{"items":[{"title":"Bending the rules: Sports teams - legally or illegally - finding an edge","body":"
When Marcelo Bielsa announced an emergency press conference yesterday, Leeds United fans must had feared the worst.\u00a0The revelation that he\u2019d sent a spy to Derby County\u2019s training session ahead of their crunch fixture in the Championship sent shock-waves around English football, and a forced resignation was said to be not out of the question.\u00a0In the press conference however, Bielsa doubled down. He reinforced his position of spying on Derby\u2019s training, and admitted to also spying on all other Championship clubs. He then delivered a 45-minute PowerPoint presentation on how to beat Frank Lampard\u2019s team.\u00a0Astonishing!\u00a0With that in mind, we thought we\u2019d take a look at some other times teams or individuals have tried to bend the rules to gain an advantage.\u00a0Note \u2013 not all of these measures were defined as illegal by their sporting bodies, although that\u2019s not to say punishments weren\u2019t handed out afterwards!<\/p>\n","author":"Sam Brown","image":[{"url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/1078291430-1200x800.jpg","author":"Justin Setterfield\/Getty Images Sport","title":"Queens Park Rangers v Leeds United - FA Cup Third Round"}],"dates":{"published":"2019-01-17T12:17:01+00:00","updated":"2019-01-17T12:17:20+00:00"},"id":"47-3663","link":[{"rel":"self","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/readsport.co\/2019\/01\/17\/bending-the-rules-sports-teams-legally-or-illegally-finding-an-edge\/"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"application\/json","href":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/msn-feed\/?id=47-3663"}],"keywords":[],"slideshows":[{"images":[{"title":"Bending the rules: Sports teams - legally or illegally - finding an edge","body":"
When Marcelo Bielsa announced an emergency press conference yesterday, Leeds United fans must had feared the worst.\u00a0The revelation that he’d sent a spy to Derby County’s training session ahead of their crunch fixture in the Championship sent shock-waves around English football, and a forced resignation was said to be not out of the question.\u00a0In the press conference however, Bielsa doubled down. He reinforced his position of spying on Derby’s training, and admitted to also spying on all other Championship clubs. He then delivered a 45-minute PowerPoint presentation on how to beat Frank Lampard’s team.\u00a0Astonishing!\u00a0With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look at some other times teams or individuals have tried to bend the rules to gain an advantage.\u00a0Note – not all of these measures were defined as illegal by their sporting bodies, although that’s not to say punishments weren’t handed out afterwards!<\/p>\n","author":"Justin Setterfield\/Getty Images Sport","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/1078291430.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/1078291430-160x160.jpg"},{"title":"The Bodyline Series","body":"
In the 1932\/33 Ashes, England deployed a highly controversial tactic against Australia. On the hardened pitches of the southern hemisphere, England captain Douglas Jardine decided to use the tactic of ‘bodyline’. The skipper would pack fielders in close to the bat on the leg side and bowl short, fast balls at the batsman. Attempting to defend himself by offering out the bat, the unfortunate soul facing the onslaught would harmlessly clip one up into the hands of an awaiting fieldsman. England won the series 4-1, but were derided in the Australian press. The MCC would outlaw ‘direct attack bowling’ in 1935, as a direct response to the now infamous ‘Bodyline Series’.<\/p>\n","author":"Hulton Archive\/Hulton Archive\/Getty Images","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/1242299.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/1242299-160x160.jpg"},{"title":"The Monkey Gland FA Cup Final","body":"
This is an astonishing story. The 1939 FA Cup final saw Wolves take on Portsmouth. What marked both of these teams out, however, was the use of injections of ‘monkey glands’. A concoction developed by a scientist called Menzies Sharp, Wolves manager ‘Major’ Frank Buckley had first trialled the course on himself before then administering it to all of his players. It caught on, too, with other clubs following suit – including Portsmouth. The south coast side would win 4-1 that day and the treatment was forgotten about during the course of the Second World War.\u00a0<\/p>\n","author":"Keystone\/Hulton Archive\/Getty Images","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/3430626.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/3430626-160x160.jpg"},{"title":"Deflategate","body":"
In the 2014 AFC Championship Game, the New England Patriots hammered the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 45-7. However, it was not the result that everyone was talking about in the days after the game. It emerged that the Patriots had been using deliberately under-inflated footballs to allow for better grip in wet conditions. Despite not having any bearing on the result, the Patriots lost a first round draft pick and quarterback Tom Brady was handed a four game suspension.\u00a0<\/p>\n","author":"Elsa\/Getty Images Sport","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/461782662.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/461782662-160x160.jpg"},{"title":"Bloodgate","body":"
