With regard to the unusual betting patterns around Oxford defender Ciaron Brown’s booking in Monday’s FA Cup loss to Arsenal, the FA has launched a spot-fixing inquiry.
Sportsmail has discovered that the FA has a file of evidence about alleged corruption, including purported phone texts sent before the start of the FA Cup game at the Kassam Stadium that predict Brown’s booking in a betting fraud that allegedly cost one bookmaker more than £1,600.
According to one letter, there was about £200 bet on Brown receiving a yellow card at odds of 8-1.
Four minutes before Mohamed Elneny gave Arsenal the lead, the 24-year-old Northern Ireland defender was penalised in the 59th minute for tripping Bukayo Saka.
The Premier League leaders then won 3-0 thanks to a pair of goals from Eddie Nketiah.
The amount of wagers on Brown being booked and the scope of other bookies’ responsibilities are unknown, but the FA is treating the situation seriously.
After Brown was booked, several Arsenal fans were seen celebrating, and several of them were boasting about winning hundreds of pounds, according to eyewitnesses at the game who spoke to Sportsmail.
