Ex-Wolves coach in tour con

It’s the curious tale of an ex-Wolves coach, his bogus football team, a Royal Navy base – and a pre-season tour that wasn’t all it seemed.

Former Wolves community coach Robert Vassall led the mythical Wolverhampton City FC in matches in Cornwall, claiming to have the backing of the Molineux club. But the team never existed and Vassall left behind a trail of bounced cheques as the team posed as professionals.

The squad, which stayed in hotels and blagged transport, was only rumbled after being thrashed 7-1 by minnows Bodmin Town.

The drubbing led the hosts to doubt the 22-man outfit had the “Conference League” status Vassall boasted, Truro Crown Court heard.

The court was told that Wolverhampton City FC’s 10-day tour in July took off after Vassall convinced Naval petty Officer George Pattison to let the team use the Navy’s Culdrose base in Helston, Cornwall.

Truro Crown Court heard how the 22-man team booked into the University of Exeter’s Cornwall Campus and were ferried to and from Culdrose in a Mercedes.

The court heard the Truro Minibus and Truronian Bus Companies were out of pocket by a few hundred pounds, whilst Tremough campus was owed £5,538.50.

Vassall, who turned 34 on Tuesday, and lives in Ling House, Heath Town, admitted three counts of obtaining property by deception and a fourth charge of evasion of liability by deception.

He was sentenced to a 12 month supervised community order and to complete 120 hours unpaid work.

Sentencing him, Recorder Geoffrey Mercer said: “I’m not going to make an order for compensation because you simply don’t have any money.”

Wolves today said Vassall, who held an FA level two coaching certificate, was not an employee, and was used occasionally as a freelance.

Spokeswoman Lorraine Hennessey said: “The club had been completely unaware of Robert’s activities. We are pleased that the courts have dealt with the matter appropriately.”