Gainsborough Trinity report individual for impersonating boss Russ Wilcox
The club have passed the matter to the Northern Premier League and the Football Association
Non-league side Gainsborough Trinity have reported an unidentified individual for impersonating their manager, Russ Wilcox, and making bogus offers to players.
The club, who operate in the seventh tier of English football, have passed the matter to the Northern Premier League and the Football Association, while infuriated chief executive Matt Boles told the person to “get a life”.
Trinity say they have been made aware of a third party, claiming to be Wilcox, making approaches and even contract offers to non-league footballers. FA rules forbid managers from contacting players directly, with any such moves requiring formal club-to-club communication.
A club statement signed by Boles ended with a firm condemnation that read: “To the person responsible: enough is enough. Stop impersonating our manager, stop wasting the time of players and clubs across the non-league game and, quite frankly, get a life.”
It began: “The individual concerned has purported to represent Russ and Gainsborough Trinity FC and, in some instances, has made approaches to players involving potential transfers and wage offers.
“We want to make it categorically clear that these approaches have not been made by Russ Wilcox, nor have they been made on behalf of Gainsborough Trinity Football Club. We strongly condemn the actions of the individual responsible. Impersonating a football manager and making false representations to players is completely unacceptable and has the potential to cause unnecessary disruption and reputational damage to players, managers and clubs.
“We would like to thank the managers and club officials who have contacted Russ directly after receiving or becoming aware of these approaches. Many have done so precisely because they know Russ, know the professional standards by which he conducts himself, and immediately recognised that this is not the manner in which he would approach or attempt to recruit a player.”
Wilcox, 62, played for and managed Scunthorpe earlier in his career and has also had stints in charge of Farsley Celtic and York.