Booth banned for nine months

Torquay United defender Austen Booth has been banned for nine months by the Football Association for misconduct over historical betting charges earlier in his career (writes Dave Thomas).

Booth, 26, admitted the charges, relating to nearly 290 bets he is alleged to have placed over four years between 2017 and 2021, a period when he played for Truro City, Buckland Athletic and Tiverton Town.

The Torquay-born player has already undertaken to educate the Gulls’ Academy starlets on the dangers and pitfalls of football betting, but his suspension still counts him out of action for United for the rest of this season.

In a club statement on the matter, United acknowledged the judgment and sentence on Booth, but added: “Torquay United feels that the football system needs to do better to educate both clubs and, especially, young players who are coming through the non-professional and semi-professional ranks.

“We applaud Austen’s desire to deliver a seminar to our Under-18 Academy team to educate young players around the issue of football betting.”