A 69-year-old dad has been jailed for 18 months after syphoning off almost £120,000 from a Greater Manchester junior football league to fund his gambling addiction. Roy Robinson transferred the money from the Timperley and District Junior Football League account to accounts he controlled over a six-year period, creating doctored bank statements and even pretending to be an auditor to hide his crimes.
At one point Robinson claimed there was £148,000 in the league's account, when in reality it contained just £3.26. A judge at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court described the case as "particularly serious" before locking him up.
How the fraud was carried out
Prosecutor Olivia Davin said Robinson had acted as treasurer for 17 years before he began taking money from the league's accounts in February 2018. Over the next six years, he transferred £119,650.14 into bank accounts he controlled until April 2024, when his crimes came to light.
The court heard the league kept a 'rainy day fund' surplus of more than £100,000, which comprised funds paid by member clubs. To avoid detection, Robinson created doctored bank statements, and in one such statement he claimed there was £148,000 in the account, whereas it only contained £3.26.
Robinson also created a false email account purporting to be the former auditor of the league, who had resigned. Judge Jenny Lester-Ashworth said this element of the crime was 'particularly serious', given possible damage to the auditor's professional reputation and the risk of her being placed under investigation.
How the crimes were discovered
His crimes were only discovered when he became ill and was no longer able to control the finances. The secretary of the league obtained the true bank accounts and discovered the reality of the situation. There had been more than 500 transactions over several years, with numerous unexplained transactions, including to gambling sites.
Robinson has since paid back £4,500 and expressed a desire to pay off the remaining sum. Interviewed by police, Robinson confessed to what he had done and admitted he'd spent the money funding his gambling addiction.
Impact on the league and sentencing
A statement on behalf of the league said they had worked with Robinson for many years and considered him to be a friend. They now have 'feelings of betrayal'. The financial loss meant the league was no longer able to afford to fund initiatives including organising coaching courses and paying for equipment.
Defending, John Bottomley said Robinson had been suffering from a 'severe gambling disorder'. He had been gambling since the age of 15, and by 25 he was betting every day. He began with some 'big wins' when he was younger and continued to 'chase that high'. By the time of the offending he had run out of legitimate access to funds.
The court heard he spent the money to fund his addiction, and there was no evidence to show he had been living a lavish lifestyle. Robinson has not gambled since June 2024 and has undergone psychotherapy and sought support from a charity. Mr Bottomley said Robinson had already completed the rehabilitation work which the probation service would have recommended.
Robinson is genuinely remorseful for his actions and is 'embarrassed' and 'ashamed', the court heard. He has split from his wife of 47 years and they now live apart. He had previously worked as a volunteer ambulance driver, and was described as an 'incredible father' by his children.
The judge said she accepted his gambling addiction was a mental health disorder which had a 'clear and functional relationship' to his offending, but it didn't stop him from understanding that he was doing wrong. "I don't take pleasure in sending you to prison today," the judge told him, but she said it was a 'particularly serious example' of such a fraud. Robinson, of Eastern Circle, Burnage, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position.
