A player from Scottish third-tier football club Ayr United has been hit with a six-match suspension after he was found to have placed bets on football matches, including a number involving his own team. Following a hearing at a disciplinary tribunal under the Scottish Football Association’s (SFA) judicial panel protocol, striker Michael Moffat was banned with immediate effect.
He was found to have placed seven bets on six matches involving his team between August 3rd 2012 and August 10th 2013, and betting on 150 matches not involving Ayr between February 19th 2012 and September 1st 2013.
Moffatt was charged with breaches of two Scottish Football Association (SFA) disciplinary rules, including disciplinary rule 33 that no person under the jurisdiction of the SFA is permitted to bet on a football match, aside from authorised and registered football pools.
He was also charged with breach of disciplinary rule 34 that no individual under the SFA’s jurisdiction can behave in a manner that can directly or indirectly influence a match in a way that may benefit either themselves or a third party through betting.
While Moffat was cleared of breaking disciplinary rule 34, he was found guilty of two breaches of rule 33, resulting in the six-match ban.
He becomes the second Scottish footballer to be banned for betting-related offences this season, after Ian Black, a midfielder for fellow third-tier side Rangers, was handed a 10-match ban.
Over a seven-year period Black was found to have placed bets on teams he played for on three occasions, bet on 10 matches involving his club and on 147 other football matches.
source : www.gamingintelligence.com
