Dead Ball by Tom Palmer (best novels in english .TXT) 📗

in the press room – before and during the match. OK?’

‘Yep.’

Holt smiled. He looked more relaxed.

‘How’s the article going?’ Danny asked.

‘Good,’ Holt said. ‘Do you want to read it?’

‘Sure,’ Danny said.

‘It’d be a help. There’s lots of your stuff in it. And it might jog your memory.’ Holt rubbed his hands together. ‘If we get out of here this is going on the front page on Friday.’

Danny sat down to read.

ENGLAND WORLD CUP MATCH FIXED – EXCLUSIVE

ANTON HOLT IN MOSCOW

Now the smoke of battle has cleared after England’s World Cup defeat last night, the

Evening Post

can report something that will shake the world game to its core: Russia versus England was fixed.

The

Evening Post

’s football reporter, Anton Holt, has been working on a piece of investigative journalism for several weeks.

The plain truth is: Russia bought the game.

This is the story of how they did that.

The plot to ensure that Russia are ahead of England in Group F of World Cup qualifying has involved a trail of deceit that takes a lot to believe. But – using eye-witness accounts and some remarkable mobile-phone video footage – the evidence speaks for itself.

Bring together a Russian oligarch, a disgraced English football chairman, three international goalkeepers and the illegal take-over of a top English Premiership club and you have the recipe for the football scandal to top all football scandals.

THE RUSSIAN OLIGARCH

Dmitri Tupolev is a well-known figure in Russian football circles. He is a major political figure with a seat in the Russian parliament, the Duma. He is the world’s fourteenth richest man, worth around £300 billion. He owns the top Russian and Ukrainian football clubs.

But Dmitri Tupolev wanted more.

He wanted a Premiership club, a team from the best football league in the world. England.

And when he met a former English football chairman and owner – one who was keen to get back into football – his entrée into the Premiership seemed a matter of time.

Except for one thing. His part of the deal.

Dmitri Tupolev was willing to hand over £400 million to buy the English club in question. But first he wanted something in return.

A favour.

What sort of favour?

Dmitri Tupolev wanted his English partner to make sure Russia finished above England in Group F of the World Cup qualifiers.

He would need an Englishman so unprincipled and dastardly he was willing to commit what is as close as you can get to treason in footballing terms.

Who?

Sir Richard Gawthorpe.

Remember him?

THE ENGLISH CHAIRMAN

Sir Richard Gawthorpe disappeared in June this year when his plot to make money from kidnapping his own player at City backfired.

After his plan to make money from England striker Sam Roberts went sour, Gawthorpe vanished, leaving behind his £300 million fortune and his famous red Mercedes.

No one knew where he was, or if he would ever resurface. Or even if he was still among the living. But this reporter can confirm he saw him in Moscow. In the Cosmonaut Hotel on 17 October.

In addition, another member of the paper’s staff took footage of Gawthorpe on the banks of Moscow’s famous river, the Moskva.

He was here. No question. We have the proof.

THE SWEETENER

It is clear that Sir Richard and Dmitri Tupolev are working together to buy City and make them into the most powerful club team in Europe.

But first, the sweetener.

This newspaper is suggesting that before he would hand over the money, Dmitri Tupolev asked Sir Richard Gawthorpe to get to England and City goalkeeper Matt McGee. To make him throw the World Cup qualifier between Russia and England.

McGee was approached at a reception for the England party on the outskirts of Moscow earlier this week.

Secret film recorded this exchange:

Tupolev : A penalty in the first half. A misjudged cross in the second. Yes?

McGee [

No reply.

]

Tupolev : Yes?

McGee : I heard what you said.

[Note: GAP FOR DESCRIPTION OF McGEE’S ‘ERRORS’ IN GAME]

Further footage shows a scene on the banks of the Moskva: Matt McGee attacking Robert Skatie. McGee can be seen pushing Skatie down a flight of steps.

And who is seen at the top of the steps, looking on?

Sir Richard Gawthorpe.

MATT MCGEE

Matt McGee is a likeable man. But he is flawed.

He is a gambler: with reported debts of over one million.

He mixes with known criminals.

He has a conviction for handling counterfeit money.

McGee’s flaws are what made him vulnerable. He was an easy target for Tupolev and Gawthorpe. The final piece in the deal that Sir Richard Gawthorpe struck with Dmitri Tupolev to cheat football fans across England.

TOMORROW

Gawthorpegate: the details, the pictures and access to the films online.

Danny looked up at Holt, who was staring at him.

‘Well?’ Holt asked.

‘Please don’t,’ Danny said.

‘What?’

‘There’s too much guesswork.’

‘Danny,’ Holt stood up. ‘It’s based on your films. What you saw.’

‘But I still don’t think McGee could do it.’

‘Why on earth not? It’s clear.’

‘Because I have a gut feeling. And because the match hasn’t happened yet.’

‘I’ll fill those bits in after the game. But I’ll get this off to the paper now – or they won’t hold the front page for it.’

‘Wait.’

‘Why? Don’t you want this on the news pages? Aren’t you disgusted?’

‘Not yet, please.’ Danny was feeling more and more uncomfortable with Holt. The article had gone to his head. He wanted to be the famous journalist who broke the most dramatic story in 150 years of association football.

Holt was still shaking his head when Danny said, ‘And if McGee plays well and England win, what then?’

‘He won’t. You have seen the films you made?’

‘Yes, but McGee didn’t actually say yes, did he? He might not do it. How would your boss react if he held the front page and printed ten times as many papers as usual, then England won?’

Holt frowned. He looked like a little kid who’d had his exciting plans frustrated.

‘Wait,’ Danny begged. ‘Please.’

Holt slammed his laptop shut. He looked out of the window. He reminded Danny of his sister: when she hadn’t got her own way.

Neither said anything for three minutes. Danny thought it best to leave it, wait for Holt to say something.

‘You’re