Joey Barton is facing an SFA charge of betting on 44 matches over a ten week period.
News of the charge emerged soon after the midfielder was given a three week club suspension,on full pay, with the hearing scheduled for two days after his return to action.
Barton will become the third Sevco player in three years to be charged for gambling on football but it’s unlikely that the SFA will take action against the club.
Ian Black and Steve Simonsen have both been charged in the past with Black given a three match suspension despite betting on 160 matches.
While Fran Sandaza was sacked by Sevco for speaking to a hoax agent about a transfer to America Sevco defended Black with some classic comedy from Ally McCoist.
Holding up what was claimed to be a sheet of paper with a list of players and officials that McCoist knew gambled on football matches the former Ibrox boss said: “
“This is a list of players and football officials in our country who quite enjoy putting a wee bet on, having a wee coupon and a couple of quid on their team.
“I would never disclose the names but it’s over 100 in 10 minutes that the boys have got me.
“It’s a wee bit of enjoyment to stick a wee coupon on for a fiver or a tenner or whatever they do.
“What I’m asking for is for everybody to get around a table, whether it’s the SFA, the players’ union, bookmakers, whoever.
“Let’s all sit around a table and find out what’s allowed, what’s not allowed and then we can start again.
“Nobody here, surely, is incredibly naive to think that this is anything like a one-off situation.”
Yesterday the SFA announced: “n that between 1st July and 15th September 2016, you placed 44 bets upon football matches, and gambled upon football matches in contravention of Disciplinary Rule 31. Mr Barton has until Wednesday, 12th October to respond to the complaint.”
