Barry warned and Swindon fined for breach of FA rules

Gareth Barry retired from playing in August 2020

Former England international Gareth Barry has been given a warning by the Football Association after being found by an independent regulatory commission to have breached regulations over an £800,000 investment in Swindon Town in 2013.

Swindon have been fined £25,000, of which £12,500 has been suspended for two years, while charges against the club’s former chairman Lee Power were found not proven.

Barry’s former agent Michael Standing, meanwhile, was issued with a six-month ban from all football activity and reprimanded over his conduct. But the ban was backdated, so considered already served.

First Touch Pro Management, of which Standing was a director, was fined £40,000 and also received a warning.

The commission concluded that the FA’s regulations on working with intermediaries had been breached.

Barry, 43, previously denied being an investor in the League Two club.

A High Court judgement involving Power first revealed the allegation in May 2020.

It was claimed that Barry lent money to Standing to fund the acquisition of a stake in Swindon when he was playing for Manchester City.

Under FA regulations, agents are not allowed to own clubs because of potential conflicts of interest.

The commission concluded that Barry had provided financial assistance to Standing and First Touch Pro Management in order for the investment in Swindon to be made.

However, it also concluded that "his motivation was generosity towards a friend", that Barry did not seek to become involved in the running of Swindon, that he "has not profited and has more probably lost money as a result of his involvement" and "has not acted deceitfully or dishonourably".

Swindon and former Norwich City striker Power, who sold the Robins to Australian businessman Clem Morfuni in the summer of 2021, were charged with failing to disclose to the FA any arrangement which existed with First Touch Pro Management.