Match-fixing: FA general secretary insists problems are not widespread

However, Alex Horne warns against complacency on the issue

DJ Campbell, pictured playing for Ipswich last season (but has since joined Blackburn Rovers), is one of six men arrested over match-fixing allegations (GETTY IMAGES)

The Football Association's general secretary Alex Horne has insisted match-fixing is not widespread in the game but has warned against complacency.

Horne was among representatives from five sports - football, cricket, tennis and the two rugby codes - who attended a summit with ministers in Whitehall on Tuesday morning for talks on tackling fixing.

It followed the arrest of six people, including Blackburn striker DJ Campbell, following an investigation into spot-fixing in football by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Horne, who was at the meeting with culture, media and sport secretary Maria Miller, said the "general consensus" was that fixing was not a widespread problem. Representatives from the Premier League, Football League and British Horseracing Authority (BHA) were also present.

He insisted however that the FA took the issue seriously and will study measures against fixing already in place in cricket and horse racing.

Horne said after the meeting: "I think the general consensus around the room was this isn't a big issue. The intelligence that we have says this isn't a wide-scale issue at the moment but, again, we don't want to be complacent.

"It's clear that, as Britain, we are very proud of our sporting product, of the sport that we play in this country and we all want to do all we can to protect the integrity of that sport.

"We are never complacent on this issue and there's a lot we can learn from other sports. Some of the education programmes that cricket have put in place are very far advanced, and the integrity unit that the BHA have in place is very far advanced so there's lots of learnings that are open to all sports."

The FA has its own integrity unit and education programmes, but fixing has been an issue for a longer time for horseracing and cricket.

Horne added: "We don't want to see this in our sport and so, therefore, we are doing everything we can, we are looking at all measures we can across sport but also with the agencies.

"We really welcome the recent impetus from the NCA. I think that is going to be a really important body for all of us in reminding people that these are criminal activities and the criminal nature of activities shouldn't be underestimated and all power to the NCA."

Maria Miller, secretary of state for culture, media and sport, said: "There had been a commitment from all the sports to work together.

"Match-fixing is a real threat to the integrity of sport. If fans don't trust what they see, the integrity of sport will be permanently damaged.

"I asked the major sports to come in today to discuss what more can be done to tackle this. It was a very constructive meeting on a serious issue and there was a clear commitment from all to work together and see what more can be done.

"British sport is a world-class product and we want it to stay that way. The NCA have shown that they will act and charge those that corrupt sport and the message is clear to players that are tempted to go down that road in Britain - you will be caught and punished."

PA