Biggest ever fine given to non-league footballer after he beat bookies over 10 years
Non-league footballer James Byrne made nearly £50,000 on bets by beating the bookies over a 10-year period, but his gambling activity ultimately landed him in trouble with the FA
A player from the eighth-tier of English football is believed to have been handed the biggest fine in non-league history for breaching FA rules on gambling. James Byrne, who currently plays for Somerset side Portishead Town, placed a total of 992 bets on football matches over 10 years, starting in 2015, an FA investigation found.
The semi-pro footballer racked up nearly £50,000 in winnings, outsmarting the bookies on a regular basis. Although he hasn't been banned from playing like former Premier League star Ivan Toney after his gambling breaches, Byrne has been ordered to pay the sum of winnings - £48,388.66 to be exact.
That's roughly 500 times what he earns playing for Portishead in the Southern League Division One South. The FA have offered the possibility of a payment plan, though, and if every penny that he earns from football goes into paying off the fine, it'd take him another 10 years of playing.
Byrne, who was released from League One club Exeter City's academy as a youngster, told the FA that he works as a sports data consultant as well as a semi-pro footballer. Combining his passions for maths and data, boasting a master's degree from the University of Bristol, Byrne was hugely successful.
During the investigation, he explained to the FA that betting companies would often shut down his account because he won so often. Byrne would then open new accounts, even placing bets that he knew they were unlikely to win, so as to make it look like he wasn't as clued-up as he actually was.
READ MORE: David Beckham holds FA talks to give England helping hand for 2026 World CupREAD MORE: BBC release statement as Match of the Day figures emerge after Gary Lineker's bitter exitThe left-back, who can also play as a midfielder, joined Portishead in August from title winners Yate Town. Byrne was at Yate when the FA placed him under investigation, as their rules on gambling apply to any player from the Premier League down to Step 4.
He cooperated fully with the inquiry. Byrne, who's played for a number of Step 4 teams in the Bristol area, also told the FA that he earned £97.50 a week at the time while playing for Yate.
A passage of the FA's report read: "When he moved down into non-league he was provided with no education on betting, but he realised in 2017 that as a Step 4 player he was not allowed to bet on football. He knew that if he dropped down a level he could continue playing and betting on football but he did not want to do this as he wanted to play at the highest level possible.
"He believes his betting became a compulsion but he was just interested in the numbers and beating the bookmakers using the method he had developed. He explained that betting operators began to close his accounts and this was their recognition that he was profitable and good at what he was doing."
The report concluded: "He described the FA case as 'the final nail in the coffin' and that it was not worth him betting anymore. He loves football and hopes to play until he is 40."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.