Lincoln City FC warns parents over bogus child scouts

League One football club Lincoln City has warned parents about people pretending to be football scouts.

Individuals had approached parents and coaches at grassroots games and one told a young boy he was being offered a contract with the club, it said.

Lincolnshire FA alerted police after the boy's parents raised concerns with Lincoln City.

The club said the fake scout was "a fraud and potentially a very dangerous person".

Lincolnshire Police confirmed a man claiming to be a scout for the Imps had approached a boy in September last year but no arrests were made.

In the statement on its website, the club said the individual went "to some length to learn the names of some of our staff and approached parents and the team coach".

"Sadly, the player was hugely disappointed to be told that the person in question was, in fact, a fraud and potentially a very dangerous person," the club said.

The club has now issued fresh guidance to parents after concerns raised by someone "claiming to have been offered a trial with us this July in return for 2,000 euros".

"We advised them it was a scam and wanted to help prevent anyone being taken in, while also highlighting to grassroots clubs what our processes are," the spokesman said.

It said it had received reports that "a small number of individuals" were attending grassroots football games across the county pretending to be Lincoln City scouts.

The statement added that its scouts did not use social media to recruit players and its recruitment staff never asked for money in return for a trial.

Genuine scouts would always contact the grassroots club secretary and the young player's coach before any visit, the club stressed.

They would always introduce themselves to the coach and the family and would always wear club kit and be able to show their club ID badge.

The club added: "If the scout feels that a trial is going to be offered, they will then invite the family to the club at an agreed time - scouts will never offer lifts to the child."

Names and pictures of the club's official scouts can be found on the club's website.