MORAY Firth Radio has refused to give the Scottish Football
Association the tape of a conversation during which Elgin City manager
John Teasdale is alleged to have discussed placing a bet on his own
side.
Club chairman Ben Strachan said yesterday he had been asked by the SFA
to obtain the recording after it had received a written allegation that
a bet had been placed with a local bookmaker on Elgin City winning the
last game of the season against Forres by 6-0.
This was in fact the result and it gave Elgin City the title. But in
May the SFA refused to
overturn the decision of the Highland League management committee
stripping the club of the championship.
This followed allegations that Mr Teasdale had colluded to have the
game with neighbours Forres brought forward so that two players --
including himself -- could play before suspensions took effect.
The interview was conducted by a Moray Firth reporter immediately
after the match but it became an issue only after the allegations were
received by the SFA.
Mr Thomas Pragg, managing director of Moray Firth Radio, said last
night: ''We still have a copy of the taped conversation but I do not
feel we are required to hand it over to the SFA, especially since there
is no legal requirement for us to do so.''
Mr Strachan said: ''I was only fulfilling a request from the SFA.'' He
assumed that it wanted the tape to substantiate the allegation. He could
only now assume that there was no evidence to support it. He believed it
had been made by ''someone with a grudge against either John or the club
or both. The inquiry should now be dropped''.
Mr Teasdale, while acknowledging the existence of the tape, has denied
any impropriety, claiming his comments were meant as a joke and referred
only to a private wager with an Elgin newsagent who was a close friend.
Mr Teasdale may have to wait until the matter is discussed at the
SFA's general purposes committee when it re-convenes after its summer
break on September 21 to know if the matter has been closed.
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