Clayton Lewis (Unattached FC)

Elemenop

austin111

Players who cheat results deserve 100% to get punished.
However there is no doubt the seedy gambling money has heavily infiltrated pro football.
I dont know what its like in NZ but here in Europe gambling in football is everywhere. You go to matches and most of the advertising hordings are gambling logos. Ditto the players shirts. Watching on TV probably 80% of pre and post game ads are gambling.
Lots of these firms are shadowy Asian or Middle East firms who use multiple shell companies to hide and move around money.
The inquires i have seen say match fixing is rife in lower salary leagues.
Im sure the A league Davila case is not isolated.

 
Imagine you steal 10k from work. Then you are never allowed to work again...   This isn't really a football discussion and he's made a dumb mistake. I just feel sorry for the guy he will never play the game he loves again at a decent level.. 

That's a terrible analogy.

Lewis didn't just steal $20 out of the cash register, he took a $20 bribe to leave the front doors unlocked so the thieves could clean out the whole bank.

The former is potentially forgivable, the later completely undermines the integrity of the bank - particularly if the bank was to employ him again.

Lewis should never play professional football again.

coochiee

Not really coming across as very smart Clayton.
Isn't his dad a well known figure in the Wellington football community. Feel for Lewis snr.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/07/11/footballer-clayton-lewis-changes-plea-and-admits-role-in-bet-fixing-scheme/

According to the facts presented in court, Lewis was put in a holding cell after his arrest, and he admitted to the other occupant that he deliberately solicited a yellow card “to earn a little bit of coin”.

The conversation was recorded with a surveillance device, the court was told.

Lewis was recruited for the scheme because he was a known gambler and was seen as “influenceable”.

The court was told there was no evidence Lewis or Baccus had any involvement in placing the bets but they were paid by Davila after match.

Lewis was paid in three instalments while Baccus told Davila to say the $10,000 was payment for a car.

 Just a dumb dumb move. He probably would have been close to the World cup squad too if he had keep playing well. Idiot. 

Penalties have to be harsh to discourage the behavior. I'm all in favour of a life ban from playing organised football.

Don't forget that he will have been well aware of the consequences for getting caught at the time he committed the crime and decided it was worth it.

You do  wonder how long its been going on,you wont convince me they got caught the first time they tried it. Even thinking about when they were here there were times when there were comments about the stupid yellow either of them had picked up. Sadly it casts doubt over their whole A League careers.

and of course, do it once and you are forever a nice target for blackmail...

ballane

You do  wonder how long its been going on,you wont convince me they got caught the first time they tried it. Even thinking about when they were here there were times when there were comments about the stupid yellow either of them had picked up. Sadly it casts doubt over their whole A League careers.

 Yeah I've been thinking this too. They only got caught with the $10k.. but it seems crazy they'd risk their careers for that. I suspect there was a lot more going on...

Lewis was caught on camera telling his cell mate, it was all for a 'little bit of coin'. Sounds like Lewis himself was a gambler. How big a gambler we don't know. But alot of rational thought can go out of your head when you are in that world.

Paul Ifill talked about betting £500 on flies walking down a window!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/133330456/former-phoenix-star-paul-ifill-says-he-lost-4m-due-to-gambling-addiction

He also gambled at the Phoenix – “I was betting on myself to score first in games, which is definitely highly illegal” – but by the time he had moved to New Zealand, his addiction was already deeply embedded.

coochiee

Lewis was caught on camera telling his cell mate, it was all for a 'little bit of coin'. Sounds like Lewis himself was a gambler. How big a gambler we don't know. But alot of rational thought can go out of your head when you are in that world.

Paul Ifill talked about betting £500 on flies walking down a window!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/133330456/former-phoenix-star-paul-ifill-says-he-lost-4m-due-to-gambling-addiction

He also gambled at the Phoenix – “I was betting on myself to score first in games, which is definitely highly illegal” – but by the time he had moved to New Zealand, his addiction was already deeply embedded.

I know just what that world looks like. In another life while i didnt play top level sport i gambled away 100s of thousands. Its a world easy to get into not so easy to get out of.

