Lawless In Alleged Breach Of Rules

Photo by Jeff Holmes

Partick Thistle winger Steven Lawless is set to face Scottish Football Association action over an alleged breach of betting rules, his club have confirmed.

The Scottish Premiership club have quickly confirmed reports that the 24-year-old former Motherwell player had come to the notice of SFA compliance officer Tony McGlennan.

A spokesperson for the Glasgow club said: "We are aware of the SFA's intention to issue a notice of complaint to Steven Lawless with regards to betting on football matches.

"As a club we are in the process of conducting our own internal investigation and, until that and any SFA procedure is concluded, we will be making no further comment."

The SFA adopts a zero tolerance policy on betting, banning players, coaches or club officials from betting on any football match anywhere in the world.

awless will be the fourth player to be charged with breaching the SFA's betting rules.

Earlier this year, the SFA failed in a bid to increase Rangers goalkeeper Steve Simonsen's punishment for betting on 50 games in a year after two independent panels ruled he should serve an immediate one-match ban.

Simonsen's team-mate, Ian Black, was the first to be punished in September 2013, being given an immediate three-match ban and a £7,500 fine for a series of bets over seven years including three against his own teams.

Black once had Rangers to draw with East Stirlingshire on his accumulator but scored the third goal in his team's 4-2 victory.

Five months later, Ayr striker Michael Moffat served a four-game ban after he was found guilty of placing seven bets on six matches involving his own team, as well as a number of other bets.