Cowdenbeath’s Dean Brett admits betting against his own team after the tragic deaths of his daughter and partner
The defender faces an SFA investigation into claims that he placed wagers on his side to lose after his double heartbreak
COWDENBEATH’S Dean Brett has confessed to betting against his own team and admitted: I have a gambling problem.
The defender faces an SFA investigation into claims that he placed wagers on his side to lose games.
Brett, 24, has opened his heart to SunSport and admitted he DID make the bets.
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He’d just lost his new baby, his partner was in hospital fighting in vain for her life — and Brett had stopped caring about his.
The stress of long, daily trips to hospital to watch two of his loved ones suffering took its toll, but there was one escape.
He’d pull out his phone, log in to his bookies account and put on a bet.
Brett’s partner, Gemma Porteous, 22, lost her cancer battle in January 2015, four months after their prematurely-born daughter Mollie had passed away.
The heartbroken Cowdenbeath ace was suddenly alone to care for Mollie’s twin sister, Mia.
He isn’t using his heartache as an excuse for the SFA investigation he’s now facing. He knows he was already well down the road to a gambling problem during those dark days.
But he admits the addiction got worse during that period, when betting helped him forget the horrendous real-life problems threatening to swallow him up.
Brett admitted to SunSport he bet against Cowden and said: “I’ve had a bad gambling problem.
“Every weekend I’d be putting coupons on and football bets on.
“If one got beat then I would start again. I’ve admitted to the club that I’ve had a bad gambling problem and now I’ve closed all my betting accounts.
“I couldn’t help it when I was young and it’s continued. I can’t help that gambling problem.
“I should go to classes but I’ve just not had the time with so much going on. After the twins were born and what happened, I didn’t care about life. I just got worse and worse.
“When I was in the hospital, I’d be sitting there for long spells and it was easy just to take out my phone and go online to put a bet on the horses.
“It definitely got worse around that time. I’d be doing it in hospital or on the bus from one hospital to the next.
“I wasn’t playing for Cowden at the time because I was given time off, so I’d be going down to the Ladbrokes shop or putting bets on online.
“When I got back into the football, it took my mind off it a wee bit but after playing a couple of games I got injured and that was my season over.
“It didn’t help with my problem that I was off on Saturdays, because on Saturdays the only thing you are going to bet on is football.
“I look back at when the bets against Cowdenbeath were made. The first was that summer after the bairns were born.
“I hope Cowdenbeath stay behind me and back me up. I know what I’ve done has hurt them but I just hope they give me a second chance.
“They gave me a lot of support after what happened with the bairn and Gemma.
“They raised money for me and Mia and they really looked after me. That’s why they will be so disappointed.”
While Brett admits betting against Cowden, he says he never gave anything less than 100 per cent in those games or wanted his team to lose.
He even SCORED for the Blue Brazil in a 5-1 loss to Rangers after backing the Ibrox side to win.
Brett said: “The only time I’ve bet against Cowden was in games against bigger and better teams.
“I’ve taken Rangers twice, I’ve taken Falkirk and I took Dundee United when we played them in the League Cup in the summer.
“When we played Rangers last season, I had them on a £10 accumulator and a £5 accumulator.
“I’ve not gone out there thinking ‘I want Cowdenbeath to lose’ — I’ve gone out wanting to win. I scored a goal in that game! I’ve never wanted us to get beat and I think the fans and the players would back me up on that.
“But you are not allowed to do it and I’ve done it. I’ll need to accept it.
“The games were on days when there weren’t many games on — Sundays or midweek days — and I’ve wanted a coupon on.
“I know I shouldn’t have touched those games but I wasn’t thinking that at the time.
“I’ve just ended up getting stuck in that hole that loads of people do with gambling and it’s obviously come at a cost now.
“I love Cowdenbeath. I’d never leave them unless the chance ever came to go to a high-up Championship club or the Premiership.
“There were another couple of clubs interested in the summer and I did think about it because we’d just been relegated to the bottom league.
“But I decided to stay because I belong at Cowden and I love Cowden.
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“I’ve got to deal with this but I just feel that the way it has come about is a bit unfair, especially on my family as they are affected by this as well.
“The SPFL are sponsored by Ladbrokes, they’re advertising Ladbrokes, yet they are going through players’ bookies accounts.
“It’s hurt the family more than me. I’ll get on with it. I’ll shut it out. But my mum was greeting this morning and that’s two or three days after this started coming out.
“I’ve been stupid but I know for a fact a lot of people do it in Scottish football.
“I do feel it’s unfair that they’re picking me out but I can’t do anything about it.
“I’m suspended by Cowdenbeath until Tuesday and we’ll take it from there.
“I stayed to help them get back up the leagues and I still want to help them do that.”
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