Sport imperfect

Two top snooker players have been questioned, but not charged, after one wins a UK title match 9-3 and so many people bet on 9-3 that bookies close the book.

All this week there have been amazing revelations about the extent to which illegal blood injuries exist within Rugby Union. Harlequins' guilt seems to be a matter of how many take part rather than the need to prove the case but now the All Blacks, the Australians, England and other Six Nations sides are also being accused.

I remember what we - ie the Rugby League lads - used to say when professionalism in RU was debated 50 years ago. "There will be deaths if money is brought into their game," we swore. There have been no fatalities - happily - but there is clearly a lot of shady behaviour and in fact I cannot remember being more offended by news of cheating as I have been by what happened in their cup-tie. Some of my horror comes from memories of the way RU officials used to claim the morale high ground because RL players were paid. Even in the 1950s there were stories from RU converts that they had been paid when they were "amateurs".

In football, there are several rows blowing up about players diving, the need for video replays to cut out player mistakes, and the role of the disciplinary bodies. The footballers earn colossal amounts compared with snooker, cricket and Rugby guys and to hear of someone cheating to earn more when they are so rich always sticks in the craw.

Where does cricket come in all this cheating? Who knows, but there is a fantasy that the results of the 2005 and 2009 Ashes series were rigged to ensure spectator interest and big gates in the following Ashes series in Oz.

I also remember one of the inner circle of cricket notables saying: "No, they would not dream of doing such a thing" when he was told of the drug taking among players in the 1980s. Now we know that is all true. That same guy has repeatedly refused to write his inner story of a life in cricket. Why?

We all know that "match-fixing" - or if you accept my definition, "player-fixing" - went on and may be alive and kicking.

I once heard a sporting type describe the comic effects of painting a greyhound and the rain washing away the result. It made for a fine party piece but there must have been a loser too. Stories of naughty doings in horse racing crop up all too often, tennis has had to investigate unususal betting patterns, and athletics is apparently fuelled by drugs to the extent that some will not celebrate the arrival of a great new talent like Usain Bolt in case the cheers turn to tears.

Is it new? No, of course, not. I visited the site of one of the ancient Olympic Games and saw where athletes who cheated were flogged.

Sport is a beautiful, romantic dream life for those who take part and those who watch but never imagine it is clean, or perfect, or true to its proclaimed ideals.

Sadly.