League Two Accrington Stanley managing director Robert Heys has been banned from football for 21 months and fined £1,000 by the Football Association for breaching betting rules. The governing body charged Heys at the start of the month and he admitted to 735 breaches of their betting rules at a personal hearing last Thursday.

Heys issued a statement that read: "I accept that I broke the rules and that I must receive a punishment.

"However on consideration and following consultation with my representatives we do feel that a suspension period of 21 months is severe and inappropriately harsh.

"I fully intend to appeal against the excessiveness of the penalty in an effort to get it reduced so that I may work towards resuming my career within the football industry."