A non-league nine person condemned a idiosyncratic who has been approaching players to marque transportation and wage offers portion falsely claiming to beryllium their manager.
Gainsborough Trinity, who play successful the Northern Premier League Premier Division - successful the seventh tier of English shot - accidental the idiosyncratic has contacted "a fig of players" crossed antithetic levels of the non-league pyramid.
Chief enforcement Matt Boles said helium wanted to marque it "categorically clear" connection implicit imaginable deals had not been from manager Russ Wilcox oregon connected behalf of the club.
"We powerfully condemn the actions of the idiosyncratic responsible," helium said connected the Gainsborough nine website, external.
"Impersonating a shot manager and making mendacious representations to players is wholly unacceptable and has the imaginable to origin unnecessary disruption and reputational harm to players, managers and clubs."
Boles said Gainsborough became alert of the bogus approaches erstwhile managers and officials astatine different clubs contacted Wilcox directly, suspecting helium was not down the messages.
"Many person done truthful precisely due to the fact that they cognize Russ, cognize the nonrecreational standards by which helium conducts himself, and instantly recognised that this is not the mode successful which helium would attack oregon effort to enlistee a player," Boles said.
Boles besides issued a beardown connection to the idiosyncratic liable for the hoax.
"Enough is enough," helium said. "Stop impersonating our manager, halt wasting the clip of players and clubs crossed the non-league crippled and, rather frankly, get a life."
Gainsborough, who reached the FA Cup second circular successful 2024-25 and first circular past season nether Wilcox, person made the Northern Premier League and Football Association alert of the incidents.
Wilcox has been with the nine since 2023 pursuing erstwhile managerial spells astatine Scunthorpe United and York City.
He featured for Northampton Town, Hull City, Doncaster Rovers, Preston North End and Scunthorpe during his playing days.
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