Sheffield United title-winner facing betting allegations probe amid Bradford City statement

Harry Chapman, the former Sheffield United loanee who helped the Blades win the League One title back in 2016/17, has been charged with misconduct over an alleged breach of Football Association betting rules.

Chapman, now 25, spent time on loan at Bramall Lane from Middlesbrough during their historic 100-point season, scoring a memorable hat-trick in an FA Cup hammering of Leyton Orient. The former Middlesbrough man is now at Bradford City, signing for the League Two giants after leaving Blackburn at the end of last season, and is alleged to have breached FA Rule E8 (1) (b) while at Rovers.

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Chapman has until July 6 to respond to the charge, which Bradford revealed in a statement that dates back to 2017 while playing for Blackburn, after his spell at Bramall Lane came to an end.

“Bradford City AFC acknowledges an FA misconduct charge against Harry Chapman, in relation to The FA’s Betting Rules,” a Bantams statement read. “Harry Chapman has the full support of everyone at Bradford City AFC, and will continue to train with his teammates as normal throughout pre-season until further notice. The club will be making no further comment on the matter at this time.”

Kieran Trippier, the Newcastle United and England right-back, was charged with the same offence three years ago, which the FA’s betting rules defines as: “Where a participant provides to any other person any information relating to football which the participant has obtained by virtue of his or her position within the game and which is not publicly available at that time, the participant shall be in breach of this rule where any of that information is used by that other person for, or in relation to, betting.”

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Trippier was handed a 10-week ban and fined £70,000 after also being found to have breached the FA’s Rule E8(1)(a)(ii), which reads: “A participant shall not bet, either directly or indirectly, or instruct, permit, cause or enable any person to bet on any other matter concerning or related to football anywhere in the world, including, for example and without limitation, the transfer of players, employment of managers, team selection or disciplinary matters.”

An independent panel found that Trippier had encouraged friends to bet on his move from Tottenham Hotspur to Atletico Madrid in 2019. In the most high-profile example in recent times, Brentford striker Ivan Toney was banned for eight months back in May after admitting 232 breaches of the FA’s betting regulations. Back in 2017 Joey Barton was banned for 18 months after admitting an FA charge in relation to betting, after being charged with placing 1,260 bets on matches or competitions from in a 10-year period from 2006, but later saw his ban reduced by almost five months on appeal.

Chapman’s time at Bramall Lane was dogged by an ankle injury after a good run of four goals in 11 games for the Blades. He played for Blackburn on loan before signing permanently from Boro and had loan spells at Shrewsbury Town and Burton Albion, where he played alongside Daniel Jebbison, before joining Bradford last year.

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