THE Football Association yesterday dismissed the appeals of five professional footballers convicted of betting on their own match.

The players, including ex-Liverpool and Everton hopefuls, pleaded their cases in front of an FA appeal board two weeks ago.

But, in a decision published yesterday, it refused to reduce their punishments.

At hearings in July and August, Accrington Stanley captain Peter Cavanagh, three of his team-mates and a Bury player were found guilty of gambling on Accrington’s League Two match against Bury in May, 2008. Bury won the match 2-0.

Cavanagh was fined £3,500 and given an eight-month playing ban, even though he only made a £5 accumulator bet.

Former Everton FC academy player Jay Harris, David Mannix, who left Liverpool FC in January, 2007, Robbie Williams, a one-time Anfield schoolboy and Southport FC player, and Liverpool-born Andrew Mangan – then a Bury player – were also convicted after betting thousands on the match. They were fined and are serving bans of up to a year.

Appeal board chairman Paul Gilroy, QC, said in a statement: “In this matter, the Regulatory Commission made findings of guilt against all five players in relation to charges of betting, in varying degrees, on the outcome of football matches.

“The appeal board was unanimous in dismissing all appeals against findings of guilt and sanction.

“While there were points of factual distinction as between the five players concerned, all five were rightly convicted of serious breaches of FA Rules, and the appeal board could see no merit in disturbing the Regulatory Commission’s findings as to sanction.”

But Mr Gilroy added that the board did consider the combination of the fines and costs orders was a “disproportionate” punishment.