'Get a life' - non-league club condemn man impersonating manager
September 10, 2026 11:06
Gainsborough Trinity say someone has been contacting non-league players while pretending to be their manager, Russ Wilcox, offering moves and wage terms. The club publicly rejected those approaches and made clear they did not originate from Wilcox or on the club’s behalf.
The hoax came to light after managers and officials at other clubs rang Wilcox directly, prompting Gainsborough’s chief executive, Matt Boles, to condemn the impersonation and urge the individual to stop.
KEY CONTEXT
- Gainsborough Trinity compete in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of English football.
- Wilcox has been the club’s manager since 2023. Under his stewardship the side reached the FA Cup second round in 2024–25 and the first round the previous season.
- The club says the fake approaches have targeted a number of players at different levels of the non-league pyramid and warned they risk causing disruption and reputational damage.
- Gainsborough have notified the Northern Premier League and the Football Association about the incidents.
- Wilcox’s managerial background includes spells at Scunthorpe United and York City; as a player he appeared for Northampton Town, Hull City, Doncaster Rovers, Preston North End and Scunthorpe.
WHY IT MATTERS
Impersonation of a manager can undermine the recruitment process in non-league football, wasting players’ and clubs’ time and potentially harming reputations. In this case peers who know Wilcox’s professional standards recognised the messages as incongruous and escalated the matter, showing how informal networks in non-league circles can help detect and counter such behaviour.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Any response or investigation from the Northern Premier League or the FA after being informed by Gainsborough.
- Whether further bogus approaches are reported elsewhere in the non-league game and how clubs choose to warn players.
- Whether the club or authorities identify the person responsible and take action.
KEY FACTS
- Club: Gainsborough Trinity, Northern Premier League Premier Division (seventh tier).
- Manager: Russ Wilcox, in charge since 2023.
- CEO: Matt Boles publicly condemned the impersonation.
- The fake approaches targeted "a number of players" across non-league levels.
- Gainsborough have alerted the Northern Premier League and the Football Association.