Football manager escapes ban despite gambling almost £1m across range of sports
A manager has escaped punishment after gambling almost £1million, including 28 bets on football.
The manager, whose real name cannot be disclosed due to legal reasons, has only been issued a warning by the Football Association (FA). The news comes after Nottingham Forest defender Harry Toffolo was given a suspended five-month ban and fined £20,000 after admitting 375 breaches of the FA's betting rules.
Toffolo's offences occurred between 2014 and 2017 when he was under contract at Norwich and he has not had a bet in more than six years. Brentford striker Ivan Toney, meanwhile, is currently serving an eight-month ban after admitting 232 breaches between 2017 and 2021.
He was also fined £50,000 and will not be able to play again until January 2024. The manager in question, who is currently in charge of a club in the top four flights of English football, has not been handed a similar punishment to either Toffolo or Toney.
According to the Athletic, the manager had eight betting accounts and admitted he had an addiction during a court case last year where former footballers Alan Rogers and Steven Jennings were accused of trying to blackmail him.
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As a result of the court case, the manager was granted anonymity. Rogers, best known for his time at Nottingham Forest, was charged with one count of blackmail as well as perverting the course of justice. Jennings, meanwhile, was charged with two counts of blackmail and one of perverting the course of justice.
They both denied the allegations and the charges were later dropped after the manager decided he no longer wanted to give evidence. According to evidence heard in court, it was revealed the manager had bet £879,000 in a two-year period with losses of £270,000.
The majority of the bets were on horse racing, but 28 were also made on football matches. After the court case collapsed, the FA were given access to all of the police evidence but ultimately decided against imposing a ban or fining the manager.
Alan Rogers was one of two ex-footballers accused of attempting to blackmail the manager (Craig Prentis / Allsport)In a statement, they said that only three of the bets were placed after the FA introduced a "total ban" on betting on football and that as they were "of a low value" they decided to only issue a warning. An FA spokesperson told Mirror Football: "We take all allegations of potential betting breaches very seriously, and we conducted a full and thorough investigation into this matter.
"The details of this specific case included a total of 28 historic bets on football, with only three bets placed, of a low value, after The FA's introduction of a total ban for Participants to bet on football in 2014.
"The last of these bets were placed in 2017, and none of them were in relation to clubs that the individual was involved with at the time. With all aspects fully considered, the case was closed, and the individual was issued with a formal warning.
"The reports that suggest that this has been a secret process are categorically incorrect. There are legal restrictions on us being able to name the individual, which are unconnected with the betting matter."
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