The recent arrest of six footballers in England for alleged match fixing has brought the subject into sharp focus in Scotland. Surely it could not happen here? The short answer is yes it could and yes it has.

The only known case to have figured in Scotland’s supreme criminal court – the High Court of Justiciary – occurred in 1952 when Joseph McCudden was convicted in Glasgow High Court of attempting to bribe players from Queen of the South and St Mirren into “throwing” matches.

McCudden was from High Blantyre and the owner of a successful bakery business. On 25th October 1951, he travelled to Dumfries in his Austin Sheerline car – described at the trial as an “expensive and luxurious” motor car and which was to figure significantly in the evidence.

There he met, by chance apparently, Queens’ centre half Sam Waldie whom he invited into his car where he offered him £250 to lose the next day’s game against East Fife in the old First Division.

An eagle-eyed Dumfries police officer, Inspector Kerr, had his attention drawn to this “luxurious” car in which he observed Waldie and McCudden engaged in “animated conversation.” It was suggested to Waldie that a couple of short passbacks to his goalkeeper, enabling the opposition to score, would do the trick. Queens were 2-0 up with 20 minutes to go but lost 3-2.

In evidence, Waldie claimed he had told McCudden “no deal” while admitting he had “had a bad game but that he was always trying”.

The St Mirren player approached by McCudden a couple of weeks later was another centre-half, Willie Telfer, a better-known player who would go on to win a cap in 1954 and play for Rangers.

McCudden, who was unknown to Telfer, called at the player’s house in Larkhall to ask him if he wanted to “make easy money” in the next day’s match against Partick Thistle. Concession of a penalty or an own goal in exchange for £200 was the proposition. Telfer refused and brought in the police as St Mirren went on to win the match.

McCudden, in his defence, accused both players of telling lies, but the jury thought differently. In sentencing him to nine months’ imprisonment, Lord Russell said “he had been found guilty of offences which, if they continue, will paralyse professional football in our country. This was the first time in the realm of sport that corruption has come before the High Court. Any future case would be much more severely dealt with.”

Surely it couldn't happen here?

The Daily Telegraph spoke to an alleged match fixer last month. He said, “I do Australia, Scotland. Ireland. Europe. World Cup. World Cup qualifier"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/10481345/Football-match-fixing-World-Cup-matches-may-have-been-rigged.html

It's out there. It's outrageous. And Lord Russell was quite correct to say it could paralyse professional football in our country.

The SFA seems to be getting on the case, albeit quietly.

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/sfa-aims-to-stave-off-match-fixing-with-new-role-1-3224559