I AM AN ADDICT
Support for Rice after his gambling addiction admission
Hamilton Accies boss Brian Rice this week stunned Scottish football with a frank admission that his gambling addiction had returned.
The head coach is now facing a Scottish Football Association probe into alleged breaches of its gambling rules.
He is set to face an SFA hearing next Thursday, January 30.
In an honest and emotional statement released by the football club on Monday, Rice opened up about his problem and said: “The reality is I am an addict.”
He also went on to say that it was he himself who wrote to SFA chiefs with a self-declaration of his habit.
He said: “i wrote a letter to the Scottish FA self-reporting my gambling.”
Hamilton Accies head coach Brian Rice is facing a Scottish Football Association charge over alleged gambling breaches.
The football club issued a statement on Monday morning confirming that it had received a notice of complaint from the Scottish FA compliance officer relating to alleged breaches of its gambling rules on the part of Rice.
And the Scottish Premiership outfit said they have “co-operated fully” with the association throughout the investigation period and provided written submissions of self-declaration from Rice himself, with supplementary communication provided by the club’s chief executive, Colin Mcgowan.
In an emotional statement from head coach Rice, he opened up about his gambling addiction, saying: “Firstly, I would like to express my regret to the players, coaching staff and my friends and colleagues at Hamilton Academical for the lapse that has prompted me to voluntarily acknowledge breaches of the Scottish Football Association’s gambling rules.
“This decision was one of the hardest I have had to take, but in a way also the easiest. I have made no secret of the fact that I have struggled with the disease that is gambling addiction in the past.
“The reality is I am an addict and while I have been proud of the fact that I have been in recovery from this disease, a key part of the recovery programme is honesty: honesty to myself, and honesty to those who have and who continue to support me, including my family and my football family at Hamilton.”
Rice went on to say that he himself wrote to chiefs at the SFA.
He added: “I wrote a letter to the Scottish FA self-reporting my gambling and did so as an admission that my disease has returned, in order that I commit to recovery. I have apologised to those at the club in whom I have sought counsel and I apologise today to the players, fans and colleagues I have let down through my gambling addiction.
“I know that a breach of the rules will come with punishment and I accept that.
“The reason I am speaking out is to remove the stigma attached to this horrible, isolating disease, in the hope that those involved in Scottish football who are similarly in its grasp feel they can seek help and draw strength from my admission.
“After committing to recovery, I cannot believe I found myself back in the grip of gambling addiction, but this disease is not cured with a finite course of treatment.
“You are an addict for life and through my commitment to the 12-step recovery programme, I am confident that I can stay on top of this disease one day at a time.
“I am eternally grateful to the club for its unwavering support, both seen and unseen. I have spoken to my management team and players and they have been great and they understand the reason for me speaking out today.
“It is my intention to atone through openness, honesty and togetherness.
“I look forward to a future founded on truth and commitment to recovery and it is my wish that anyone who feels vulnerable, helpless or hopeless in the grip of this silent yet destructive disease can come forward and seek help.”
Accies chief executive Colin Mcgowan said that the club were proud that Rice had spoken publicly of his struggles with gambling addiction.
He added: “As a recovering addict myself – and somebody who has dedicated the last 20 years to counselling individuals across the country, from all walks of life – I believe Brian’s actions are a show of colossal strength and inspiration.
“Having spoken extensively to Brian since his addiction resurfaced, I know that his followed a well-worn path from smaller, less frequent bets to the snowball effect of a daily addiction.
“He has re-engaged fully with professionals, is committed to recovery and has the full support of all at Hamilton Academical.”
Mcgowan went on thank the Scottish FA for the empathy shown throughout the process and for being “respectful of the need to safeguard the integrity of the game and the rules upon which football is founded”.
He continued: “As a head coach in the Scottish Premiership, news of his breach of gambling rules will come with profile, media attention and scrutiny.
“But this is a far more serious issue than a breach of a football rule, a breach that both Brian and the club accepts.
“It is the latest example of a disease that afflicts many people across Scotland and doesn’t discriminate by profile or professional capability.”
The club will now write to the SPFL to table a proposal to the Scottish FA’S Professional Game Board for the introduction of a gambling amnesty in the game.