Time to take a punt on Kelly
TONY GAMBLING HORROR
TONY KELLY says he’s being snubbed by the game as he tries to tackle the huge problem of gambling addiction.
Four years ago, the ex-Stoke winger told of his own ordeal in his book ‘Red Card: The Soccer Star Who Gambled Away A Glittering Career’. In it, Kelly (below) reveals how he lost not only his career, but also family and friends as he blew more than £500,000. He followed his confessional by setting up the Red Card Gambling Support Project. But despite his desire to help stop others suffering the same descent into hell, not one club has asked Kelly to speak to their players. The Professional Footballers’ Association helped fund Kelly’s 2013 book with a donation of £1,000. At around the same time PFA chairman Gordon Taylor was fighting to keep his job after allegations he had run up £100,000 debts after wagering £4m on 2,000 bets. But despite the initial support, Kelly says he has since been blanked. The FA have been even worse. In an email Kelly was told, “the FA is not in a position to offer you funding” and referred him back to the PFA. “I’ve not been invited into one football club,” Kelly told me. “I’ve been invited by everyone else, but not the football world. “Here you have an organisation [the PFA] who are up and running and you have an ex-footballer who has been through the nightmare of gambling addiction. “You have supported his book, you know his story so why not use this player to go into clubs? “That is baffling. I think the PFA are a closed unit. If they are doing stuff with their members for gambling addiction, then come out and say it.
“I am thinking the reason they don’t do it is the conflict of interest regarding all this betting firm sponsorship of the shirts and the clubs.
“The PFA sent us £1,000 and that was it, which felt like it was just a gesture telling us to go away.
“I’ve met no one from the FA. For whatever reason the PFA and the FA are keeping it behind closed doors.”
Kelly made 58 appearances for Stoke from 199093, followed by spells at Bury and Leyton Orient. “I was discussing doing a documentary a year ago on my story and time at Stoke,” he said. “It turned out we couldn’t film the ground due to their Bet365 sponsorship [it’s now the Bet365 Stadium]. Nine Premier League clubs are sponsored by betting firms.”
Asked to respond to Kelly’s claim, Taylor said: “The PFA have helped Tony financially and in other ways. We also run our own programmes on gambling awareness, the dangers and the regulations in football. “We have a 24-hour helpline and gambling addiction is one of many major issues we deal with along with mental health and well-being. “The lines are manned by fully-trained counsellors in our link up with Sporting Chance Clinic.
“The PFA works with the Football League, Premier League and FA on this and other such issues for all our players.”
The FA said last night they are now prepared to meet with Kelly but point out they already have strong connections with Sporting Chance Clinic, who provide confidential support for current and former professional sportspeople.
This month Red Card secured funding from the Big Lottery Fund for 12 months.
Kelly’s organisation also helps many from other walks of life including a youngster at university who has blown his student loan.
But football seems determined not to take a punt on Kelly, which is a shame. ¬ Information at: kellysredcardconsultancy.co.uk