FA charges Paul Scholes with ‘allegedly’ breaching betting rules

Issuing a short statement, the Football Association (FA) has confirmed that it has charged former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes ‘with misconduct in relation to its betting rules’.

The FA states that Scholes is alleged to have placed 140 bets on football matches between 17 August 2015 to 12 January 2019, breaching FA Rule E8.

Under the association’s ‘Rulebook of Conduct’, Rule E8 prohibits any FA syndicated athlete, match official, club executive or steward to bet directly-or-indirectly on football matches of any level.

Furthermore, Rule E8 prohibits FA syndicated members of ‘instructing, permitting or enabling any third party of wagering on football matches’.

Although retired, Scholes is a registered FA football official having recently managed Oldham Athletic and having been a co-owner of National League side Salford FC, alongside former Manchester United colleagues  – Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary  and Phil Neville.

Media reports detail that Scholes’ alleged betting misconduct took place during his tenure as part of Salford FC’s executive management.

Upon the FA’s announcement, last night BT Sport withdrew Scholes participation as a pundit of its UEFA Champions League broadcast.

The accusation, sees Scholes become the highest profile football figure since Joey Barton, to face disciplinary hearings on breaching Rule E8, back in July 2017.

An embarrassing chapter for the FA,  the Joey Barton breach would see association end its football betting partnership with Ladbrokes, amid political and internal criticism, forcing FA Chairman Greg Clarke to state that the partnership was ‘incompatible’ with enforcing anti-gambling rules.