Michael McKenna will miss the next three East Fife matches after incurring an SFA suspension.
Michael, who joined East Fife from Falkirk in January, was found to have broken SFA rules when he placed a £10 free bet on an English Premier match in February last season.
SFA rules do not allow players to gamble on football matches, and after the matter came to light, an investigation resulted in Michael receiving a ban. Although Michael appealed the decision with the support of PFA Scotland, this was rejected by the SFA’s judicial panel last week.
“I made an error of judgment and I apologise to East Fife supporters, my team-mates, the management team and to all others at the club,” said Michael. “I didn’t think a free bet would be part of the SFA rules on gambling, but the verdict shows otherwise.
“I am grateful to the club and PFA Scotland for supporting me through this process.”
Dick Campbell, the East Fife manager, said: “Michael made a mistake and he is genuinely sorry about that. We accept the SFA decision, but would stress that the bet did not involve a match Michael had any influence over, and of course it did not involve East Fife.
“The matter has now been dealt with internally at the club and we will be saying no more than that. We look forward to Michael returning to the team when he has served his suspension, and continuing the excellent form he has shown in the early part of this new season.”
Michael missed last weekend’s Premier Sports Cup match away to Kilmarnock because of injury, and the match also served as the first game of his SFA ban. He will now miss the opening two William Hill League 1 fixtures against Peterhead on 2 August and Alloa Athletic on 9 August, and the KDM Evolution Trophy match against Hearts B on 12 August, before he becomes available again for the league match away to Hamilton Academical on 16 August.
The club has reminded all players of their responsibilities around gambling on matches. Rule 31 of the SFA’s General Responsibility Rules states: “No club, official, Team Official or other member of Team Staff, player, match official or other person under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA shall gamble in any way on a football match.”
