Bowen was hired as Head of Football Operations in 2022.According to national reports, Mark Bowen is currently involved in a legal conflict with Reading Football Club after the latter cancelled his contract.
According to the Times, the club has fired the previous head of football operations after he was found to have violated the FA’s betting rules.
Their report continues: “The Times understands that in July he was also informed by his employers that he was in breach of his contract for bringing the club into disrepute.”
According to their investigation, he was informed by the club that he had breached his contract by ‘bringing the club into shame’.
Bowen, who was first-team manager from 2019 to 2020 before returning as head of football in 2022, was suspended by the club in July after being found guilty of placing 95 bets on football events between April 2022 and January 2024.
It is expected that lawyers representing Bowen would refer to past disciplinary incidents at the club that have not resulted in the same type of sanction as Bowen has faced.
The club was fined £200,000 in May after an independent disciplinary committee found that the club and three staff members – former CEO Nigel Howe, academy head Michael Gilkes, and club secretary Sue Hewett – had broken FA rules.
Howe was fined £5,000 and banned from participating in transfer and contract discussions for six months, followed by a six-month ban from all football activities once the first punishment expired.
As a result, Howe is still able to oversee the current takeover, having been charged by existing owner Dai Yongge with negotiating the sale of the club.
In May, Reading FC confessed that the club’s conduct had ‘fallen short of the high standards we generally maintain’ and that three staff had represented the club in ‘exemplary fashion for over 20 years.’
The club has not yet made a formal announcement. Bowen’s resignation was reported, but first-team manager Ruben Selles declined to comment.
Reading Football Club has been approached for comment.
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