Former Manchester United and England Midfielder Paul Scholes has been fined by the FA for breaching it’s betting rules.
The E8 Rule
FA rule E8 states, no syndicate athlete, club executive, match official or steward are prohibited from placing bets on football matches at any level.Scholes had allegedly placed 140 bets on matches between August 2015 and January 2019, E8 also prohibits instruction of any third party of wagering on any match.Scholes, who has now retired, still has strong connections with the FA and Football, having managed Oldham Athletic, plus co-owner of Salford FC. The allegations brought against him took place around the time he was actively involved with Salford FC.
Potential Fine and Ban
Joey Barton was the last high profile footballer to face disciplinary action after breaching E8 back in 2017.After the ruling, Ladbrokes broke association with the FA, leaving the association highly embarrassed by the breach. Greg Clarke, FA Chairman was forced to make a statement saying the partnership was ‘incompatible’ with enforcing anti-gambling rules.After the FA ruling, Scholes has since lost his position as a pundit for BT Sports UEFA Championship League broadcast.The ruling came just four weeks after he walked out as the manager at Oldham Athletic, a position he held for just two months. Scholes has until the 26th April 2019 to respond to the allegations, which could see him fined and potentially banned.