there is money there will always be cheating and it is the root of all the evils. Six Premier League clubs are under suspicion after police revealed that a Champions League tie in England was fixed. Swan, one of three top players jailed amid the most notorious betting scandal in English football history, believes it has always gone on and always will. Swan, who has always regretted his part in the 1960s betting scandal, added watching the game today, he still thinks it’s going on and he doesn’t think that will ever change. Swan had claimed in his recent book that there are that many easy goals scored in the game today where players are not getting the ball away and strikers miss some really easy goals, adding as a defender he thinks that even he could have scored those easy chances. The former player said he certainly thinks referees are involved since some decisions are out of this world. The former Sheffield Wednesday and Bury defender is adamant, too, that when it comes to dishonesty there is more now than in his days and that is despite the huge wage increases that can make some players secure for life inside half a season. Swan said not matter players earn enormous amounts these days, some of them would always be tempted to make more money through illegal ways. Swan’s sympathies are with the paying customers but he said nothing can be done much in this matter as where there is money there is a fiddle. ANI