Dempsey facing 'life'
Betting scandal threatens Pat’s midfielder’s career
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Monday November 10 2008
ST PATRICK'S Athletic midfielder Gary Dempsey is facing a lengthy ban from Irish football after he admitted over the weekend to having bet on a game involving his own club.
Despite protestations from PFAI General Secretary Stephen McGuinness that Dempsey was not open to sanctions, an FAI spokesman last night stated they will come down hard on the former Dunfermline midfielder, with anything up to and including a life ban from Irish soccer now possible.
An FAI spokesperson last night revealed to the Irish Independent that Dempsey had broken Rule 100 of their Rules of the Association, entitled 'Betting/Gambling', and said "The FAI are due to meet representatives from St Patrick's Athletic (today), but any breach of Rule 100 of our rulebook will be taken very seriously."
Wrongdoing
McGuinness was unavailable to comment on the FAI's statement last night.
Dempsey approached the club over the weekend, after reports of a betting scandal involving St Pat's players appeared in newspapers, and admitted his wrongdoing, complete with the betting slip in question. He is believed to have placed a €20 double on his own club to lose to Galway and Manchester City to beat Bolton on the evening of October 20.
St Pat's subsequently lost, with Dempsey playing no part in the game, but Man City's draw with Bolton meant he made no money from the bet.
"I placed a €20 bet on my club to lose in a double on an occasion on which I was not playing and in which I had no influence on the game.
"The bet was unsuccessful as the other team involved were beaten," read a statement from the 27-year-old Wexford-born player, who is suspended from his club indefinitely. Despite Dempsey's admission, the investigation into player betting within St Pat's is to continue.
- Neil Ahern
