INTEGRITY
The fight against Match-Fixing and the manipulation of football matches is a global issue, a fact which is acknowledge by FIFA, UEFA, Football Governing Bodies as well as Law Enforcement across the world. These organisations work collaboratively to meet head on, the threat to the game from such activities. The involvement of Organised Crime Groups in efforts to manipulate the outcome of games brings significant challenges to the Scottish FA, our associated members, and our partners.
Martin Stolarek is the Scottish FA Integrity Officer & Anti-Doping lead and has the responsibility to examine, monitor and investigate any allegations of match-fixing in Scotland. To effectively combat this threat, a collaborative approach involving numerous partner agencies including The Police Service of Scotland, the Crown Office & Procurators Fiscal's Service, The Gambling Commission, Betting Operators, the Professional Footballers Association Scotland, and League Representatives is in place
Running parallel to the investigative activities, a prevention strategy exists, which includes increased awareness through education programmes to Clubs, Players, Coaches and Officials. The statement of intent from the Scottish FA is that match-fixing will not be tolerated in Scottish Football and that all reasonable and relevant measures, identified by the Integrity Officer, will be taken to combat this threat.
An Integrity Education Presentation which is suitable for all Players and Club Staff who are subject to the Scottish FA Rules on Gambling can be found here. It is also useful for the general public to be aware of the reasons why the rules are such.
STRICT LIABILITY
All players and Club Staff who are under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA are bound by the rules which prohibit gambling on football.
Anti-Doping
All players have the right to take part in football knowing that they, their team mates, and their competitors, are clean. The use of performance-enhancing drugs and doping activity severely damages the legacy of the game.
Anti-doping is integral to clean sport and it’s important that players are clued up on the anti-doping rules. Players are personally responsible for any banned substances detected during doping control tests.
Annual Overview of Anti-Doping Activities
A summary of the Scottish FA’s Anti-Doping Activity over the past Season can be accessed here.
STRICT LIABILITY
Players must make sure that they are aware of the principle of strict liability. This means that players are personally responsible for any banned substance found in their system, regardless of how it got there and whether or not they had an intention to cheat.
In the experience of the Scottish FA, positive tests are extremely rare, and mainly unintentional.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that only performance-enhancing drugs are on the prohibited list. In fact, banned substances can be found in anything from vitamin supplements and sports drinks to over-the-counter medication.
Players should regularly check the prohibited list on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) website www.wada-ama.org and check all medications on www.globaldro.co.uk