Euro 2016 Star Accepts Betting Charge

Kyle Lafferty the second high-profile footballer to accept a betting charge after Martin Demichelis (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images).

Norwich City striker Kyle Lafferty has been handed a £23,000 fine by the English Football Association having accepted a betting charge.

The highly rated footballer was found guilty of breaching FA rule E8 as he placed a bet on a football match taking place on 20 February 2016.

Lafferty did not wager on a football game he was involved in as neither Norwich City nor Northern Ireland were in action on said date, but rule E8 states that a football player is forbidden from betting on any football-related matters around the globe.

Aware of his poor decision, the 28-year-old accepted the charge and was in turn fined £23,000 and warned over future conduct by the English FA.

Fans’ Favourite in Northern Ireland

The well-traveled striker has so far represented Burnley, Darlington, Rangers, Sion, Palermo, Norwich City, Rizespor and Birmingham City, and he is best remembered for a five-year spell at Ibrox Park.

Lafferty is a real hero in Northern Ireland, having scored 7 goals in the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, playing a key role in helping the national team secure their first ever European Championship appearance.

The experienced forward, who is widely expected to leave the Canaries by the end of the summer transfer window, is not the first high-profile footballer to have been charged by the FA for betting.

Former Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis received a similar fine last May despite placing no fewer than 29 bets on matches taking place between 22 January and 15 February 2016.

The Argentine footballer managed to avoid a Premier League suspension seeing that he was not suspected of match fixing.

Welsh Authorities Arrest 10 People for Match Fixing

Meanwhile, South Wales Police have arrested 10 persons that have allegedly attempted to fix the outcome of the match involving Port Talbot Town.

Seven from Swansea, two from Talbot Town and a 28-year-old from Neath have been taken to police custody and charged with conspiracy to defraud.

Football Association of Wales alerted the Gambling Commission about the potential foul play taking place in the Welsh Premier League match between Port Talbot Town and Rhyl.

The police soon began their investigation and they appear to have gathered sufficient evidence to charge seven men and three women with conspiracy to defraud.