The Good Friday Scandal: Liverpool vs. Man United’s Rigged Match in 1915

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Xenia Luch

23 February 2024

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The Good Friday Scandal

Pictured: Four Liverpool players, Tom Fairfoul, Tom Miller, Bob Purcell and Jackie Sheldon, were banned after the match

It was a match that shook the world of English football. In April 1915, during the height of World War I, players from Man United and Liverpool plotted to fix the result of their match, hoping to make a fortune from bets. They wanted a 2:0 win for United, and they got it. But their scheme was so blatant that it sparked a massive scandal that led to their permanent suspension from the sport.

The match took place on Good Friday, which gave it a fitting name — The Good Friday Scandal.

Manchester United players - 1908
Manchester United’s banned trio in 1911/1912: Arthur Whalley, Sandy Turnbull, and Enoch West (left to right)

The Perfect Storm for a Fix

Season 1914/1915. Both teams were competing in the Football League First Division (the top tier before the Premier League). The Reds had nothing to worry about, sitting in the middle of the table, while the Red Devils were fighting relegation. Every win counted to stay in the top flight.

League Table Positions - 1915
League Table Positions at the end of March 1915

But there was another factor. The season was ending in the shadow of World War I, and it was clear that the next one would be canceled. Football would be suspended until the end of the war — and players feared being out of work and income for a long time. They saw an opportunity to make a quick buck: the bookies were offering tempting betting odds for a 2:0 win for United, with odds ranging from 1 to 8.

At the same time, the risk of getting caught seemed low. With the war raging on, who would care about a minor football scandal?

With this mindset, 7 players (3 from United and 4 from Liverpool) met in a pub on the eve of the match, where they agreed on the fix.

The Match That Went According to Plan — Until It Didn’t

The match was at Old Trafford, United’s home ground. They followed their plan perfectly, scoring 2 goals through George Anderson. They even missed a penalty on purpose, as Patrick O’Connell sent the ball over the bar.

George Anderson and Patrick O’Connell
George Anderson and Patrick O’Connell

But there was one player who refused to play along: Fred Pagnam, a Liverpool striker who knew and opposed the fix, tried to ruin it by scoring a goal, but hit the crossbar.

Fred Pagnam
Fred Pagnam

The final whistle blew, and Man United celebrated their survival in the First Division. What could go wrong?

Well, the bookies were suspicious, as they noticed unusually high bets on a specific result, favoring the underdog. They decided to hold off on paying out these bets, and offered a reward to anyone who could expose the fraud.

Old Trafford stadium
Old Trafford — Home stadium of United, where the match took place

The Fallout of the Scandal

The Football Association (FA) cracked down on the match-fixing scandal after conducting its own investigation. They singled out 7 culprits, revealing that all four Liverpool players were in on the plot, while only one from United was involved (he denied it and was later cleared).

The offenders got no mercy: they were all banned for life from playing in England.

However, the match result was not changed. The FA thought it was unfair to punish the clubs with point deductions since the others had no clue about the fix.

The Fates of the Scandalous Seven

All seven players were banned for life, but their football fates took different twists.

Later, the FA offered them a chance to redeem themselves: if they joined the army and fought in the war, their bans could be lifted. Everyone agreed, except Enoch West. He claimed he was innocent and even sued the FA. But he lost the case, and his ban was only removed in 1945.

Sandy Turnbull and Thomas Fairfoul
Sandy Turnbull and Thomas Fairfoul

Of the six who went to war, one died: Sandy Turnbull. The others got their bans lifted in 1919 (including Turnbull’s, in his memory). One of them, Thomas Fairfoul, decided to quit football for good.