EFL footballer Ryan Bowman has been suspended for three-and-a-half years after admitting to a large amount of betting offences.
The 33 year old has been suspended from all football and football-related activities for 42 months (3 years and 6 months), for breaching FA Rule E8, which prohibits players from betting on football matches.
He placed 6,397 bets on football matches between June 2015 and September 2023, games he participated in and also made spot bets on specific in-game events.
His betting history includes 2 bets whilst with Torquay United (14/15), 191 bets at Gateshead (2015/16), 153 at Exeter City (2018/19, two on Exeter games), 65 at Exeter (2019/20), 2,598 at Exeter (2020/21, 106 on Exeter games), 1,948 at Shrewsbury Town (2021/22, 147 on Shrewsbury games), 1,259 at Shrewsbury (2022/23, 92 on Shrewsbury games), and 181 in the following season (four on his club).
Pretty mental story coming out this morning. Former Shrewsbury striker Ryan Bowman banned from football for 42 months due to betting breaches. There is so much to unpack in this, but a lot of it was during his time in Shropshire. Details… 👇#Salop https://t.co/aUcsmPsnTj
— Ollie Westbury (@Ollie_Westbury) July 9, 2025
He bet against his own teams at times and on himself to score.
The total stake was £203,758.57, returns of £182,189.85, with a net loss of £21,548.72.
Bowman admitted all charges, taking full responsibility, but deleted phone data during the investigation, initially denying some bets until confronted with evidence.
The FA commission noted his lack of forthrightness and attempts to mislead.
Personal circumstances were considered but redacted.
A four-year ban was reduced to three-and-a-half years due to mitigation, with no fine imposed due to the ban’s impact on his livelihood.
Bowman said: “I thought I’d try and hide it and then it would not come out. Obviously, I know the severity of it and football’s what I love doing and I thought, ‘If these messages show up to you guys, then obviously I’d been in big trouble and it could jeopardise my career,’ but I just wasn’t thinking straight.”
He admitted: “There’s no excuse, I knew the rules and I’ve messed up big time.”
You can read the FA’s written reasons by clicking HERE.
BOWMAN’S PLAYING CAREER:
Youth
–2009 – Carlisle United
Senior
2009–2011 – Carlisle United – 9 games (0 goals)
2010 → Workington (loan) – 18 games (2 goals)
2011–2012 – Darlington – 42 games (11 goals)
2012–2013 – Hereford United – 43 games (19 goals)
2013–2014 – York City – 43 games (8 goals)
2014–2015 – Torquay United – 44 games (18 goals)
2015–2016 – Gateshead – 54 games (23 goals)
2016–2019 – Motherwell – 86 games (14 goals)
2019–2021 – Exeter City – 112 games (34 goals)
2021–2024 – Shrewsbury Town – 135 games (22 goals)
2024– Cheltenham Town – 21 games (3 goals)
Total – 607 games, 154 goals
SHREWSBURY STATEMENT:
Shrewsbury Town acknowledges the outcome of the FA’s disciplinary proceedings concerning former striker Ryan Bowman.
An independent commission has imposed a three-and-a-half-year ban on the forward for breaches of the FA’s betting regulations.
A significant number of these breaches occurred during his time at Shrewsbury Town.
The club were first made aware Ryan had broken betting rules after being contacted by the FA, though the extent of the charges remained unclear at the time.
From that point we did everything we could to assist their investigation.
While we are disappointed with the severity of the offences, we have done everything in our power to support Ryan and his family.
We also reaffirm our full support for the FA’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the game.
Shrewsbury Town will be making no further comment.
Twitter users reacted after finding out that the EFL footballer has been suspended for three-and-a-half years after admitting to betting offence…
@keithelliott94: Hopefully he wasn’t betting on us much to win in the last 2 years 🤷♂️🤦♂️
@martindudley20: Zero sympathy, a proven liar & good riddance to bad rubbish
@Chris_Tomo75: What an idiot!!
@jakeb04_: i’m surprised he was betting on us to win considering how gash he was at times #ecfc
@stfchewitt: Stupid boy, no sympathy has to pay the consequences for his actions!
@timlawrence89: Lot of this really doesn’t reflect well on Ryan Bowman. Looks like serious addiction
@mattyadders: I feel sorry for Ryan Bowman, clearly has an issue, £200k worth of bets, returning £180k. Football being financed by betting companies left right and centre, sponsorship deals on clothing, In stadiums, the balls, TV. But don’t have a bet, you’ll get sacked!!!
@J_ECFC: All of that just to not even make a profit
@alfieash01: Would hate to see what his performance would’ve been like if he was betting against us #ECFC
@TVickers1: Unbelievable behaviour from a professional footballer, well worth a read of this file and disciplinary case of Ryan Bowman’s. Silly silly man, whose football career is now completely ruined. #ecfc #Salop
Gambling can harm many areas of your life. This can include problems with your:
– relationships
– physical and mental health
– finances
If you’re not sure if gambling is causing problems for you
Answer these questions:
Do you bet more than you can afford to lose?
Do you need to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling?
Have you tried to win back money you have lost (chasing losses)?
Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble?
Have you wondered whether you have a problem with gambling?
Has your gambling caused you any health problems, including feelings of stress or anxiety?
Have other people criticised your betting or told you that you had a problem with gambling (regardless of whether or not you thought it was true)?
Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?
Have you ever felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?
Score 0 for each time you answer “never”
Score 1 for each time you answer “sometimes”
Score 2 for each time you answer “most of the time”
Score 3 for each time you answer “almost always”
If your total score is 8 or higher, you or those closest to you, are likely to be experiencing gambling-related harms.
If your total score is between 1 and 7, gambling might still be having a negative impact on your life.
There is support and treatment available if you need it.
