The Fix – innovative sports integrity partnership project launched
Police Scotland has teamed up with Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT) and Abertay University to deliver an innovative sports integrity programme – The Fix.
Presented by club coaches and anyone involved in the coaching of young people – the programme warns and advises young elite athletes of the dangers posed by serious organised criminals, high-profile social media as well as match fixing and gambling.
It also highlights the potentially negative and adverse influence these factors could have on their wellbeing as well as their future participation, or career, in their chosen sport.
Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn said:
“The Fix programme is about prevention and the interactive sessions will provide information which will help young athletes avoid being drawn into the world of serious organised criminality and prevent them being exposed to the harm that it undoubtedly presents.
“We also want to ensure that the integrity of the young person’s chosen sport is not compromised in any way.
“Social media can be a hugely positive aspect of being involved in sport at the highest level and helps raise the profile of an athlete. However, there can be a negative side to the attention it brings and the teaching pack explains this.”
During the interactive session, the young athletes will be shown a hard-hitting video showing the career-threatening consequences of becoming involved with criminals, who persuade a young footballer to be part of fixing matches. The real-life inspired events in the video are depicted by actors.
The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Chair of the SOCT Keith Brown said:
“I welcome the launch of The Fix and am grateful to those who have supported the development of the programme. I’m also pleased that the SOC Taskforce was able to support the project through our Small Grants Fund.
“Sport is an integral part of life in Scotland, delivering a wide range of benefits. The Fix is a good way to open a forum for discussion with young people about the threat and harm that serious organised crime can have on their lives.
“It’s important that we make young people aware of and understand the risks and potential harms they and their sport can be exposed to. Those engaged in serious organised crime will use any trick they can to ingratiate themselves and exploit any situation for their own financial benefit. They are not interested in the young person and will leave them to face the consequences, which can have long-term impacts on them.”
Abertay University’s Professor of Duty of Care in Sport, David Lavallee and Dean of School of Applied Sciences, Andrea Cameron conducted the underpinning research for The Fix film script and teaching pack, in collaboration with a doctoral student.
Professor Lavallee said: “This proactive initiative led by Police Scotland is a hugely positive step towards better educating our nation’s athletes and protecting them from serious organised criminality.
“There’s no doubt that issues like match fixing, gambling and the toxic side of social media pose significant dangers to modern athletes and that’s one of the reasons why we embed education on welfare and integrity into all of our academic programmes, in addition to making duty of care in the sector a prime research focus.”
Chief Executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, said: ‘”This collaborative project, delivered by Police Scotland, Abertay University and the SOCT, highlights an important issue that faces many young athletes today. ‘The Fix’ is a fantastic programme that demonstrates the real dangers that exist as a result of match fixing and gambling and the threats that it can pose to a young athlete’s sporting career.
“Developing initiatives such as this one, is vital to the education of sportsmen and women in our country and is a big step forward in helping protect them from organised criminality. As the national agency of sport, we fully support the work being done to educate young athletes across many different sports and performance levels.’’
Assistant Chief Constable Freeburn added:
“As well as helping to protect the young athletes, The Fix underlines that Police Scotland, in partnership with a wide range of people including coaches and parents is committed to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and delivery of the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy.
”I am proud of this initiative and the hard work that has gone producing The Fix teaching pack and video. We are also grateful for the assistance of the Scottish Government, Interpol, Abertay University, Screen Education Edinburgh, Aberdeen Football Club and Aberdeen City Council.”
