Seventh-tier outfit Gainsborough Trinity have alerted footballing authorities to an unknown person posing as manager Russ Wilcox and issuing fraudulent offers to players across the non-league game.
The matter has been referred to both the Football Association and the Northern Premier League. Direct contact between managers and players is prohibited under FA regulations, which require all transfer approaches to go through formal club-to-club channels.
In a scathing statement, Gainsborough chief executive Matt Boles called out the imposter, delivering a blunt instruction for them to “get a life”.
The club statement concluded: “To the person responsible: enough is enough. Stop impersonating our manager, stop wasting the time of players and clubs across the non-league game and, quite frankly, get a life.”
Trinity explained that the culprit had purported to represent both Wilcox and the club while making unauthorised wage and contract proposals.
Addressing the situation, the statement noted: “The individual concerned has purported to represent Russ and Gainsborough Trinity FC and, in some instances, has made approaches to players involving potential transfers and wage offers.
“We want to make it categorically clear that these approaches have not been made by Russ Wilcox, nor have they been made on behalf of Gainsborough Trinity Football Club. We strongly condemn the actions of the individual responsible. Impersonating a football manager and making false representations to players is completely unacceptable and has the potential to cause unnecessary disruption and reputational damage to players, managers and clubs.”
The club expressed gratitude to fellow officials who flagged the fake queries directly to Wilcox, adding that many did so “precisely because they know Russ, know the professional standards by which he conducts himself, and immediately recognised that this is not the manner in which he would approach or attempt to recruit a player.”
Wilcox, 62, previously featured for and managed Scunthorpe, and has also held managerial positions at York and Farsley Celtic.
Gainsborough made it through qualifying to reach the first round of the FA Cup last season before being knocked out by Accrington Stanley. They are due to face Leamington away from home in FA Cup qualifying on Saturday 19 September.
