Red-carded footballer could face 10 years in prison if found guilty of bets fraud

Midfielder Steve Jennings was arrested on suspicion of fraud at his home in Glasgow by officers from Merseyside Police, and taken to a station south of the Border. Wayne Rooney snr, 48, was detained at his home in the West Derby area of Liverpool.

The arrests were made after detectives were asked to investigate by the Gambling Commission.

It follows a match between Motherwell and Hearts on 14 December last year, in which Jennings was sent off. He was shown a straight red card in the 83rd minute of Motherwell’s 2-1 Clydesdale Bank SPL defeat after complaining to referee Stevie O’Reilly about a rejected penalty claim.

He had also been booked earlier in the match for fouling Kevin Kyle as Hearts launched a dangerous break.

That was his seventh booking of the SPL campaign and incurred a two-match suspension, with the red card sparking an automatic one-game ban.

Jennings was shown in live TV coverage of the game lashing out angrily at a plastic cup in the dressing room following his red card.

The investigation by the Gambling Commission, an independent body formed under the Gambling Act (2005), began days later.

It came after members of the Association of British Book- makers raised concerns about betting patterns on the game. Blue Square revealed that one new customer had placed £200 on a Motherwell red card at odds of 10-1, before being denied attempts to put more money on.

Jennings, who has been a key player for Motherwell since joining from Tranmere in 2009 and signed his third one-year contract at Fir Park in July, was reportedly told not to speak publicly by the club at the time.

However, he reportedly denied any wrongdoing to his club, and his employers came out in support of the 26-year-old.

Then caretaker manager Gordon Young said he was confident any suspicions would prove “unfounded”.

He said: “The first and foremost thing is for the player to be exonerated because it has no bearing on the individual.

“Everyone at the club is 100 per cent behind him.”

Last night, the club said in a statement: “Motherwell Football Club can confirm that the Scottish Football Association [SFA] made the club aware that one of our players was taken to a police station early this morning in connection with an ongoing investigation.

“We have no further comment to make at this time.

“Any further statement would be wholly inappropriate and the club can and will only do so when properly appraised of the next steps in the process by the relevant authorities.”

As well as Rooney’s father, the Manchester United star’s uncle, Richie, 54, was also detained.

Suspects arrested in the north of England were held for questioning in police stations across Merseyside. Jennings was believed to be detained at an English station, close to the Scottish border, as detention laws differ in the two jurisdictions.

The men were arrested under suspicion of fraud. Under English law, fraud carries a maximum sentence of ten years.

All nine were later released on bail until late January.

SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said the arrests followed “extensive inquiries” into alleged betting irregularities at the SPL match.

He said: “While the investigation involves several other individuals outwith Scotland, it is important to stress that the evidence gathered throughout this thorough period of investigation has involved only one Scottish match.”

Mr Regan added: “The Scottish FA will make no further comment at this stage.”

In a statement, Merseyside Police said: “Detectives have executed warrants at ten addresses across Merseyside and Glasgow and arrested nine men as part of an investigation into suspicious betting activity.

“Those arrested are a 29-year-old from Bootle, a 48-year-old from West Derby, a 54-year-old from Norris Green, a 26-year-old from Croxteth, a 22-year-old from Kirkdale, a 31-year-old from Litherland, a 68-year-old from Fazakerley, a 36-year-old from Kirkby and a 26-year-old from Glasgow.

“The investigation relates to a match between Motherwell and Hearts on December 14, 2010.”

Both the Gambling Commission and the Association of British Bookmakers declined to comment.