Skip to main content

Football is full of gamblers like Michael Chopra: Nick Harris

5

View comments

Footballer Michael Chopra was one of nine people handed lengthy bans from horseracing on Friday over alleged corruption, but sources have told Inside Sport that he is just one of many England players from different age groups who have suffered ‘serious gambling-related issues’ in the past decade.

‘From players who’ve played for England to those in the non-league, gambling is ruining lives,’ said a source. ‘When things become desperate, it’s not unusual to see people take desperate measures to clear their debts.’

Ipswich striker Chopra, 29 and a former England Under 21 international, was disqualified for 10 years from any involvement in racing following a long investigation by the British Horseracing Authority.

Disqualified from racing: Michael Chopra (left) and James Coppinger have been banned from racecourses for 10 years

Another former England Under 21 player, ex-Manchester United midfielder Mark Wilson, 33, has also been disqualified from involvement in racing for 10 years, and a third footballer, Doncaster midfielder James Coppinger, 32, has been banned from racing for three years.

The BHA concluded that those three and others, including jockey Andrew Heffernan, had breached rules through their involvement in betting on horses to lose in several races between November 2010 and March 2011.

Chopra released a statement earlier this month saying he could not afford the £50,000 in legal fees necessary to defend himself and in effect he did not contest the charges.

    More from Nick Harris...   Nick Harris: Murray and Co chase £1.5m as Wimbledon chiefs raise prize money to record £20m 20/04/13   Tiger got away with it because golfing rules allow for discretion 13/04/13   Nick Harris: FA investigate Rovers as civil war breaks out between senior executives 13/04/13   Nick Harris: We can't protect players from fake agents, say FA 30/03/13   NICK HARRIS: Premier League stars at risk of ruin with £1bn in 'tax relief' schemes 23/03/13   All to play for in the League One battle of the basket cases 23/03/13   Nick Harris: Hammers mortgage £60m of TV money in bid to manage debts 16/03/13   Nick Harris: Is Suarez on the way to Atletico Madrid as Chelsea line up Falcao? 09/03/13   Nick Harris: No pay from PSG.. but Beckham reveals record £20million profit for 2012 02/03/13   VIEW FULL ARCHIVE  

The forward, who is understood to earn £17,000 a week at Ipswich, the club he joined in summer 2011, has suffered from a gambling addiction for years. Ipswich have stood by him, even advancing him £250,000 in wages at one point to pay gambling debts. But those debts have become so onerous at times that debt collectors have turned up at training to try to recover money, and sources claim Chopra has suffered threats of violence from some of those he owes money.

Chopra has sought help for his addiction, including at Sporting Chance, the Hampshire-based organisation that helps footballers with problems ranging from alcoholism to drug problems.

Peter Kay, Sporting Chance’s CEO, has spoken of an ‘epidemic’ of gambling among footballers that could have dangerous repercussions for the game, including a case where an indebted footballer had deliberately got sent off at the request of a bookmaker to whom the player owed money.

Chopra’s statement this month appeared  to anticipate a ban from racing and said it  could help him. ‘I have a gambling addiction problem and I see any such sanctions as being a useful mechanism in helping me address these problems,’ he said.

MotD axe was no shock to Murray

Colin Murray has been keeping tight-lipped on his departure as presenter of Match of the Day 2 despite knowing he would be dropped from the BBC show since October.

BBC bosses told Murray he would lose his role as host of the Sunday evening show four months before the news became public,  to much furore, last week.

There were apparently no hard feelings between the Northern Irishman and his replacement, Mark Chapman, yesterday when the presenters shook hands warmly before Murray presented his weekly 5 Live radio show, Fighting Talk, at the BBC’s MediaCity studios in Salford.

Murray even orchestrated a spoof opening to the show, pretending to make way for Chapman on this platform, too.

No hard feelings: Colin Murray has been ousted from his post as MotD2 host

Captain McGinley will make a cool million from Ryder Cup spin-offs

Paul McGinley is set to make more than £1million from the 2014 Ryder Cup captaincy as sponsorship and marketing opportunities open up for one of the most prestigious appointments in golf.

Colin Montgomerie is believed to have had an income surge of around seven figures from his stint as captain when the European Ryder Cup team last won on home turf, at Celtic Manor in 2010.

In the money: Paul McGinley

Now McGinley, 46, who has already demonstrated considerable business nous, is likely to top that. Only last week he was nominated for a top business award in his native Ireland for his online club-hire company, having already been recognised in the British golf industry awards last month.

The company rents golf clubs to holidaymakers across Europe, saving them the baggage charges they would have to pay to take their own clubs on flights. Turnover for the business, clubstohire.com, has doubled in a year.

McGinley’s raised profile via the Ryder Cup will help business and land him lucrative speaking engagements.

‘It’s almost impossible to quantify the exact amount he can make but the profile of the job is massive,’ says Nigel Currie, head of the sports marketing and sponsorship agency, Brand Rapport.

‘Montgomerie had a high profile already, including in America. But for McGinley, he’ll get a large boost, and as the Ryder Cup gets bigger and bigger it’s only going to get more lucrative for all involved.’

  More... Ipswich forward Chopra hit with 10-year horse racing ban after corruption scandal Chopra and two other footballers found guilty in BHA corruption investigation



Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o