Southport Manager Handed Suspended Ban for Placing Bets During Playing Career

^{Pictured: Neil Danns, former footballer and current Southport FC manager}

Southport FC head coach Neil Danns has received a suspended six-month ban and a £1,000 fine for historical breaches of betting regulations, according to the BBC. The 42-year-old admitted to placing 65 bets on football matches between 2007 and 2022 — a period when he was still an active professional player.

During that time, Danns played for clubs including Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Birmingham City, and Bolton Wanderers.

Most of the bets were reportedly placed before 2014, the year when the Football Association introduced a blanket ban prohibiting players and coaches from betting on football worldwide.

According to the report by the FA’s Regulatory Commission, Danns mainly placed accumulator bets involving multiple matches.

The total amount wagered was just over £2,100, and the commission found no evidence that he was involved in match-fixing or used insider information. As a result, the commission opted for a suspended sanction rather than an active ban.