I think this is my favourite ‘gate’. In a 2009 Heineken Cup match between Harlequins and Leinster, ‘quins winger Tom Williams came off the field with an apparent blood injury to allow Nick Evans to return to the action after he himself had previously been substituted with an injury. Williams bit into a blood capsule to make it appear as if he had bust his lip open. Stunningly, this led to team doctor Wendy Chapman deliberately cutting his lip in the medical room to corroborate the ‘story’. The punishments were severe. A lengthy ban for Williams, the director of rugby, a hefty fine, and Chapman’s suspension from practising medicine by the General Medical Council for\u00a0deliberately cutting her player’s lip open. Of course, they may have avoided all of this had Williams not winked at a fellow player when leaving the field. They have cameras at the match, mate.\u00a0<\/p>\n","author":"Warren Little\/Getty Images Sport","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/85919220.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/85919220-160x160.jpg"},{"title":"Trevor Chappell bowls underarm to secure victory for Australia","body":"
In 1981, Australia met New Zealand in a One Day International. The two sides had played out a close contest, but the Black Caps were requiring six runs from the final ball to tie. Brian McKechnie was waiting to try and loft Trevor Chappell’s delivery into the stands to achieve such a result, but he never got the chance. Indeed, Trevor had been instructed by his captain (and brother) Greg Chappell to bowl an underarm delivery – a legal action at the time. Trevor skirted the ball down to McKechnie, who blocked the delivery, then furiously threw his bat to the ground. Underarm bowling was subsequently banned from ODIs.<\/p>\n","author":"Mark Kolbe\/Getty Images Sport","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/496082842.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/496082842-160x160.jpg"},{"title":"Rosie Ruiz at the Boston Marathon","body":"
I love this one too. In the 1980 Boston Marathon, Ruiz was named the winner of the female category. Undeniably, she was the first woman to have crossed the finish line. What she had not done, however, was run the entire course. Reported to have entered the fray half a mile from the finish, several people immediately suspected foul play. Disqualified in the weeks after the race, Ruiz herself still maintained as of quite recently that she did run the whole race. You have to admire it!<\/p>\n","author":"Tim Bradbury\/Getty Images Sport","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/522264440.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/522264440-160x160.jpg"},{"title":"Boris Onishchenko","body":"
Another fantastic one here! In the 1976 Olympics, the Soviet fencer was using a modified weapon during the fencing component of the pentathlon. Realising the scoring mechanism worked by completing an electrical circuit when striking an opponent, our man Boris here worked out how to complete the circuit himself with a switch located behind the handle of his weapon. Pressing the switch to complete the circuit when near (but not touching) his opponent, fellow competitor Jim Fox realised he was giving up an awful lot of points without being hit. Found out by tournament officials, the athlete was banned from ‘all sports’, ‘for life’. Intense.\u00a0<\/p>\n","author":"Alex Livesey\/Getty Images Sport","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/149712862.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/149712862-160x160.jpg"},{"title":"Sandpaper Scandal","body":"
You and I might use sandpaper on a kitchen worktop or garden bench, but Steve Smith and David Warner decided to employ the rough stuff for use on a cricket ball. Frustrated with their lack of success against the South African batsmen during their tour of the country, the pair opted to take some sandpaper to the ball in order to gain unexpected movement both in the air and off the pitch. Handing the task on the pitch to inexperienced batsman Cameron Bancroft because of their massive cowardice, heavy punishments were handed out for all three culprits.\u00a0<\/p>\n","author":"Gallo Images\/Getty Images Sport","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/937400806.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/937400806-160x160.jpg"},{"title":"David Robertson","body":"
In the 1985 qualifying round for The Open, former Scottish boys champion Robertson was feeling the pressure. A successful round was halted on the 14th hole for his repeatedly egregious ball placings when on the green. Picked up by his playing companions, it’s hard to imagine how Robertson thought he was ever going to get away with this one.\u00a0<\/p>\n","author":"Mike Ehrmann\/Getty Images Sport","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/140413743.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/140413743-160x160.jpg"},{"title":"Sylvester Carmouche","body":"
Aboard a horse named ‘Landing Officer’ in a January 1990 race at the Delta Downs track, officials were confused when the 23-1 outsider came in as a 24 length winner. It emerged that Carmouche had dropped out a mile into the race in thick fog, and had rejoined on the finishing straight. When he admitted his actions, he was slammed with an eight-year ban.\u00a0<\/p>\n","author":"Warren Little\/Getty Images Sport","url":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/481315073.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/readeverything.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2019\/01\/481315073-160x160.jpg"}]}]}]}