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The third last MNS of the season and, as it's been throughout the campaign, lots of good action from the matches to enjoy, and no shortage of talking points. For sure it's been a roller coaster season for the clubs and their supporters, but it's also given our programme great topics to discuss.
This week Damien, Eoin and Pat were the guests, with Philip Quinn joining us for the discussion about players betting on games. It was a lively debate which ran to seven minutes, which in terms of our programme, in fact most TV programmes, is a lengthy time to chat about one subject.
Given that the matter is still under investigation by St Patrick's Athletic and the FAI, we were only able to talk about the facts we know as of the moment. Philip and Damien had an interesting exchange about the interpretation of the FAI's Rule 100 which prohibits players from betting on matches or competitions in which they're involved. I sense that it may have to be re-worded to turn any grey areas black and white.
Like many sports enthusiasts, I occasionally enjoy a flutter on football. Sometimes on an eircom League match, sometimes a game in England, the odd time on a Spanish League or Cup game. The benefit of having cúpla focail in Spanish means I can read the Spanish newspapers and club websites to get team news ahead of the matches, which sometimes aren't reflected in the bookmakers' odds.
As I mentioned in last week's ramblings, I also enjoy the battle of wits with the bookies on the domestic front, because sometimes they just plainly get their odds wrong. Terribly wrong. It's not often that the bookmaking fraternity can be out-dodged, but their lack of insight into the domestic game can be taken advantage of from time to time.
Needless to say over the years, I've probably given them more of my hard earned moolah, than I've taken from them, but the extra frisson of excitement I've experienced when a bet comes up, is worth the annoyance of losing it all back to them in the end.
I've pretty much given up backing horses. The last one I punted on was arrested for loitering, and with that I knew that I was that man, commonly referred to as 'mug punter'. There are those within the racing game who have inside information from jockeys or stable staff that probably helps them win more often than they lose, but when that information relates to a non-trying horse that can now be layed on the betting exchanges, it can lead to very damaging headlines in the racing, and indeed regular press, and can also lead to criminal action being taken against the perpetrators.
When a footballer bets on his own team to lose, even if he isn't playing in that particular match, he is in danger of falling into the 'stable staff knowing a horse isn't going to be trying' category. It casts a huge cloud over his team-mates, and his club in general.
One of the producers in RTÉ Radio is a St Pat's season ticket holder who brings his two young sons along to Inchicore to see their heroes every time they play at home. It's the classic case of 'say it isn't so Joe'. How does he explain the recent events to those kids, who go with wide-eyed excitement and innocence to Inchicore week-in, week-out.
The damage Gary Dempsey has caused to the club and the wider league goes a million miles beyond the €20 double he placed on Pat's to lose to Galway and Man City to beat Newcastle.
A Manchester United supporting editor in the sports department, called Dempsey an idiot....most people nodded in agreement, until the aforementioned editor went on to add...'How could he have expected Man City to win a match?'
Before you jump up and down giving out about another Manchester United supporter in RTÉ, Eugene, for Eugene is his name, and Manchester born and bred, albeit of good Irish stock.
I'd be pretty certain that Dempsey isn't the only transgressor of the league's Rule 100, which outlines that players can't bet themselves or through a third party on games here. This is one rule that clubs will now have to make abundantly clear to all players from now on.
I suppose it's important to make a distinction between the sort of scandals we've seen in Belgium, Germany, Brazil, France, England, Portugal and Italy over the years, where on many occasions referees have been bribed or offered bribes to influence the outcome of a match, and the sort of situation that's arisen here.
Maybe this will serve as the shot across the players' bows, to alert them to the fact that this is a complete no-no, and can't be accepted now, or into the future. It's ironic that St Pat's' shirt sponsor is Paddy Power, and one of the new sponsors involved with the league here next season will be Boylesports.
Our editors were in flying form on Monday, - on the subject of betting, the question was raised as to whether Dempsey's bet was the tip of the iceberg when it came to players betting on games, and Mark, for Mark is his name, said it's more likely to be the tip of the ice cube, given the size of bets that the bookies will take on eircom League matches.
I refer back to a recent bet of mine, a €50 bet on Derry City to win a game at 5/6, which meant the bookies stood to lose about €45 and that was the maximum bet they'd take on that match. In that scenario nobody is going to get very rich, and before you ask, Derry lost and I flushed another €50 down the toilet!
Last September, UEFA said they're to launch a gambling investigation unit after it emerged that 25 UEFA and Intertoto Cup matches were being studied due to irregular betting patterns. UEFA General Secretary David Taylor said that the federation would be having talks with national associations with a view to forming a European system covering all football competitions.
Let's hope that the FAI won't have too much to report into the future, for everyone involved in the game here, especially those two little bright-eyed boys, whose dad brings them to Inchicore every other Friday night.
Incidentally, 10 out of 10 to Stephen Finn for finding that wonderful footage of Pat Morley falling into the crowd at Turner's Cross celebrating a goal for City. Pat blames the Bord Gais sign, - if you didn't see it, I'd encourage you to check it out here on the website.
Finally, Eamonn Donohoe's moustache for November, for the Irish Cancer Societies fight against prostate cancer, is coming along nicely.
Another of the show's team, James O'Toole, was going to join Eamonn in 'tache heaven, but he's too busy changing his new baby's nappies. Congrats James (albeit slightly belated!).
Also from the sports department, in fact already a stalwart, Eoin Byrne would also have got involved, but the Gary Doherty lookalike is waiting a year before he's old enough to grow a proper moustache. Eoin may not have a moustache, but he'll certainly give disco Tony McDonnell a run for his money on the dancefloor at the wrap party for the programme.
