'Bigwig' Segaran "Gerry" Gsubramaniam guilty of match-fixing in Victorian Premier League THE local ringleader of an international match-fixing syndicate has pleaded guilty to running dodgy games in the Victorian Premier League, along with two former players of the Southern Stars team who have escaped prison through cooperating with police. Segaran "Gerry" Gsubramaniam today pleaded guilty to one charge of engaging in conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome, admitting to fixing Southern Stars matches played between 21 July this year and his arrest in September. Other similar charges have been withdrawn in exchange for the guilty plea. Police have previously alleged Gsubramaniam was the local "bigwig" behind the fixing of Southern Stars games that allegedly netted more than $2 million in winning bets. It was alleged Gsubramaniam regularly spoke with people in Malaysia and Hungary, including known match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal, before passing instructions to the Southern Stars coach and players on how to manipulate the match result. Gsubramaniam has been remanded in custody to appear in the Victorian County Court for a plea hearing in April, while former Stars players Joe Woolley and Reiss Noel also pleaded guilty and were immediately sentenced today. Woolley and Noel, both 24, are English soccer players who came to Australia for a holiday and were drawn to the VPL as a means to boost their professional career prospects. Woolley pleaded guilty to three match-fixing charges and Noel to four charges. The court heard the players were either actively engaged in fixing the matches through their playing or were passing instructions to other players from the sidelines. Prosecutor Peter Rose SC said the pair had given police their full cooperation and offered to provide further evidence against two other players and the coach. Each charge against them could have resulted in a maximum 10 year jail term, but Mr Rose said a conviction, fine and undertaking to assist further would satisfy the Crown. "We understand they didn't make a lot of money out of this," he said. Defence lawyer Anthony Brand said the players had not spoken to each other about the match fixing. "They were all embarrassed about what was going on and ashamed of what they were doing," he said. Both Noel and Woolley became somewhat concerned about what they had been getting into. Mr Brand said the players had been "expendable" pieces in the larger match-fixing operation which was run from overseas and their football careers were finished as a result of the scandal. Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said the men's lack of prior convictions, cooperation with police and early guilty pleas warranted leniency. He ordered Woolley to pay a $1200 fine, and Noel to pay $2000. The Southern Stars' former coach Zia Younan, and players David Obaze and Nicholas McKoy will appear in court on December 20 for a committal mention.