BRADFORD (Park Avenue) loanee Ryan Hall is one of four Spennymoor players that have been charged by the Football Association with betting breaches.

The midfielder is two months into his three-month loan deal which expires at the end of March and he admitted to making 103 bets between October 2013 and October 2018 which is a breach of FA Rule E8.

Also on the list is striker Adam Boyes, who played a key role in Avenue's 2017-18 play-off run before moving onto the Moors. The former Guiseley frontman placed 2,768 bets from March 2010 to August 2019.

The other two players charged from Town are top scorer Glen Taylor who made 162 bets between August 2013 and April 2019 and Stephen Brogan who placed 2,414 bets from January 2015 to February 2019.

It is understood none of the players gambled on the outcome of matches involving Spennymoor Town.

The FA changed the rule in 2014 to state that players, managers and club officials in the top eight tiers of English football are prohibited from betting on any football worldwide.

All four Spennymoor players admitted the charges and requested hearings. Depending on the severity of each occurrence there a range of sanctions available to the FA, with a fine and a suspension possible.

Hall's charge is not expected to affect the remainder of his loan at Avenue, with boss Mark Bower saying: "I wasn't initially aware of it but he is a Spennymoor player and they have dealt with it internally, giving the players education of the rules around betting.

"It shouldn't affect us and it will be good to have him for the tough run of games we have got coming up.

"I don't think it is a problem within football and it is not in our changing room.

"It has been going on for years with lads betting on the Premier League but the rules have changed so education needs to be there for the players.

"They can still do their betting on different sports like the cricket or horse racing but they will get caught if they bet on football."

Spennymoor were keen to make clear that they have worked with the authorities to remind their squad and officials of the strict regulations in place.

Speaking to the T&A's sister paper The Northern Echo, a spokesman for the club said: “The FA are carrying out a campaign to better educate footballers of all levels on its rules around conduct, betting and other areas. Neither Spennymoor Town nor its players are being specifically targeted and there are a large number of individuals from the top seven tiers of English football on the FA charges list for January.

“The charges in question are relating to time periods as wide as nine years, including periods before the players played for Spennymoor Town.

“Since being made aware, the club has completed a programme of education for all of its staff, volunteers and players with the support of the FA. These players had not received this level of engagement on these subjects at other clubs and are now educated on their responsibilities as part-time footballers.”

The FA are looking to crackdown across non-league football on betting in matches higher up the pyramid.

Last week, the FA charged five players from Betvictor Isthmian League North side Soham Town Rangers with suspensions in relation to betting.

This included Matthew Allan who was suspended from all football-related activity for six months after placing 254 bets on football matches and team-mate Callum Russell who was given a two-month suspension - one of which is suspended for two years - from all football-related activity after making 1,593 bets.

One of the most high-profile cases regarding betting breaches involved Joey Barton, who was handed an 18-month ban in 2017 for his 1,260 bets on matches or competitions from 2006 to 2016, though the length was reduced on appeal.

And former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge was banned from football for four months for breaching betting rules yesterday.

Sturridge's contract with Turkish side Trabzonspor was terminated by mutual agreement.

Hall is set to feature for Avenue on Saturday as they return to action after three weeks of postponements against Chester at Horsfall.