A former football club chairman, Karl Morecroft, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years, after admitting to stealing thousands of pounds from his club to fund his cocaine addiction.
The 45-year-old was found to have stolen £22,491 from the accounts of RTB Ebbw Vale FC over a 15-month period while serving as chairman of the club.
According to court proceedings, Morecroft diverted club funds by disguising the payments as expenses for football equipment, council liabilities, Companies House fees, charity registration costs and business penalties.
Before becoming chairman in 2023, Morecroft had coached the club’s under-eight and under-nine teams.
RTB Ebbw Vale FC, based in Blaenau Gwent, supports about 330 children and depends largely on fundraising activities, parents and volunteers to sustain its operations.
The fraud left the club struggling financially after the missing funds were discovered.
During sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, the court suspended Morecroft’s 20-month prison sentence for two years.
He was also ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work, undertake 50 rehabilitation activity days, and repay £21,259 within three years. The court ruled that he could face a further 12 months in prison if he fails to refund the money.
In a victim impact statement, the club’s treasurer, Joshua Holvey, said the incident had taken a heavy toll on his mental health.
“I never questioned his intentions. I was naive and assumed someone in his position would act with integrity, so I would send money whenever I was asked. Looking back, I feel a deep sense of guilt and shame for not recognising the warning signs,” Holvey said.
He added that the financial loss had placed the future of the club in doubt and left him questioning his own judgement.
“Thousands of pounds have been lost, leaving the club struggling to recover and its future uncertain. I have lost confidence in my own judgement and feel responsible for allowing the situation to escalate. I joined the club to contribute positively, but instead I feel I have enabled wrongdoing,” he said.
The club’s secretary, Rachel Edwards, also outlined the impact of the fraud, revealing that the organisation had to take out short-term loans just to pay for end-of-season trophies.
She added that the club was unable to carry out essential maintenance work, leading to the deterioration of its pitches, and also missed the deadline to secure a 30-year lease on its facilities.
“We were unable to carry out essential maintenance, and there was deterioration of our pitches,” Edwards said. “We missed a deadline to enter a 30-year lease of the building, which will have a serious long-term effect.”
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