Manchester City urged to end association with footballer facing financial allegations

Calls have been made for Manchester City FC to discontinue its association with footballer Natasha Harding, who is currently subject to claims of having withheld thousands of pounds from teammates, parents, and businesses without repayment. Ms. Harding, a former Wales international now known by her married name Allen-Wyatt, frequently serves as a pundit and commentator for Manchester City’s women’s matches. Among the accusations she faces are claims that she accepted payments for individual coaching sessions with children which were subsequently not provided. Ms. Allen-Wyatt stated that “some sessions” had to be cancelled due to factors beyond her influence, and she offered an apology to those impacted. Following the BBC’s initial report on these allegations from parents, teammates, and businesses that sponsored the Tash Harding Academy, additional individuals have come forward claiming similar financial losses. The BBC has been informed that reports have been filed with various police forces across Wales and England, with some of these reports also forwarded to Action Fraud. Action Fraud confirmed that a minimum of one report is “currently being assessed” by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. The BBC understands that although Ms. Allen-Wyatt is not a direct employee of the club, she has been engaged by them on a freelance basis up until the recent past. Her most recent appearance as a pundit was on Manchester City’s Matchday Live programme on 8 November, where she appeared alongside former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, who currently manages the Manchester City Women FC Academy. Furthermore, the club’s official website indicates that she provided commentary for the Women’s Super League (WSL) match between Manchester City and Chelsea on 16 November. Ms. Allen-Wyatt, who earned 103 caps for Wales, also played for Manchester City in 2015 prior to her transfers to Liverpool, Reading, and Aston Villa. Manchester City FC has been contacted for a statement. Steve Lloyd, chairman of a grassroots club that alleges a loss of £650 following an investment in the Tash Harding Academy earlier this year, expressed his belief that Manchester City FC has a “moral and ethical duty” to sever its connection with Ms. Allen-Wyatt. He commended Manchester City, whose women’s team currently holds second place in the WSL, trailing Chelsea, for being a “massive supporter of the girls’ and women’s game”. However, he stated his opinion that they ought to make a public statement. He remarked, “To be getting the exposure that Manchester City gives [Ms Allen-Wyatt], I think it’s a moral and ethical duty for them to stop her freelance employment.” He further added that he believed they should, “speak out in support of the people who have been making these allegations, rather than brushing it under the carpet”. Dreigiau Dâr FC, a volunteer-operated club in Aberdare dedicated to offering free coaching to children from diverse backgrounds, reported paying £650 to Ms. Allen-Wyatt. This payment was intended to secure 20% of her academy’s profits and 12 coaching sessions for the club. Only two sessions were conducted, and the club did not receive any profits from the academy. Steve and an additional parent also purchased packages of individual coaching sessions for their children, which were similarly only partially delivered. They indicated that they had requested refunds but had not received any funds in return. Steve’s 10-year-old daughter, Eliza, expressed her aspiration to play for Wales in the future but conveyed feeling “sad” when the promised sessions did not occur. During an appearance on Radio Wales Breakfast on Thursday, Steve stated: “As we all know now, there is a hell of a lot more parents, companies and other individuals who are out there who have suffered the same heartache as well.“Ideally in the grand scheme of things it would be fantastic if everyone was to get their hard-earned money back, but it’s going to be a long and difficult process.” Ms. Allen-Wyatt did not provide a response to the accusations put forth by her former teammates or by businesses. She attributed the cancellations to circumstances such as “my car being written off and the second car breaking down,” and affirmed that refunds had been issued to some parents and arrangements made with others. She explained that she established the academy to offer affordable, “detailed technical coaching” with the aim of providing children with “the opportunities that I never had”. She confirmed that she continues to operate the academy and is “delivering local sessions”.