Andy Walker was manager of English football team

Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club ( ) is a professional football club in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium ...

from June 1910 to January 1911. Following Andy Aitken's departure in February 1909, Boro had been managed by secretary-manager John Gunter for sixteen months before Walker signed on 27 June 1910. Controversy was set to follow Walker throughout his brief time as manager. Soon after his appointment, he was in trouble for illegally approaching one of his former Airdrie players to try to convince him to sign for Boro. He was caught and banned for four weeks, while the club were fined £100. In December 1910, chairman Thomas Gibson-Poole, the local

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candidate, believed that if Middlesbrough beat Sunderland in the derby game at Ayresome Park two days prior to the election, it would improve his chances of winning. Before the game took place, Walker offered Sunderland captain Charlie Thompson £30 to throw the match, but he rejected and reported the matter to his chairman who subsequently informed

the Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world a ...

. Middlesbrough actually won the game, but Gibson-Poole lost

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by over 3000 votes. On 16 January 1911, an FA Commission decided that money had been offered and both Walker and Gibson-Poole were suspended from football for life. Some believed that Walker had only been a

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, but despite a 12,500 strong petition to the FA to reconsider his ban, it was upheld.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Andy Airdrieonians F.C. (1878) managers Middlesbrough F.C. managers Scottish Football League managers Year of birth missing Year of death missing