Although Ifill did something pretty bad, there's a difference in betting on yourself to do well and taking bribes from crime syndicates to do badly.

Sports betting is a plague as bad as tobacco and alcohol and should be treated as such. Lou Vincent got more than a decade ban from cricket, so 5 years in this case might be fair.

I could not be more disappointed in a guy. First the match fixing itself, but just as disappointing to me is that he didn't cooperate with authorities and plead guilty at the first opportunity. It was extremely difficult from the very start to think it could possibly have just been a mistake by the police or to imagine that if guilty he would get away with it. And then it turns out he blabbed to the very first person he spoke to after being arrested that he was guilty, within earshot of a recording device?!

The dude is clearly bereft of any intelligence and is ethically bankrupt. Plus he completely blew up his partner's promising career in sports broadcasting, to boot. I'm just glad we have some finality to this sorry saga and we can forget the whole thing. Even in recent months you'd see sincere posts on this forum speculating that he might actually be playing professional football in the near future and could still potentially make the All Whites World Cup squad. We won't be seeing any more of that thankfully. 

The issue with this is you wonder if this was just a one off.....which would be nieve or has this happened before?. Did Davila arrive in the A League already a gambling cheat? Quite probably. Was he cheating while at the Nix? Who knows. If you think back too much you could get paranoid. But it does undermine your faith in the game a little

It seems difficult to get away with if it requires six figure payouts for doing it. That means much more money than that needs to be made by those betting on fixed games, so big irregularities that get spotted fast by the gambling companies. I wouldnt be surprised if they got caught early in their offending

I think Lewi could get a gig in India where betting and corruption are not even disguised.

The Gamblers Anonymous betting meeting will start at 10 - 1.

Yeah unless he is jailed or he cops a FIFA ban, I could see him popping up somewhere in Asia. 

austin111

The issue with this is you wonder if this was just a one off.....which would be nieve or has this happened before?. Did Davila arrive in the A League already a gambling cheat? Quite probably. Was he cheating while at the Nix? Who knows. If you think back too much you could get paranoid. But it does undermine your faith in the game a little

Exactly why it needs to be dealt with in the harshest way possible. Lifetime ban is a starting minimum. Jail should be on the cards.

austin111

The issue with this is you wonder if this was just a one off.....which would be nieve or has this happened before?. Did Davila arrive in the A League already a gambling cheat? Quite probably. Was he cheating while at the Nix? Who knows. If you think back too much you could get paranoid. But it does undermine your faith in the game a little

Not in the game in some of the individuals playing it.

imanixsupporter

It seems difficult to get away with if it requires six figure payouts for doing it. That means much more money than that needs to be made by those betting on fixed games, so big irregularities that get spotted fast by the gambling companies. I wouldnt be surprised if they got caught early in their offending

Not all betting goes through legal channels doubt very much that it was spotted as early as you think it may have been. That sort of stuff isnt all done in big bets or payouts,smaller bets and lots of them spread across a number of different punters and not with same agency is often how its done.

ballane

Think people have forgotten we had a player who had once been involved in a betting scandal Marco Rossi. So that shows it is possible to play again. Not that he was good for us sadly showed some promise but never delivered on it.

Can‘t remember Rossi‘s case exactly but I think he was much younger and pressed by some outside mafiosi vs Lewis, in his mid 20’s with a full developed brain from a team mate . What ever his punishment will be, if he’s still has the touch afterwards, we should consider him for a 2nd chance.

number8

ballane

Think people have forgotten we had a player who had once been involved in a betting scandal Marco Rossi. So that shows it is possible to play again. Not that he was good for us sadly showed some promise but never delivered on it.

Can‘t remember Rossi‘s case exactly but I think he was much younger and pressed by some outside mafiosi vs Lewis, in his mid 20’s with a full developed brain from a team mate . What ever his punishment will be, if he’s still has the touch afterwards, we should consider him for a 2nd chance.

No way bloody no does he get second chance with us for me any way. Was over rated 1st time why would we give him a second chance after what he has done.

That’s his career done. 

Hope he enjoys working at the Golden Arches or BK going forwards as this will haunt him like a bad smell in the footballing world and many other professions.

Time to lock the thread.

