Wigan sports club manager stole thousands of pounds from his own club

A young Wigan sports club manager has been given a community punishment for fleecing his own organisation out of thousands of pounds.

Borough magistrates heard that one of Greg Wilde’s jobs at Golborne Parkside Sports and Community Club was to take bookings for functions such as birthday parties and wedding receptions.

But instead of giving customers the Rivington Avenue club’s bank account details, the 26-year-old gave them his own.

The court was told that this went on from August 2018 through to June 2019, by which time the organisation’s treasurer had spotted that bookings were being taken but the commensurate money wasn’t going into the club account.

As a result the alarm was raised and a police investigation was launched.

The inquiries eventually led to manager Wilde’s door.

Justices were told that he initially denied stealing any money, saying it had been an accident and then made partial admissions to the police by which time it was concluded that in total he had salted away £2,350.

And when the matter finally came before justices, Wilde, of Derby Road, Golborne, pleaded guilty to the proceeds’ theft.

Returning to court for sentencing, he was ordered by the bench to carry out 250 hours’ unpaid work over the next 12 months and return all the money he had stolen to the club.

Wilde must also pay a further £170 in court costs and a victim services surcharge combined.

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