The English Football Association (FA) has handed a 12-month suspension and a £1,500 fine to Huw Lake, Swansea City’s player liaison officer, due to violations related to betting. Lake is barred from all football and related activities.
Lake was charged with placing 2,476 bets on football matches between April 3, 2018, and September 24, 2023, a charge he admitted.
An independent Regulatory Commission initially issued a 12-month ban, which includes three months of immediate suspension. The remaining nine months were suspended until the end of the 2024/25 season. However, the FA appealed this decision, claiming it was excessively lenient.
The FA had proposed a potential ban ranging from six months to a lifetime, emphasizing the severity of the charges and noting that Lake had bet against his own team. The FA argued that Lake, a respected figure in a position of influence, could have endangered players and other club staff through his actions.
An independent Appeal Board sided with the FA, finding the nine-month suspension deferral too lenient. The board replaced it with a full 12-month suspension starting March 25, 2024.
Lake has been with Swansea since 2004, taking on the role of player liaison officer in 2007.
Details of betting breaches
From April 2018 to September 2023, Lake placed 2,476 football-related bets, including 130 bets on Swansea City FC to lose. He wagered nearly £92,000 in total, with losses amounting to less than 10% of the total staked.
Other player betting offenses
Lake’s case is part of a series of ongoing investigations into alleged betting violations by the FA.
Recently, West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta was charged with misconduct for alleged breaches of FA Rules E5 and F3. Paqueta faces four charges under FA Rule E5.1 related to his conduct during Premier League matches against Leicester City on November 12, 2022; Aston Villa on March 12, 2023; Leeds United on May 21, 2023; and AFC Bournemouth on August 12, 2023. He is accused of intentionally seeking to influence the matches by attempting to receive a card from the referee to affect the betting market, enabling others to profit.
Additionally, on May 2, an independent Regulatory Commission sanctioned Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali for misconduct related to the FA’s Betting Rules. Tonali admitted to 50 breaches of FA Rule E8 for betting on football matches between August 12, 2023, and October 12, 2023. He received a suspended two-month suspension from all football activities, a £20,000 fine, and a warning.
