The former chief executive of Rochdale AFC has been banned from football for two years after breaching English Football League (EFL) regulations.
The League Two club has been the subject of a disciplinary investigation following the failed 'hostile takeover' by the Morton House group last year. The EFL said it had charged the club 'and a number of other individuals' with alleged breaches of its regulations back in March.
In an update issued today, the EFL said all parties had since pleaded guilty to the charges. David Bottomley, who served as Rochdale's chief executive from December 2018, until June 2021, has been banned from working in football for two years.
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Andrew Curran and Darrell Rose, both of whom worked as represenativies for Morton House as part of the takeover bid, were also hit with two year bans. A fourth person, Faical Safouane, was banned for 18 months.
Rochdale have also been handed a six point deduction, suspended for two years. The deduction will only be triggered if the club commits a further breach before October 2024.
EFL CEO Trevor Birch said: “The updated Owners’ and Directors’ Test is a crucial element of the EFL’s regulatory responsibilities in the interests of all its member clubs, their supporters and everyone else involved or interested in football.
'The breaches in this case were serious as they deprived the EFL of the ability to carry out the necessary investigations into the identity of the proposed new owners, their proposed business plans, and the ultimate source and sufficiency of funding necessary to support those plans.
'These sanctions serve as an appropriate reminder to clubs, their officials and potential owners that disregarding those requirements can lead to significant consequences as this case has proved.”
In a statement, Rochdale said it accepted the findings of the investigation, adding that the club had "fully co-operated with the EFL at every stage".
The club's chairman Simon Gauge added: “We welcome the EFL’s conclusions after a very long and exceptionally detailed investigation into an opaque and unwanted hostile takeover attempt in July 2021 of Rochdale Association Football Club by Morton House and which has been found to have breached EFL rules.
“A club can only ever act through its directors, employees or other agents. Their acts and omissions are also the club’s acts and omissions hence the club’s guilty plea. The governance of the club during the period leading up to the removal of directors at an EGM on 1 June 2021 was not of a suitable standard for an EFL member club.
“We are pleased the regulator has acted fully and decisively against the role of the club and four individuals to send a strong message throughout football. We hope the EFL continue to prevent individuals that do not meet the EFL threshold for an OADT and who are unable to prove the source and sufficiency of their funding, like Morton House, away from the game we all love.
“As chairman I have recruited a new larger board of committed people with different skills and experiences and comprising a mixture of eight serving directors, including Supporters Trust representation and three non-executive directors to ensure the governance model of the Club is secure and on the right footing.
“We are pleased that the investigation has reached its conclusion and we now look forward to focusing our efforts on working towards our short, medium and long-term aims for the benefit of Our Town, Our Team, Our Club.”
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