"Get a life!" - Football club hit out an conman posing as manager

News

FT Desk

Gainsborough Trinity, who play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, have been forced into action after a conman posed as manager Russ Wilcox.

An individual has reportedly been contacting people online, looking to broker transfer deals as well as offering players trials under the guise of being the club's manager.

Wilcox told BBC Lincolnshire he does not know why anyone would want to do this.

"I don't want my reputation tarnished," he said. "I've been in the game 40-plus years and I've never had anything like this before."

The club's chief executive officer, Matt Boles, released a statement condemning the behaviour of the individual behind it all, and urged them to "get a life".

"Gainsborough Trinity Football Club is aware of an individual who has been contacting a number of players across different levels of the non-league game, falsely claiming to be our First-Team Manager, Russ Wilcox," the statement read.

"The individual concerned has purported to represent Russ and Gainsborough Trinity FC and, in some instances, has made approaches to players involving potential transfers and wage offers.

"We want to make it categorically clear that these approaches have not been made by Russ Wilcox, nor have they been made on behalf of Gainsborough Trinity Football Club. We strongly condemn the actions of the individual responsible. Impersonating a football manager and making false representations to players is completely unacceptable and has the potential to cause unnecessary disruption and reputational damage to players, managers and clubs.

"We would like to thank the managers and club officials who have contacted Russ directly after receiving or becoming aware of these approaches. Many have done so precisely because they know Russ, know the professional standards by which he conducts himself, and immediately recognised that this is not the manner in which he would approach or attempt to recruit a player.

"The club have made both the Northern Premier League and The Football Association aware of these incidents.

"Finally, to the person responsible: enough is enough. Stop impersonating our manager, stop wasting the time of players and clubs across the non-league game and, quite frankly, get a life."

The club hope that, by making the issue public, the individual posing as Wilcox will stop before things get even more serious.

"It's quite serious. If we were speaking directly to a player, it's an illegal approach, it's tapping up and the club can get in trouble with the FA and the leagues," Boles told BBC Lincolnshire.

"More importantly for Russ, it's his reputation that's been dragged through the dirt. I don't get what [anyone] would achieve out of it. Just pack it in."

Established in 1873, Gainsborough Trinity became members of the Football League in 1893 and remained members of the Second Division until 1912. They reached the FA Cup second round in 2024-25 and first round last season under Wilcox.