Western Australian football has fallen foul of Football Federation Australia (FFA) again, with two players and a coach punished for placing bets on a National Premier League match.
The trio were found to have placed bets on a match last year, but none of the games involved their respective team.
One player also put bets on other football matches – including the A-League – in breach of the National Code of Conduct.
The sanction imposed was a suspended fine for each individual.
FFA chief executive David Gallop said the governing body was making this incident public as a general warning to football participants, who might not be aware
of the prohibition on wagering in state leagues.
“Players, coaches, referees and club officials are not allowed to bet on football matches anywhere under FIFA’s statutes, which are reflected in the National Code of Conduct,” Gallop said.
“There are particular sensitivities in the case where participants are betting on a match in their own competition.
“In this case, we have suspended the fines and protected the identity of those involved because they demonstrated a genuine lack of understanding of the ban on betting. The football community should take note of this case.”
Football West chief executive Peter Hugg said the state organisation supported FFA’s efforts to raise awareness of the issue by publicising this case.
Source: AAP
