The Football Association of Ireland is to launch an investigation following reports that St Patrick's Athletic players may have gambled on their own team to lose. The club launched its own investigation yesterday amid rumours that first-team players were involved.

Club chief executive Richard Sadlier met with players last night after the allegations surfaced and the FAI will now look into what it described as "suspected irregular betting patterns".

Officials from the association have been in contact with a number of betting firms in a bid bring any evidence to light. The recent defeats to relegation strugglers Cobh Ramblers and Galway United are believed to be at the centre of the allegations.

"The FAI has this morning written to the St Patrick's Athletic and a number of bookmakers asking that they share any information they might have to substantiate the suspicions raised by the club," the FAI announced in a statement this morning.

"The FAI welcomes St Patrick's Athletic's decision to raise this matter with players and will ensure that a thorough investigation is carried out to determine if there is any substance to these claims."

Betting against your own club is not illegal but contravenes FAI rules.

Speaking to the Irish Timesyesterday, Sadlier confirmed that he had met with the players and, while the claims remain unsubstantiated, an investigation is ongoing.

"I would assume and hope that they are (innocent), but we can't just ignore something like that, we'll look into it as much as we can," he explained.

"I'm disappointed, though, that our club is going to be written about in this context and disappointed, too, that players I presume to be innocent until some evidence to the contrary is uncovered might end up having some sort of cloud hanging over them."