SOCCER: MEMBERS OF the St Patrick's Athletic board will meet today to consider what action to take in relation to midfielder Gary Dempsey, who has admitted betting on the club to lose in the recent league game against Galway United.

The 27-year-old has been suspended on full pay and the club, which have been in contact with the FAI and the players union over the weekend, are considering their next move.

Dempsey made his admission on Thursday night at a meeting of the players called by club chief executive Richard Sadlier. He said he had placed a €20 double on Galway United to beat his side on October 20th and Manchester City to win at Newcastle the same evening. The bet failed to come off as the St James' Park match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Dempsey has provided a copy of the betting slip to the club, and he was told he would be suspended while the case is considered.

League director Fran Gavin was informed of what had happened and FAI officials are awaiting further details before deciding how the association will proceed.

In a statement issued on Saturday evening, St Patrick's confirmed the suspension of the player and said they took the matter seriously, but they made clear the problem does not appear to extend to match fixing.

"It is against Fifa and FAI regulations for any player to gamble on any match within their own league," said the club statement. "This is what is under investigation and there has been no suggestion whatsoever from any quarter that any player in the club was involved in anything more sinister."

Whether Dempsey's actions may have contravened other rules, it was not clear last night whether he had, in fact, broken the relevant FAI rule, number 100, specifically designed to deal with betting, which reads: "Anyone who directly or indirectly bets, instructs someone to bet on their behalf, provides others with confidential information or enables another person to bet for that participant's own benefit on a result, conduct or progress of a match or competition in which that person is participating or has control over the result, conduct or progress of a match or competition shall be subject to disciplinary sanctions."

The player was neither in the team nor on the bench for the game in question, as he, along with many other first-team regulars, was rested ahead of a FAI Cup semi-final against Bohemians.

He may yet argue that the rule prohibits betting only when an individual "is participating or has control over the result" of a match.

Certainly the player suggested in his statement, issued yesterday through his union, the PFAI, that he did not feel he had done wrong.

"I placed a €20 bet on my club to lose in a double on an occasion which I was not playing," it reads, "and in which I had no influence on the game. I have never before or since placed a bet on my team to lose a game. The bet was in fact unsuccessful as the other team involved were beaten.

"I'm not aware and have never been made aware of any regulations that prohibit me from placing a bet on a match that I was not involved in. As far as I'm concerned this incident has been blown out of proportion and I am, of course, prepared to meet with club officials to sort this matter out. I apologise if my actions have caused distress to my team-mates or my club."

No one at St Patrick's, who take on Derry City at Richmond Park tonight, is likely to take quite so lightly the fact that Dempsey - one of the club's better paid players - was sitting in the stand watching a league game which he might have been hoping his team would lose.