New England star Townsend's gambling escape haunts FA in another case

The lenient way the FA dealt with new England star Andros Townsend after he breached betting regulations was used as evidence during an unsuccessful appeal in another football gambling case.
An FA panel ruled not to reduce Robert Heys’s 21-month ban from any form of football for multiple offences that have cost him his job as manager director of Accrington Stanley.
Heys’s defence had argued the sentence was too harsh considering former Weymouth owner George Rolls suffered no loss of livelihood when he was barred for five years for a far greater number of betting infringements.

Served his time: England and Spurs winger Andros Townsend received a one-month ban in May for breaching betting regulations

 

 

And it was pointed out that Townsend’s international career had rocketed since he received just a one-month ban in May (with three months suspended).
The Tottenham winger missed only the Under 21 European Championship following bets that included a wager on his own team in a Europa League match in which he didn’t play.
Also mentioned during the Heys hearing  were the ‘double standards’ around PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor, who remains in his post despite reportedly running up bookmaker debts of more than £100,000.
It was said Taylor did not face FA disciplinary action — despite being on the governing body’s international committee — because he is not affiliated to a club.