sport news FA investigators will SEIZE Oxford United defender Ciaron Brown's phone and ... trends now
FA investigators will seize Ciaron Brown's phone and scrutinise the Oxford United defender's recent calls, texts and social media traffic as part of their probe into potential spot-fixing in their FA Cup defeat to Arsenal on Monday.
Sportsmail revealed last night that the FA had begun investigating after receiving evidence of an alleged betting scam, including WhatsApp messages from before kick-off which claimed that Brown would definitely be booked during the third-round tie on Monday.
The FA have the power to interview all related parties and demand they hand in their phones and laptops, with Brown's devices understood to be the primary focus of their initial inquiries. The 24-year-old Northern Ireland defender was booked in the 59th minute of the game when the score was goalless for pulling down Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah before he went on to push midfielder Fabio Vieira.
FA investigators will seize Ciaron Brown's (L) phone over a potential spot-fixing scandal
Brown committed several fouls during the match and was booked in Oxford's loss to Arsenal
Several punters have contacted Sportsmail since our story was published on Tuesday night to say that they won thousands of pounds after placing bets at odds of 8/1. In addition, eyewitnesses at the Kassam Stadium claim they saw several Arsenal fans celebrating wildly after Brown was booked and boasting of their winnings, although there is no suggestion they were involved in any criminal activity.
Sportsmail has also learned however that several bookmakers have so far refused to pay out, due to suspicion over the betting patterns and fears of possible corruption. The odds available on Brown being booked also collapsed from
