Johnny Phillips: It’s time all bets were off in the football industry

The betting industry is so embedded in the sport already, but not enough is being done to tackle the issue which devastates so many lives.

Sandro Tonali’s 10-month ban this week highlights not just the personal issue for a top player but also how susceptible people from all walks of life are to gambling problems. Betting companies adorn Premier League shirts and betting adverts are too prevalent during commercial coverage of the game, both on television and on perimeter hoardings.

The football industry seems unable or unwilling to escape the attractive opportunities betting sponsorship brings to the sport and its coverage, regardless of the exposure this leads to for so many vulnerable people.

Newcastle’s £55million summer signing from AC Milan will not appear in a first team shirt until next season. Tonali will serve a further eight-month community order once he is allowed to return to action. In the meantime, it is hoped he can overcome the betting addiction that led to the ban, but how many others will be affected by similar issues over the coming months? Football has a betting crisis to address but there seems little appetite to do so.

n The new collaborative film made in part by Wolves Studios – 1967: When LA Wolves Conquered the USA – will be worth a watch when it is made available to supporters in the coming weeks.

It tells the story of the summer tour to America undertaken by 12 clubs from around the world for the United Soccer Association competition, which was heralded as the catalyst for the growth of football in the country firstly through the NASL and subsequently the MLS.

With little footage available from the time, the post-production work had to be spot on to deliver a fascinating story about the tournament, which was won by Wolves under their American moniker of LA Wolves.

There are colourful interview contributions from players including Terry Wharton, Phil Parkes and Gerry Taylor who have vivid memories of an extraordinary few weeks. It is a chapter in the club’s history that has never really been explored in depth and those involved deserve a lot of credit for putting the story out there.

Perhaps there is an even bigger tale to be told to a wider audience one day too, involving all 12 clubs and their host cities, but maybe that’s one for a Hollywood studio to pick up in the future. For now, supporters can look forward to learning more about the Summer of ’67.