Former Lincoln City player banned for six years for match-fixing offences

Former Lincoln City defender Bradley Wood has been banned for six years over two match-fixing offences.

A Football Association tribunal ruled Wood "influenced a football betting market" by earning two yellow cards in action for Lincoln, against Ipswich and Burnley.

Wood denied the two most severe charges, but was found to have committed 25 betting-related breaches in all - and was banned until March 8, 2024.

The 26-year-old has been fined £3,725 and ordered to pay costs of £1,550, over bookings in Lincoln's January 17, 2017 clash with Ipswich and the February 18,2017 encounter with Burnley.

Two people known to Wood placed bets on both matches that gambling firms noticed were "atypical in the context of the caution betting market",according to the FA's written judgement.

It concluded Wood "influenced a football betting market by intentionally seeking to be cautioned by the match referee".

Lincoln have revealed they were informed about the investigation in April 2017, then suspending Wood for the final two weeks of his contract and releasing him in May.

Chief executive Liam Scully said Lincoln were stunned by the initialallegations - and relieved the matter had now been brought to a conclusion.