The 1915 Good Friday scandal
The 1915 Good Friday scandal is one of the most infamous in English football history. On April 2, 1915, Liverpool and Manchester United played a match at Old Trafford that would ultimately decide who would be relegated from the First Division.
Suspicions of Match Fixing
Prior to the match, there were suspicions that the result had been fixed by players from both teams. Bets had been placed at up to 8/1 for United to win by a 2-0 scoreline, but the volume of bets led to odds shortening to 4/1 – suspicion was raised and ultimately found to be accurate.
Investigation and Verdict
The Football League ultimately opened an investigation and players who took part in the fixture were interviewed. On December 23, 1915, a verdict was delivered. “It is proved that a considerable sum of money changed hands by betting on the match, and that some of the players profited thereby,” the Football League’s Good Friday commission stated.
Lifetime Bans
Liverpool players Tom Fairfoul, Tom Miller, Bob Purcell and Jackie Sheldon were all found guilty and handed lifetime bans, as too and United’s Enoch West, Sandy Turnbull and Arthur Whalley.
Pardons
While there was good reason to dish out a lifetime ban, all four Liverpool players were later pardoned in 1919 as the FA showed appreciation for their efforts during the war, on the condition they first apologised – which they all did.
Conclusion
The 1915 Good Friday scandal remains one of the most infamous in English football history. It was ultimately revealed that players from both Liverpool and Manchester United had conspired together to fix the match in order to gain financial benefit from betting on the result. The players involved were handed lifetime bans but were later pardoned due to their efforts during World War I.