A former England under-19 cricketer and Scottish international footballer have both been accused of significant betting offences within the space of a couple of days.
Chris Maguire, who picked up two caps for the Tartan Army in 2011, has been accused of breaching the rules on betting as governed by the Football Association.
And Ryan Davies, who represented England at youth level and enjoyed spells at Durham, Somerset and Kent in professional cricket, has admitted placing more than 180 bets on the sport – a clear breach of ECB guidelines.
Maguire has been accused of placing 52 bets across a five-year period between March 2017 and February 2022, although it has not been confirmed if he wagered on a game in which his team was involved in.
Nevertheless, professional footballers are banned from betting on the beautiful game anywhere in the world as per the FA’s Rule E8, which declares that any player, coach or match official ‘shall not bet, either directly or indirectly, or instruct, permit, cause or enable any person
to bet on the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in or in connection with, a football match or competition.’
The ruling also prohibits betting on any ‘football matters’, which includes transfers, the hiring/sacking of managers and team selection.
Lincoln City, who signed the 33-year-old from Sunderland in the summer, have confirmed that they have suspended Maguire pending an investigation, and that he has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association.
Chris Maguire has been charged with misconduct under FA Rule E8. He has until August 30 to respond to the allegations.
Chris has been suspended by Lincoln City without prejudice until further notice.
— Lincoln City FC ?? (@LincolnCity_FC) August 22, 2022
Caught Out
Ryan Davies had the cricketing world at his feet when he was selected for England’s Under-19 squad for the World Cup back in 2015.
That came just a few months after he had made his first-class debut for Kent, before deciding to sign for Somerset on a three-year deal.
But that stint in the south west ended early due to ‘personal reasons’, while a two-year deal penned with Durham also ended prematurely after just one season.
It later transpired that Davies has been prolific on the betting front, placing 181 cricket wagers between 2015 and 2020 – a timeframe in which he has largely been employed as a professional.
Unsurprisingly, that’s against the rules – Article 2.2.1 of the English Cricket Board’s (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code to be precise, and Davies has been handed a six-month ban, suspended for two years, as a result.
The 25-year-old is currently playing in the amateur ranks, and he will be allowed to continue to do so as his ban only comes into force for first-class games. He has shown remorse and readily admitted to the charges, the ECB confirmed, and the governing body also revealed that none of the bets placed were on games in which Davies was directly involved.