Paul Scholes fined for breaching football betting rules

PAUL Scholes has been fined £8,000 after breaking football betting rules.

Paul Scholes

The former Oldham Athletic manager, who lives in Grasscroft, was found to have placed 140 bets on football matches between August 17, 2015 and January 12, 2019.

Scholes, 44, has a 10 per cent stake in League Two newcomers Salford City after Manchester United’s famed Class of 92 bought the then non-league outfit.

However, the Football Association said he placed eight bets on matches involving his former club during a period when Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt were employed at Old Trafford,

He also placed a bet on Valencia beating fellow Spanish club Barcelona when Gary Neville was the manager and eight bets on FA Cup ties but after Salford City had been knocked out.

Overall, the bets placed totalled £26,159 and he made a profit of £5,831.

However, an independent regulatory commission found no evidence Scholes was in a position to influence these games.

He said: “I would like to apologise and I understand and fully accept the fine imposed by the FA.

“It was a genuine mistake and was not done with any deliberate intention to flout the rules.

“I wrongly believed that as long as there was no personal connection between me and any of the matches that I bet upon, then there would be no issue.

“However I understand now that this is not the case and I should have taken steps to verify this at the time.”

The FA also warned Scholes as to his future conduct.