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TOP PLAYERS BETTING LIKE MAD

Max Clifford

Sunday March 25,2007

By Harry Harris

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Max Clifford reveals there is an ‘epidemic’ of betting by multi-millionaire footballers and managers at a level that would ‘frighten’ the football authorities.

Public relations big-hitter Clifford, who has been paid to keep the biggest names off the front and back pages of national newspapers, has acted for Victor Chandler and played a role in the bookie’s successful injunctions to prevent the identity of some of his big-name clients being made public.

Clifford told me: "There is a betting epidemic because of lot of these footballers are much, much richer than their predecessors of 20 years ago. A lot of them are betting vast sums because they earn large sums.”

Clifford’s shock disclosures comes at the end of a week when the Government-backed Gambling Commission published a consultancy document aimed at making bookies hand over the identities of anyone in sport who is suspected of foul play.

Clifford added: “In terms of this new measure being a solution, all it will do is ensure even more business for my client Victor Chandler.

“Who is going to take the risk of betting in this country if they can bet offshore in total privacy?

“There are an awful lot of big names out there betting and if the public or the FA knew who they were and the vast sums involved they would be even more concerned than they are now.

“The FA would be shocked if they realised just how widespread all the betting is at the moment.”

Meanwhile, last week’s column pointed out how generous the Premier League have been in charitable hand-outs. Well, now the Premier League is splashing out more of its TV cash.

Ex-Wimbledon stars Warren Barton and Robbie Earle will run coaching sessions for youth leaders as part of the Premier League-British Council series of one-week international-based initiatives.

The first takes place in Cairo this week with a further week planned for Alexandria in June.

Chief executive Richard Scudamore says when the new TV revenue kicks in, the Premier League will lift its £20m contributions to charitable causes to £34m – and to £37m in the deal’s third year.