MORECAMBE’s assistant manager has been charged with allegedly violating FA betting rules.
John McMahon has been charged with a whopping 251 alleged violations over a near four-year period.
An FA statement read: “Morecambe assistant manager, John McMahon, has been charged with misconduct in relation to betting.
“It’s alleged that he has breached FA Rule E1 (b) by betting on football matches 251 times between 30 November 2019 and 14 October 2023.
“John McMahon has until Thursday 8 February to respond.”
A statement from League Two Morecambe on the allegation read: “Morecambe Football Club acknowledges the FA’s statement regarding the charge made against John McMahon.
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“As this is an ongoing matter, we will be making no further comment at this time.”
The allegations against McMahon came to light just hours after a Championship player received a lengthy ban for breaching rules – with one of the violations seeing him bet on his own team.
Huddersfield Town’s Kian Harratt was slapped with a four-month ban after being found guilty of placing 484 bets on football over a three-year period.
Harratt apologised for his actions, saying: “I am also cognisant of the fact that some of the bets that I have placed are more problematic than others, in particular those involving my own team.
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“While the vast majority of the bets I have placed on football do not involve my own team, I recognise the issues that placing bets involving my own team can cause.”
He added: “Of the 44 bets of this nature that I placed, 36 involved Huddersfield.
“I was not in the matchday squad for any of the fixtures involving Huddersfield that I bet on, as I was either on loan or training with the reserves at that time.
“Nine of the 36 bets involving Huddersfield included selections for Huddersfield to lose. While, as explained above, I was not in the squad for these fixtures, I accept that these are perhaps the most serious of the bets on football that I have placed.
“As is demonstrated by the spontaneous nature of the bets that I placed, I did not plan or give much thought to the teams that I included.
“Looking back, I find it difficult to explain how or why I would have selected certain teams or fixtures to bet on.
“In particular, I am unable to explain why I would have placed bets against my own team, when it is clear to me now that this is something that footballers should not do.”
If found guilty, McMahon could face a serious touchline suspension.
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The FA hit Brentford and England international Ivan Toney with an EIGHT-MONTH ban and a £50,000 suspension for 232 breaches of FA betting rules.
Toney, 27, only returned to the fray on January 20 in the Bees’ clash with Nottingham Forest.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
