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Rangers’ Ian Black banned for breaching betting rules

Ian Black leaves Hampden after his disciplinary hearing.
Ian Black leaves Hampden after his disciplinary hearing.

Rangers midfielder Ian Black has been handed an immediate three-match ban with a further seven games suspended until the end of the season for breaching rules on gambling.

The 28-year-old has also been fined £7,500 by the SFA following a hearing at Hampden on Thursday.

The sanctions were handed down after Black admitted charges of betting on three football matches on his then-registered club not to win and betting on a further 10 football matches that involved his own club.

He also received a warning over bets on a further 147 football matches.

The SFA operates a zero-tolerance approach to gambling, which restricts players from betting on any football match, anywhere in the world.

The range of punishments includes a fine, suspension or even expulsion from the game.

Black was charged with betting against his then registered club on three occasions between March 4, 2006 and July 28, 2013.

As well as Rangers, Black also played for Inverness and Hearts during that period and it is not known which or how many of the three clubs he is accused of betting against.

On the first date mentioned in the notice of complaint, Black played 90 minutes for Inverness in a 1-0 home defeat by Motherwell, which cut Caley Thistle’s lead over the Lanarkshire side to three points in the race for a top-six place in the Scottish Premier League.

The final date in question saw the 28-year-old score in a 4-0 Ramsdens Cup victory for Rangers against Albion Rovers.

The disciplinary tribunal outcome stated that there was no evidence to suggest any breach of rule 23, which prohibits players and officials knowingly behaving in a “manner, during or in connection with a match in which the party has participated or has any influence, either direct or indirect, which could give rise to an event in which they or any third party benefits financially through betting.”

At the time of the charges, Rangers said they were “currently investigating the matter.”

Following the verdict, the club released a statement which read: “Rangers Football Club notes today’s verdict … Three of the matches will be served immediately meaning the player would miss games against Arbroath, Queen of the South and Forfar and a further seven games will be suspended until the end of the 2013/14 season.

“Black would be free to return to action against Stenhousemuir on September 28.”

The former Blackburn trainee signed for boyhood heroes Hearts in July 2009 and left for Rangers last summer after the Tynecastle club slashed their wage bill.

Black famously worked as a part-time painter and decorator in December 2011 to help pay bills when his Hearts wages were overdue.