Football: Ryan Bowman Betting Ban
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The former Cheltenham, Shrewsbury and Exeter striker Ryan Bowman, who is 33 years old, has been banned for three-and-a-half years by the English Football Association (FA) for placing 6,397 bets over a period of eight years contrary to Rule E8 in the FA handbook.
It was alleged that he had made a bet, from the substitutes bench, on a game between Shrewsbury and MK Dons that was in progress in January 2023.
Also, he placed almost 2,600 bets from December 2020 to July 2021, whilst at Exeter, and another 3,100 between August 2021 and July 2023, whilst at Shrewsbury.
Further, he placed eight bets against Shrewsbury, with three of them whilst he played the entirety of the match, and another six spot bets on himself to score during games.
His ban, which began in March 2025, ends in September 2028.
In its written reasons, the independent regulatory commission stated:
"This is a most serious case which includes a number of egregious examples of breaches of The FA Rules against betting."
The aim of these Rules prohibiting football players betting on their own games, anywhere in the world, is to maintain the integrity of the sport!
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
