FORMER Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty has been charged by the Football Association over alleged betting on football.
Players are strictly banned by the FA from betting on any football-related matters.
If found guilty of misconduct under FA rule E8, Norwich City player Lafferty, who was in the Northern Ireland team at Euro 2016 in France, could be fined, suspended or both.
The alleged betting took place on Saturday, February 20, when neither Norwich nor Northern Ireland had a match, but rule E8 prevents professional players not only from betting on matches in which they are involved or have an influence, but also on any other football-related matter anywhere in the world – including matches, transfers, employment of managers, team selection or disciplinary matters.
The FA statement read: “It is alleged that on 20 February 2016, the Norwich City forward placed a bet on the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in, a football match or competition in breach of FA rule E8.”
Lafferty, 28, who was with Rangers from 2008 to 2012, left Ibrox in controversial circumstances when the club went into administration. By then he had played 104 competitive matches for Rangers, scoring 31 goals.
Capped 52 times for his country, he played in three of Northern Ireland’s matches at Euro 2016, one of them as a substitute.
Lafferty started his career at Burnley before Rangers paid £3 million for him. He later had spells at FC Sion and Palermo before joining Norwich two years ago for an undisclosed fee.
The player is no stranger to controversy. He received a two-match ban for simulation after he feigned being head-butted by then Aberdeen player Charlie Mulgrew in 2009.
His love life in Glasgow was fodder for the tabloids, and the chairman of Palermo accused him of being “a womaniser”.
Neither Norwich nor Lafferty were available for comment last night.
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