Thanks Mark, that is really interesting to read. It just goes to show there is no hiding place.
From the sound of it it is punters spotting a good value bet due to a recommendation in a leading sports magazine rather than some mates setting it up like the Isaac case but you never be sure until the facts are checked.
But it does seem the FA have already made some decisions on it:
FA: Mr Coote did you deliberately book Mr Brown the other night due to being told to do so as a betting scam?
Mr C: Definitely not, that is cheating.
FA: Good, you are in the clear. Take the game Fulham v Chelsea and carry on doing your wonderful job. Well done.
FA: Mr Brown did you deliberately get booked the other night due to being told to do so as a betting scam?
Mr B: Definitely not, that is cheating.
FA: That sounds well dodgy. You are still under investigation.
The Isaac case is an interesting one as well, because the case report shows that the suspicious betting activity was identified as a result of the bookmakers facing a decent sized pay out from some unusual betting patterns. However those same bookmakers were completely silent when Isaac was placing bets in his own name on football events, the bookmakers would have known this was illegal and chose to turn a blind eye for years because Isaac was a losing customer and they were taking his money. The game would be much cleaner sooner if the bookmakers did their job properly.