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The English FA has slapped a thorn in the side of UK sportsbooks with a record fine for a non-league player, after James Byrne confessed to placing almost 1,000 bets on football matches over his ten-year career.
The FA hit Portishead Town midfielder Byrne, 29, with an English Premier League-sized fine of £48,388 ($65,010), reportedly the highest penalty in non-league history.
According to reports, the fine represents around 500 times what Byrne pockets playing for the franchise he joined in August.
it will take the Hounslow-born Englishman another ten years of playing time to pay off
While the FA has extended a payment plan offer to Byrne, Plymouth Live reckons it will take the Hounslow-born Englishman another ten years of playing time to pay off. No surprise, then, that Byrne told the FA that he loves soccer “and hopes to play until he is 40.”
The FA report also included music to UK sportsbooks’ ears, with Byrne stating that the case was “the final nail in the coffin” and that it wasn’t worth his while to bet anymore.
Byrne, who holds a master’s degree and works as sports data consultant, told investigators that he combined his passions for math and data to develop a successful soccer betting method that netted him almost £50,000 ($67,045) over the years.
The multi-skilled midfielder told the FA that he was often forced to open new betting accounts with sportsbooks after they cut him off for winning too much and would deliberately place losing bets so as not to draw attention.
If Byrne had dropped one non-league level down to Tier Nine, he would have been able to play and bet on soccer legally. While he was aware of the risks, Bryne stated he wanted to “play at the highest level possible” and stuck with his Tier Eight team.
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