COWDENBEATH have sacked defender Dean Brett after his involvement in gambling.

The 24 year-old has been with the Blue Brazil for almost 10 years but the club board took the decision to terminate his contract at an emergency meeting last night (Thursday).

Under SFA rules no player can engage in gambling of any description on football. Evidence provided to the SFA by the Gambling Commission was passed to the club and then on to Dean. It covered Dean’s football gambling activity since season 2011/12. In summary this detailed that 2787 bets were placed with 11 different bookmakers on 6369 matches.

Most critically and the key reason for the club’s own internal Disciplinary process being invoked was that 65 of these matches involved games that Cowdenbeath FC were involved in and that crucially on no less than eight occasions Dean had bet on his own club to lose – 5 of these 8 being matches where he was playing for Cowdenbeath.

The eight matches in question were v Brechin City, Falkirk and Rangers in 2014/15 (the three matches that Dean did not play in) v Rangers (2), Raith Rovers and Ayr United in 2015/16; and v Dundee United in the current season. Seven were accumulator bets and one was a correct score bet with amounts ranging from £5 to £50.

Dean was suspended on full pay by the Club on Thursday February 16 to allow the Club to fully investigate and go through its disciplinary process as set out in the club’s ‘Disciplinary Code of Practice’. A Disciplinary Hearing was then held at Central Park on Tuesday February 21. At the Hearing, Dean confirmed that he had indeed made the bets in question. He also admitted that he had previously denied making any bets on Cowdenbeath FC to lose - firstly to the Club manager Liam Fox last December and then to the Club Chairman Donald Findlay on February 16 2017. He further admitted he believed the Club would in the circumstances be entitled to dismiss him.

The emergency meeting on Thursday night saw the board thus consider what action should be taken in respect of this Gross Misconduct.

In a statement issued this afternoon the club said: "Dean’s long service to the Club, his well-documented and tragic personal difficulties in 2014/15 plus clear evidence of a gambling problem were among the important mitigating factors taken into account in this case.

"Various options were considered but ultimately, and with a very heavy heart indeed, the Board concluded that this was an act of Gross Misconduct which could warrant no other sanction but dismissal. The Board’s duty was clear.

"A player betting on his own team to lose, often in matches in which he was playing, is not a situation Cowdenbeath FC could accept or excuse. Simply put no Cowdenbeath FC player committing such an act could remain in the employ of the club.

"The Board of Cowdenbeath FC therefore has today conveyed to Dean its decision is that he is dismissed and his employment has been terminated without notice. We believe this decision to be one that any reasonable employer would make and that it is both fair and reasonable in the circumstances.

The dismissal will take force immediately with Saturday 25 February 2017 formally being Dean’s last day of employment.

"Dean was further advised that he does have the right to appeal against his dismissal. If he wishes to do so he should inform the Club Secretary in writing by 3pm on Wednesday March1 stating his grounds of appeal in full with any material submissions. The dismissal would still take effect as described above, but if an appeal is successful, there would be a reinstatement with retrospective effect to the termination date and any lost pay reimbursed.

"Dean was also given a letter by the Club secretary from the 11 Directors of the club as individuals acting on a collective basis."

This indicated ways that he could be assisted to overcome his gambling problems and the support they could offer.