Former Shrewsbury Town striker Ryan Bowman has been banned from football for 42 months for gambling offences – including betting on 243 games he or Salop were involved in.

The forward, from Carlisle, was investigated by an FA Commission and was found to have placed spot bets on several games he was involved in.

That covers instances like bookings, corners and goals, with Bowman admitting to betting from the bench during Shrewsbury’s game against MK Dons in January last year.

Bowman spent a staggering £203,758.57 in the period covered, resulting in returns of £182,189.85 – representing a £21,548.72 loss.

His punishment of a three-and-a-half year ban has now been confirmed by the Football Association, with parent club Cheltenham Town having already released him in May.

The striker admitted all charges against him and is now banned from all football activity for 42 months.

Out of the astonishing 6,397 bets he placed, as many as 351 related to his own team. 

In 2014/15 he placed two bets whilst at Torquay United, with a further 191 bets on games when he was at Gateshead in 2015/16.

In 2018/19 it was found that Bowman placed 153 bets during his time at Exeter City and two of which involved Exeter games.