Beath axe Brett after bet probe
COWDENBEATH have fired Dean Brett – but refused to turn their back on the troubled employee.
Central Park chiefs felt they had no option other than to sack the 24-year-old for gross misconduct after he gambled on his team to lose matches in which he was playing.
Brett placed bets on 6369 fixtures with 11 different bookmakers but also bet on 65 matches involving Beath.
The League Two side have also revealed that one of the wagers placed against his team was on the correct score in a match.
Cowdenbeath say Brett told manager Liam Fox and club chairman Donald Findlay previously that he did not bet on his team to lose, a claim uncovered as untrue by an SFA probe.
A club statement said: “The board’s duty was clear. A player betting on his own team to lose, often in matches in which he was playing, is not a situation Cowdenbeath could accept or excuse.
“No player committing such an act could remain in the employ of the club.”
Brett is yet to be sanctioned by the SFA but was also banned for four games this week after being found guilty of making a homophobic remark on his Twitter account.
But Beath have accepted the player has issues and offered to pay the rest of his contract, set to expire in May.
The club have insisted payment will be contingent on him seeking help for gambling addiction, refraining from betting and deleting his social media accounts.
In a letter to the player, published by the club, they stated: “We can only help if you wish us to and you want to do what will be necessary.”
Brett last night tweeted: “Just want to apologise to everyone I’ve let down and everyone involved with Cowdenbeath FC.”