FOUR former Accrington Stanley players have been banned from playing football after being found guilty of breaching the Football Association’s rules on betting.

The scandal emerged following Stanley’s final game of the League Two 2007/08 season when an unusually large amount – nearly £300,000 – was bet on a Bury victory.

Bury went on to win 2-0 in a game where neither side could win promotion or relegation.

FA officials – who were alerted to the unusual betting patterns prior to the match – conducted a year-long investigation into the betting and charged the players in April this year. Each asked for a personal hearing with the FA, which has happened over the last few weeks. The banned players are:

  • Jay Harris, who was at Accrington at the time but is now at Chester. He was fined £5,000 and suspended from football for a year after being found guilty of betting £2,000 on the game.
  • Long-serving defender Robbie Williams, who left the club at the end of last season after nine years with the Reds. He was fined £3,500 and suspended for eight months for placing a £1,000 bet on a Bury win.
  • David Mannix, who was found guilty of betting £4,000 on the game. He was fined £4,000 and suspended for 10 months. He too is at Chester.
  • Andy Mangan, who was at Bury at the time although did used to play for Accrington. He was fined £2,000 and suspended for five months from playing football for betting £3,000 on his team to win.

Harris played in Bury win while striker Mangan – who enjoyed his best ever season for new club Forest Green last season – Williams and Mannix did not play in the game.

The case of Stanley captain Peter Cavanagh, who was charged with betting on a £5 accumulator for that game and also betting on a Stanley win in a a match against Dagenham, is due to be heard on 7 August.

It’s believed at least Williams and Mangan are set to appeal against the punishment.

Outgoing Stanley chairman Eric Whalley, who officially leaves the club today (Friday), said: "I am disgusted with the players."

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The FA's Regulatory Commission statement on the ruling:

"A REGULATORY Commission today announced decisions involving incidents of betting in fixtures involving five players. The summary of the charges, all of which were breaches of FA Rule E8(a) were:

Mr James Harris:

a. Case 1 – Whilst an Accrington Stanley player bet on the outcome of Accrington Stanley v Bury on 3 May 2008.

The Regulatory Commission found the charge proven and Mr Harris was fined £5,000 and suspended immediately from all football and football activities for a period of 1 year.

b. Case 2 – Whilst a Chester player placed a stake on a treble bet including:

i. The outcome of Bournemouth v Chester on 6 December 2008.
ii. The outcome of Bradford City v Dagenham & Redbridge and/or Macclesfield Town v Bury.

The Regulatory Commission found the charge proven on the basis of (ii) but not (i) and therefore Mr Harris was fined £500 and warned as to his future conduct.

Mr David Mannix:

a. Whilst an Accrington Stanley player bet on the outcome of Accrington Stanley v Bury on 3 May 2008.

The Regulatory Commission found the charge proven and Mr Mannix was fined £4,000 and suspended immediately from all football and football activities for a period of 10 months.

Mr Robert Williams:

a. Whilst an Accrington Stanley player bet on the outcome of Accrington Stanley v Bury on 3 May 2008.

The Regulatory Commission found the charge proven and Mr Williams was fined £3,500 and suspended immediately from all football and football activities for a period of 8 months.

Mr Andrew Mangan:

a. Whilst a Bury player bet on the outcome of Accrington Stanley v Bury on 3 May 2008.

The Regulatory Commission found the charge proven and Mr Mangan was fined £2,000 and suspended immediately from all football and football activities for a period of 5 months.

The case against Peter Cavanagh will be heard at a later date.

In summary, the Chairman of the Regulatory Commission, Mr Nicholas Stewart QC stated: "All the charges against Andrew Mangan, David Mannix and Robert Williams as well as the more serious charge against James Harris concerned betting on a match Accrington Stanley v Bury on 3 May 2008. The Regulatory Commission has serious concerns that the outcome of the match may have been fixed although none of the players were charged with these offences.

"The suspensions and fines are imposed because The FA rules restricting betting by players (and others) on matches or competitions in which they are involved are vital to ensure public confidence in the integrity of football and the absolute straightness of all football matches. These players were all in blatant breach of the rules. Three of the players, (Mannix, Harris and Williams) were Accrington players at the time and actually bet on the opposing team, Bury, to win. Actions which would shock any fair minded football fan. Mr Harris even played for Accrington in that match.

"Mr Mangan did at least bet on his own Club to win but was nevertheless in serious breach of this important rule.

"The betting offence committed against Mr Harris when he was a Chester City player merits a less severe penalty but was a clear breach of The FA rule E8(a).""