A TAUNTON Town Football Club player has been banned and fined after an FA investigation into more than 1,800 bets being placed on football matches over a seven-year period.

In a statement, the club said they "have received notice that following an investigation by the FA, Ollie has received a four-month ban and a fine for contravening FA Rule E8 (Betting)."

The player was issued with a misconduct charge last month and the case was in respect of 1,880 bets placed on football matches between December 11, 2014, to September 19, 2021.

The club's statement also quotes Chamberlain saying: “I wish to apologise to the club and of course my family for any problems caused by my actions.

“I have learned a difficult lesson and am very grateful for the support of those around me for their help and encouragement at this time. I hope that from this situation I may be able to help others who find themselves in a similar situation in the future.”

The statement also read: “Taunton Town FC does not condone any contravention of any FA rule and agrees that those guilty need to be punished in line with the penalties set out in the rules.

“However, Taunton Town FC also takes its responsibilities towards the welfare of its players and other club members very seriously whatever the circumstances and will provide appropriate and suitable personal support and advice to the individuals involved.”

The club also said: “In recent times the FA’s Legal Department has been conducting investigations into contraventions of Rule E8 and have been concentrating on clubs in the non-league pyramid.
"To our knowledge, at least four other clubs in our division have had players investigated.

“The primary reason for Rule E8 is to protect the integrity of the game from potential corruption and ‘match-fixing’, which is an intention and objective that Taunton Town FC wholeheartedly and completely supports.”