BY TIM PARSONS
A man appeared in court accused of defrauding West Ham players and staff of thousands of pounds.
Thirteen people linked to the club, including former manager Sam Allardyce paid a total of £7,310 to Stephen Ackerman in December 2014, with the promise of goods that were never delivered.
The 47-year-old man of Hillcroft, Loughton, Essex, denied 13 counts of fraud at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Star players that include England striker, Andy Carroll, and Leyton Orient’s new player-manager, Kevin Nolan, are among those who will give evidence against the defendant in the case scheduled for July this summer. The judge noted that the European championships take place this summer, so set the court date to take account of the games, which come every four years.
The defendant is charged with committing fraud by acting “dishonestly” and “intending” to “make a gain for himself or another”. He allegedly made a false representation by claiming he was in possession of goods which would be delivered in return for payment.
Ackerman was unconditionally bailed ahead of a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday, June 17. Scams of this sort are common place in the world of fraudsters, but a scam against football players is stupid if the fraudster thinks he will escape undetected. The case is bound to attract alot of media attention.