How a Corrupt Referee Robbed Nottingham Forest: The Untold Story of the Bribe 40 Years Later

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Perhaps someone at Nottingham Forest had this looming anniversary in mind when the club started peddling conspiracy theories like Donald Trump on polling day, blaming officials for a defeat at Everton.

Because it is 40 years ago this Thursday that Forest became victims of a verified corruption scandal, when Spanish referee Emilio Guruceta Muro accepted a bribe to make sure they would not beat Anderlecht in a UEFA Cup semi-final.

Muro banked more than a million Belgian francs, then worth about £18,000 for awarding Anderlecht a penalty that never was and ruling out a goal scored by Paul Hart in the last minute, which would have sent Brian Clough’s team into a final against Tottenham Hotspur.

‘It still hurts,’ admits former centre-half Hart. ‘I would have loved the chance to play in European final and we fancied our chances against Spurs.’

Forest had won the first leg against Anderlecht 2-0 at the City Ground, thanks to a pair of late goals by Steve Hodge but the players thought Clough seemed unusually concerned about the return in Brussels.

The night Nottingham Forest were really robbed by a dodgy referee, when Spanish referee Emilio Guruceta Muro (right) accepted a bribe to make sure they would not beat Anderlecht

Steve Hodge nets  Forest's second goal during their semi-final first leg against Anderlecht

Steve Hodge nets  Forest’s second goal during their semi-final first leg against Anderlecht

‘Like a cat on hot bricks,’ according to full back Kenny Swain. ‘He was sat next to me in the dressing room about an hour before kick-off. Opposite us there was an open door, and we could see a flurry of activity, people coming and going at the other end of the corridor.’

Clough sent secretary Ken Smales to investigate. ‘Ken came back, saying it was nothing,’ recalls Swain. ‘It was ‘just the referees’, he said. But you could tell the gaffer was feeling uneasy about it all.’

Hart had experienced similar feelings when he picked up an English newspaper at the team hotel ahead of the game and read comments from Clough, clearly wary about the appointment of referee Muro.

‘He never had a pop at the officials,’ says Hart. ‘Certainly not prior to a game and very rarely afterwards. I said to Kenny Swain, I hoped it wasn’t the same Spanish referee we had when I played for Leeds in a pre-season tournament in La Linea, near Gibraltar.

Vanden Stock, Anderlecht's former president who bribed a referee, pictured in 1991

Vanden Stock, Anderlecht’s former president who bribed a referee, pictured in 1991

‘We played against Real Madrid, it was only a friendly but the game was broadcast live across Spain and he sent two of our players off for nothing.

‘We stepped into the tunnel at Anderlecht and there he was, the same referee, looking back down the tunnel towards me. I said to Kenny, “it’s him”.’

Forest had no complaints about the first Anderlecht goal, fired in by a young Enzo Scifo but a series of dubious decisions led up to the second, a penalty awarded for a foul by Swain on Kenneth Brylle.

‘He got in behind me, clipped his own heels and went flying,’ recalls Swain. ‘I didn’t touch him.’

Danish winger Brylle converted from the spot, levelling the tie with half an hour to play.

Swain did not feel any better when years later he met a Dutch coach who had played for Anderlecht and jokingly confirmed Brylle had a reputation for diving.

Edwin Vandebergh made it 3-0 in the 88th minute and then came Hart’s ‘goal’, headed in from a corner.

‘Boomed it,’ as he says. ‘Bounced down and into the net. No pushing, no leaning. Fair and square.’

It would have sent Forest through on away goals. Referee Muro ruled it out.

‘There was what to me was an unreasonable delay before he blew the whistle,’ says Hart. ‘It bounced in past Ian Bowyer so I asked him if he could have been offside. He said, “Was I heck”.

‘The referee must have realised, “there goes my money”.’

With more than a hint of sarcasm Forest midfielder Bowyer offered Muro a handshake at full-time.

Nottingham Forest are set to be sent the audio transcript of VAR's audio recordings after furiously complaining to PGMOL in the wake of their controversial 2-0 defeat by Everton

Nottingham Forest are set to be sent the audio transcript of VAR’s audio recordings after furiously complaining to PGMOL in the wake of their controversial 2-0 defeat by Everton

Nottingham Forest said in an explosive statement that they had warned PGMOL not to have Stuart Attwell as the VAR on Sunday, because the official is a 'Luton fan'

Nottingham Forest said in an explosive statement that they had warned PGMOL not to have Stuart Attwell as the VAR on Sunday, because the official is a ‘Luton fan’

‘He refused to shake my hand and that stuck with me,’ says Bowyer. ‘He either felt guilty or was just desperate to get off the pitch.

‘I felt cheated. We all felt cheated. I look back 40 years on, and it still doesn’t sit any easier but at the time, what can you do?

‘We were dejected and the manager was quiet, bitterly disappointed because he felt he had been done like this before.’

That was in 1973, when his Derby County side lost 3-1 to Juventus in the first leg of a European Cup. Clough accused the Italians of ‘buying’ the German referee, who booked Archie Gemmill and Roy McFarland, ruling them out of the return.

The matchday programme from Forest's controversial semi final defeat in 1984

The matchday programme from Forest’s controversial semi final defeat in 1984

He walked into the post-match press conference in Turin, declared loudly he would not be talking to any of the ‘cheating b*****ds’ and asked esteemed British sportswriter Brian Glanville if he would mind translating those words.

In Brussels, 11 years later, Clough was more subdued.

Bowyer says: ‘He came over, trying to pick me up, saying, “make sure you’re with us for the next European campaign”.’

Forest boarded their charter flight and returned to the mundanity of domestic football with a draw against Stoke City. They finished the season third. Spurs, who finished eighth, won the UEFA Cup, beating Anderlecht on penalties.

The following season, Forest crashed out of the UEFA Cup in the first round. Beaten again in Belgium, this time by Club Brugge, and they have only been back in European competition once since, in 1995-96 when they reached the last eight of the UEFA Cup.

It was the same year Vanden Stock stepped down as Anderlecht chairman, handing control to his son Roger as the sinister details of the Forest semi-final spilled into the public domain.

He had been blackmailed for years by local petty criminals Jean Elst and Rene van Aeken, who had evidence of the bribe. Elst had made the payment to the referee at the Hilton Hotel in Brussels.

They sent documents to the Belgian FA in 1992, with instructions for it to be passed on to UEFA, who took their time but finally banned Anderlecht from European competition for one year, in 1997.

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The club's incendiary statement accusing Attwell (above) has been heavily blasted by pundits

The club’s incendiary statement accusing Attwell (above) has been heavily blasted by pundits

Gary Neville spoke out against Forest's statement

His Sky Sports co-pundit Jamie Carragher also criticised the Midlands club

Both Gary Neville (left) and Jamie Carragher (right) have spoken out against Forest’s statement

Vanden Stock confessed to making the bribe, although he called it a loan. The club, who were defending the trophy, had panicked after a poor result in the first leg. “It confirmed our darkest thoughts,” says Hart. 

Anderlecht’s referee’s liaison officer Raymond de Deken was banned for life. Elst and Van Aekan were sentenced to two years in jail, although the blackmail convictions were later overturned. Some Forest players tried unsuccessfully to sue for damages.

Referee Muro died in a car accident in 1987, aged 45, leaving no known record of which team he supported.

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