Former Sheffield Wednesday assistant boss being impersonated - club tells perpetrator to 'get a life'
Former Sheffield Wednesday assistant boss and Gainsborough Trinity boss Russ Wilcox is being impersonated by an individual
Non-league outfit Gainsborough Trinity have revealed that former Sheffield Wednesday assistant manager Russ Wilcox is being impersonated by an unknown individual who has reached out to players to try and get them to join the club.
Gainsborough made the announcement on their club website on Wednesday afternoon, confirming that both the Northern Premier League and the Football Association have been made aware of the situation.
Wilcox, who served as Brian Laws’ assistant during his time at Hillsborough, has been in charge of Gainsborough for three years. The club are currently outside the Northern Premier League Premier Division play-off places on goal difference.
Gainsborough have said they strongly condemn the actions of the individual at the heart of this situation, urging them to put an end to their actions immediately.
In a statement issued on the club’s website, chief executive Matt Boles said: “Gainsborough Trinity Football Club is aware of an individual who has been contacting a number of players across different levels of the non-league game, falsely claiming to be our First-Team Manager, Russ Wilcox.
“The individual concerned has purported to represent Russ and Gainsborough Trinity FC and, in some instances, has made approaches to players involving potential transfers and wage offers.
“We want to make it categorically clear that these approaches have not been made by Russ Wilcox, nor have they been made on behalf of Gainsborough Trinity Football Club.
“We strongly condemn the actions of the individual responsible. Impersonating a football manager and making false representations to players is completely unacceptable and has the potential to cause unnecessary disruption and reputational damage to players, managers and clubs.
“We would like to thank the managers and club officials who have contacted Russ directly after receiving or becoming aware of these approaches. Many have done so precisely because they know Russ, know the professional standards by which he conducts himself, and immediately recognised that this is not the manner in which he would approach or attempt to recruit a player.
“The club have made both the Northern Premier League and The Football Association aware of these incidents.
“Finally, to the person responsible: enough is enough. Stop impersonating our manager, stop wasting the time of players and clubs across the non-league game and, quite frankly, get a life.”
Wilcox, who has previously worked as a manager at Scunthorpe United, York City and Farsley Celtic, was at Hillsborough alongside Laws for just over three years.