Book review: From Match Fixing to Murder

An expertly written and exciting book, From Match Fixing to Murder offers the reader a unique opportunity to appreciate and understand the factual and evidential details of some of the most controversial cases of the sporting world.

Written in an accessible and easy to understand language, Ian Hewitt describes in a direct and effective manner the details of several sporting cases that have required, over the years, the involvement of lawyers. Although this is not the standard academic textbook used for teaching purposes, it nevertheless makes engaging and light reading for those seeking a rudimentary knowledge of the interaction between sport and the law.

The book contains ten chapters and an epilogue, which focuses on FIFA. Each chapter analyses a specific area of sporting legal enquiry, with reference to high-profile sporting cases
(and some not so well known). Hewitt sets out the facts of each case in a simple manner and, where appropriate, introduces the reader to the legal principle
of the case without the need to employ legal jargon. This makes the book easier to read for the lay person, and at the same time it produces a pleasant and interesting way for someone to discover and comprehend the particular aspects of a case.

The author deals very well with the sometimes justified cry of 'Lawyers have no place in sport' by explaining persuasively and authoritatively the necessity of the legal regulation of sporting disputes. In choosing a selection of sporting disputes that made headline news, the author simultaneously alerts the reader to the legal significance of such disputes and their consequences for sport and the law.

The reader is guided from issues of manslaughter to petitions for divorce, where golf
is described by the wife as the 'mistress' and adultery gains a new meaning in a claim. From football corruption to doping cheating, the reader enjoys a wide variety of sporting disputes with a mixture of serious and amusing claims.

In summary, the book is well-researched, well written, entertaining, droll, and easy to read. Hewitt offers a valuable insight into the necessity of the involvement of the law in the regulation of sporting disputes. Hewitt has put a meticulous effort into the research and writing of the book, and as such has produced a refreshing attempt at explaining, in simple terms, the interaction between sport and the law. SJ

Dr Gregory Ioannidis is a sports lawyer with experience in high-profile anti-doping litigation. He is a senior lecturer in law at Sheffield Hallam University and an academic associate at Kings Chambers in Manchester. Ioannidis is SJ's resident author on sports law. 

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