Kian Harratt: Huddersfield Town striker given four-month ban for FA betting rule breaches

Huddersfield Town striker Kian Harratt has been suspended for four months and fined £3,200 for breaches of Football Association betting rules.

His sanctions of a suspension and fine were imposed by an independent regulatory commission at a hearing.

Town say they will “support” the player through his period of suspension.

Within the FA’s written reasons, Harratt admitted he was aware of the rules against gambling on football as a player, having attended a club presentation which discussed these issues in July 2022 while on loan to Bradford City.

They also confirmed that on analysis of his eight betting accounts, Harratt had placed bets on matches involving Huddersfield Town, Port Vale, Bradford City and Guiseley AFC, including bets against parent club Huddersfield.

Harratt was on loan at Guiseley from October 2020 to June 2021, at Port Vale from January to June 2022 and at Bradford from July until November 2022, the latter a season-long loan deal terminated early after he was fined – along with two other men – for hare coursing.

The FA considered that his betting activity “did impact on the integrity of the fixture”, having placed bets on his own club to lose, although it also considered that with the nine bets he had in those circumstances, the player was part of the Under-23 squad and not the first team and thus had little impact on the integrity.

Given the number of bets he placed, the total sum staked [£8,105.01] and the fact he was aware that it was not permissible to gamble on football, the suspension was initially placed at eight months by the commission.

However, mitigation in terms of his age, “inexperience and naivety”, and the fact he admitted to the charges immediately, plus positive character statements, a show of remorse and good disciplinary record, saw a downward adjustment of the ban to four months.

Harratt has played 16 matches for the Terriers this season, scoring twice.