The Football Association is facing claims of double standards after a Guardian investigation revealed that the owner of a Premier League club may have benefited from bets on the game placed in his own name.
The disclosures involve Matthew Benham, the owner of the Premier League club Brentford FC, whose star striker, Ivan Toney, is serving an eight-month suspension for breaking the FA's strict gambling rules.
Benham is one of a select few multimillionaire club owners who enjoy an opaque arrangement with the FA that allows them to be involved in betting. The Guardian has seen evidence that appears to show that Benham has made money from bets on football placed in his own name, via a UK-based gambling syndicate called MSPP Admin. Benham said he abides by all FA betting rules.
The governing body prohibits anyone involved in football from betting on any match anywhere in the world, under laws designed to protect the integrity of the sport, resulting in tough penalties for footballers, including the England striker Toney.
The FA is now facing calls to reveal the full terms of its deal with the owners, which has been in place for a decade. Other proprietors that the FA allows to run a betting business while owning a football club include the Coates family behind Bet365 and Stoke City, and the Brighton owner, Tony Bloom. There is no suggestion that any of them have benefited from bets placed in their own name.
The association has consistently refused to give full details of exemptions given to some football club owners but has said that anyone with a "significant interest" in a football club must not be "directly involved" in activity such as setting odds or placing bets. Information seen by the Guardian raises questions about the nature of Benham's involvement in football bets.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 25, 2023 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 25, 2023 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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