Richie Allen claimed he couldn’t work, despite helping his team win the league

A footballer claimed he couldn’t work following a car crash - despite playing 30 games to help his team win the league.

Salford City star Richie Allen made a ‘spectacular own goal’ with the dishonest claim and a judge ordered him to pay the £6,000 legal costs.

While injured, Allen played important games for Salford City FC in the team’s title-winning 2017/18 season, leading to promotion to the National League North to the National League.

In defence, Richie had claimed he took steroids to keep on playing through the injury as football was his only source of income.

A spokesperson for specialist insurance law firm Horwich Farrelly said: “Footballer Richard Allen scored a spectacular own goal after a court ruled he made a dishonest claim for whiplash following a car accident.

“After being involved as a passenger in a motor collision in Preston in January 2017, Allen claimed he was injured for 11 months and unable to work.

“Despite these claims he continued to play several matches for Salford City FC until the end of their National League North title-winning season in 2017/18, as well as going on to play for Longridge Town FC of the North West Counties League Premier Division.”

The spokesman said that in total, Allen played more than 30 matches after the accident, disproving his claim.

“When Horwich Farrelly exposed that Allen had indeed been playing in football matches despite saying he was injured, his defence was that he was able to play because he was self-medicating with illegally purchased steroids in order to hide his injuries as he had no other means of income besides football.

“Despite these claims Horwich Farrelly pushed for the case to go to court where the judge found Allen fundamentally dishonest and ordered him to pay costs of over £6,000.”

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