Bit more info

https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/a-league/three-aleague-players-front-court-over-yellow-card-betting-scandal/news-story/a6bf83fb0ecd24ecb2f28cd06d79535c

When Lewis confessed to his cell mate he said he only did it once for a little bit of extra coin. 

Ulli told both players that it was common in Europe for this to happen. 

They all thought it was harmless as it wouldn't affect the result of the game.

The whole thing was coordinated via WhatsApp. 

Pretty dumb 

He can't of been that naive surely.

MetalLegNZ

He can't of been that naive surely.

he never struck me a being the sharpest tool in the shed.

1 time only YEAH RIGHT

 “You know this thing happens all the time overseas in Europe and Spain,” Mr Davila allegedly said in a message.

"All the cool kids are doing it", eh? It's always disappointing when real-world criminals talk like the bad guys in an 80s cartoon. He probably offered Clayton a free cup of drugs while he was at it.

Both getting into golf now as strugglinggolfers on TikTok - a career change for Clayton maybe?

If we look at the Ryan Tandy case as a benchmark, Lewis could escape prison.

But then maybe get a life time ban from Football Australia??
If so no idea if such a ban would prevent him playing elsewhere. Where would FIFA step in?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360826110/former-all-white-clayton-lewis-be-sentenced-league-match-fixing-case

The saga is considered the biggest sports corruption scandal in Australia's football codes since the National Rugby League's Ryan Tandy affair in 2010.

In that case, while playing for the Canterbury-Bansktown Bulldogs, Tandy was found to have manipulated the first points scored in a match. He was banned from the NRL for life and served a six-month intensive correction order.

While Wednesday's sentencing hearing would end the legal process for Lewis, there were likely further ramifications to come.

It is understood Football Australia would run a separate disciplinary process for each of the players, with heavy sanctions expected.

New Zealand Football said it was unable to comment on Lewis' future while he was before the courts.

Hope Narelle is still standing by her man

still can't believe he did all this for 10k. There must have been more money behind it... 

Elemenop

still can't believe he did all this for 10k. There must have been more money behind it... 

Well, 10k a time. And you assume he was thinking ‘Well, I usually get a yellow anyway, so extra 10k. Sweet.’ 

This warrants jail time. Nothing against the guy we all make mistakes. 

But this is absolutely next level. If you don’t put the foot down now and put a stamp on it what does that teach the younger generation coming through?

That if you take a little cheeky punt on the TAB manipulating outcomes of football games where people have their money on it.
Eventually you’ll find you’re way out of it and be able to go play pro football abroad again? Needs a serious punishment. Don’t care if it was for 10k or 1 million. 

Needs to be serious penalties at all levels, seen more of it happening in the NPL recently with Gold Coast United players too. 

Don't see it getting jail time. Lifetime band from his career is more than enough retribution. 

10k - won't get jail. Diversion without conviction, or a light slap on the wrist. The fact he likely won't be able to play footy again will be considered in his sentence as it is a form of consequence as well for him.

Is he still with his missus, and what is she doing now?

Don't be surprised if the court's verdict isn't on TV News tonight given that Lewis's "missus" is an ex NZ TV media darling.

Oh that's a good conspiracy 

I don’t think she’s been doing her reporting over the last 18 odd months since this is all happened (understandably). Maybe a career change or just a break until this is all settled. 

Could be a good pickup for Chch United if the dust settles come OFC pro league time... 😂 

Sh817

This warrants jail time. Nothing against the guy we all make mistakes. 

But this is absolutely next level. If you don’t put the foot down now and put a stamp on it what does that teach the younger generation coming through?

That if you take a little cheeky punt on the TAB manipulating outcomes of football games where people have their money on it.
Eventually you’ll find you’re way out of it and be able to go play pro football abroad again? Needs a serious punishment. Don’t care if it was for 10k or 1 million. 

Needs to be serious penalties at all levels, seen more of it happening in the NPL recently with Gold Coast United players too. 

Man you are tough. This does not warrant going to jail. The main people that lost out are betting organisations. 

Guy has learnt serious life lessons here... no more pro football..  lost his rep and will struggle to get work with a criminal record.