Match Fixing: How Man Utd & Liverpool reshaped the Football League

It's easy to become disillusioned with what's become of the beautiful game, it feels increasingly more like business and politics drive the sport than when it did when you were younger. It was all so much simpler then ... right ... right?

Dive into a pivotal moment in football history, as we explore the controversial Good Friday match-fixing scandal of 1915, and the subsequent expansion of the English Football League in 1919 - a decision that echoes through the sport to this day. This episode not only highlights the scandal involving Manchester United and Liverpool, but also covers the dramatic changes in league structure that allowed Arsenal to rise in an unexpected way, and add fuel to the fire in their burgeoning rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur

Discover how war, scandal, and (juiciest of all) potential corruption influenced the game during it's formative years. Whether you're a Tottenham fan feeling the sting of historical decisions, or a neutral curious about some of the origins of the sport, this deep dive into football history is packed with intrigue and awful metaphors.

Route None is a new channel and as such we'd love your support. If you enjoy deep dives into historical events and uncovering the stories behind events from football history, don't forget to subscribe to stay updated with our latest content. Your support helps us grow and continue producing new videos on a regular basis.

[MattO]

Dude I cannot understand how a channel like this pops up and makes such high quality content so quickly. Nice work man.

[xomifred]

This channel is the true successor to Tifo.

[Subcomandante_lexi]

Liverpool players colluding with united, everton winning the league… times were grim

[michaelstein]

Seems like match fixing was a major problem across many sports in the 1910s and 1920s. 1919 is when the infamous Black Sox scandal happened in baseball. Back then, professional athletes made decent money, but certainly not enough to pass up a fixing opportunity to make multiple years’ wages in one go.

It’s fascinating to learn about these historical events as sports leagues developed into what they are today.

[kyevern]

love the content!!! KEEP IT GOING

content feels likes Tifo when it first started, with interesting topics and great animation

and a damn good humor in storytelling

[paranermal]

Hang on a minute. I'm subscribed to an Arsenal fan! Sounds like Justice for Chelsea in conclusion, Thank you very much. Keep up the fantastic work man.

[SomethingSomewhereJustOnce]

I usually keep the comment section on YT hidden and don't really comment on videos these days, but you said one thing that I absolutely didn't agree with so here I am.

At the end you said that the whole scandal was inconsequential as Spurs got promotion the next year anyways.

But what if Tottenham got promoted and Arsenal had to play in Division 2 the next year and some other club won promotion next year?

It might be inconsequential from Tottenham and Arsenal's perspective but it was definitely consequential for the other clubs in Division 2.

P.S.: Really liked the quality of the 2 videos I've watched on your channel so far. ❤

[joshbrown]

So basically Arsenal have always used their history as a way to justify any of their claims, meanwhile Spurs have always whined about things not going their way when they are responsible for it?
and all the while, Chelsea is caught up in a chaotic situation, where their fate is undecided

So nothing has really changed then, even in modern football.

[bruce]

Great content. Hope the YouTube algorithm does you the credit you deserve.

[oniondesu]

"because of the war" had me rolling the 7th time you called back to it 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[Sparkiebc]

Mate this shit is really fucking good. I’m binge watching rn. Keep going

[paulallen]

I'm a gooner and had no idea....fascinating!!

[iceblock]

Been binge watching these videos, very funny and educational. Looking forward to seeing more of this channel

[dmac]

You should look into the history of Third Lanark. The club went bust through a revenge mission by its last owner. Its a good yarn.

[slowerthinker]

I have heard a few stories from old pros about people (usually towards the end of the season when there are possibilities of trophies or relegation) trying to pay off opposing teams to guarantee results. Some of the stories even involve people that aren't "Ron Devie".

For some bizarre reason there was one season at the end of the 80s when there were 21 teams in the first division.

[loveadeola]

How am I just discovering this channel?
Great content, funny remarks, sweet design, what can I say? You've got yourself a subscriber.

[fszczawinski]

Is that an Air Bud reference at 3:14?! Outrageously good, well done on all your videos so far mate

[aaronhurst]

If you're taking suggestions, I'd love to see a video describing why the football league went from 2pts for a win to 3pts. Loving the content, cheers!

[adtf]

Leaving this comment for the algorithm to kick in, as for some reason (idk why) your channel has a low amount of subscribers, despite your well-crafted, well written and documented video.
Bravo sir, you are doing an amazing job.

[burritobanditbax]

This really puts a dampener on Arsenals record of most consecutive seasons in the first division, which dates back to 1919