Frome Town Manager Nick Bunyard Suspended, Fined for Betting Against Own Team

Frome Town manager Nick Bunyard has been handed a three-year suspension from all football activity after it was revealed the tactician bet against his own teams 45 times in less than two years.

The Football Association released a statement (h/t Press Association, via ESPN FC) after a commission found Bunyard guilty of placing bets against Frome Town and former club Paulton Rovers:

"

Frome Town manager Nick Bunyard has been suspended from all football and football related activity until 1 July 2019 and fined £3,000 after breaching The FA's Betting Rules.

For the duration of the suspension, which is effective from 19 April 2016, he must not attend any ground at which Frome are playing on a matchday at any level.

An Independent Regulatory Commission heard how Mr Bunyard admitted misconduct in relation to 97 breaches of FA Rule E8(1)(a)(i) relating to betting activity between 13 September 2014 to 9 April 2016. Of the 97 bets, 45 were placed against Paulton Rovers FC and Frome Town FC whilst Mr Bunyard was manager.

"

As stated, the offences are reported to have occurred between September 2014 and April 2016, so Bunyard's suspension will officially start from the latter date, although he can only return to management in July 2019.

Bunyard spoke to Tom Seymour of Somerset Live following this week's news, where he forced the point that "betting in non-league football is rife," questioning whether he'll make the return to management:

"

It's all left a bad taste in the mouth and I'm somewhat disillusioned with football. I'll have to see in time whether I want to come back in any way but I also need to find out whether I can get involved in any aspects of football at all, say at junior level or in Africa where I've been teaching football to underprivileged kids. I've given a lot to the game and never taken a wage. 

Of the 20 or so games I had bets on, most were on our team to win. There's never been any question, though, that I ever wanted my teams to lose.

"

The 36-year-old even went so far as to claim "99 percent of footballers bet on the game."

Frome Town released an official statement via their official Facebook page on Thursday regarding Bunyard's suspension and noted that while the club doesn't condone gambling, they were "disappointed" with how the case unfolded:

In August of this year, the Sun's Alex West reported 11 people, including players and their partners, had been arrested in relation to a match-fixing probe centred around Welsh Premier League outfit Rhyl.

Players are at great risk of being led astray in regards to gambling due to their significant wages, but Bunyard's case is proof managers are no safer from such unlawful activity, either.

Despite a three-year suspension, Bunyard wouldn't appear to be overly stressed by the situation after taking to Twitter following his ban:

The ex-Paulton Rovers chief isn't the only manager to be stung by unsavoury headlines of late, either, after a Telegraph investigation forced former England manager Sam Allardyce to resign from the post under corruption allegations.

Frome Town are currently eighth in the Southern Football League Premier Division and are still fighting for promotion.