WhatsApp messages exchanged by Kieran Trippier and their friends Matthew Brady and Oliver Hawley revealed that the England star told the pair to “pool” money ahead of his proposed move from Tottenham Hotspur to Atletico Madrid. last year.
The 30-year-old has been banned from all football activity for 10 weeks and fined £ 70,000 by the Football Federation for discrediting the integrity of the game, after several friends bet on his move to Spain l ‘last summer.
The ban was stayed on appeal because Trippier was said not to have been involved in placing the bets and in no way profited from himself, but the FA released its findings on Tuesday, which reveal the defender told his friends to bet on his impending transfer. .
But what exactly did they find? Here’s a breakdown and transcript of the key exchanges in Trippier’s WhatsApp messages.
Messages to Matthew Brady
On the evening of July 14, 2019, Trippier exchanged WhatsApp messages with his friend Matthew Brady, three days before his move was officially completed on July 17. In those messages, Brady asked Trippier, “Should I say you’re going?
“I can do it man,” Trippier replied.
Brady asked Trippier again, wanting a definitive answer from the England star. “100% Tripps?” He asked.
“Yeah buddy,” replied the defender. “Don’t blame me if something is wrong. … It shouldn’t, just let you no.
Trippier then clarified once again for Brady, stating, “Play if you want a mate.”
Brady later texted his friend again to inform him that he had placed the bet, although it was limited.
“I could only put a little on my mate, they massively restricted the bet, keep me mate up to date.”
“No worries, mate,” was Trippier’s response.
Messages to Oliver Hawley
Brady wasn’t the only friend to benefit from Trippier’s transfer, however. Oliver Hawley has placed a series of bets on the transfer of the man from Atleti to Spain, after receiving the green light from Trippier himself. After a friend said he found 6-1 odds on the transfer, Hawley placed a bet of £ 27, and two more bets of £ 42.15 and £ 50 at 7-2 on July 11 2019.
Trippier then confirmed the deal to his friends, writing: ‘It’s happening’, which led Hawley to place bets of £ 65 at 7-2 and £ 40 at 9-4.
Then in the early hours of July 13, Hawley placed another £ 20 bet with odds of 6-4.
Trippier then encouraged Hawley to come to Madrid with him, writing in the Whatsapp group, “Pint”, “Come to Madrid with me to sign my mate”.
Hawley placed another bet of £ 20, followed by two bets of £ 22 and another of £ 300 on July 16 as the deal was nearing completion.
The FA’s response
The FA refused to believe that Trippier’s suggestions or allusions to his friends were just “jokes” and condemned the former Spurs star for “reassuring” Brady about the eventual transfer and subsequent bets.
“We simply do not accept that these messages are read by KT as ‘jokes’.
“There is nothing in the words used by men that is compatible with jokes such as this word is normally understood. The purpose of the message is quite clear. MB was looking for reassurance that he would have to bet heavily on KT’s transfer to Atlético; KT provided such reassurance.
“Under these circumstances, it seems to us that we have no choice but to conclude that KT knew that MB would bet on the transfer and therefore the regulatory defense must fail.”
Trippier has yet to comment on the ban.
