PETER Cavanagh does not know whether he will return to football after he was one of five former Accrington Stanley players to yesterday lose their appeals against bans from the sport for betting offences.

Cavanagh, Robbie Williams, Jay Harris, David Mannix and Andy Mangan all received suspensions from football during the summer after being found guilty of betting on Bury to beat the Reds ahead of a League Two fixture at the Crown Ground in May 2008, which the Shakers won 2-0.

All five opted to appeal – four against the guilty verdict and Harris merely against the length of his ban – but yesterday found out that they had been unsuccessful and their suspensions will stand.

Cavanagh and Williams – both still at Stanley when the charges were announced in April – were banned for eight months, while Harris, Mannix and Mangan were suspended for a year, 10 months and five months respectively.

Cavanagh’s costs were, however, reduced from £9,626.45 to £2,000, which included the money used for a test attempting to prove his brother had placed the £5 accumulator that landed him in hot water, while the other four had their costs cut from £5,000 to £1,000.

Former Stanley skipper Cavanagh, who spent eight years at the club, will now be prevented from even training with a club until his suspension ends in April and admits he is unsure whether he will want to return.

“I don’t want to be rash and say I won’t come back, but at the moment I’ve lost my love for football a little bit,” said the 27-year-old, who has been working as a taxi driver but will now look for a longer term job.

“Maybe that love will come back. It’s pretty much a 12-month ban, because the season will be almost over in April, so we’ll see where we are before next season.

“I’m disappointed by the result of the appeal.

“Obviously I’m pleased that the fine came down but I was hoping to get back playing as soon as possible and at least continue my coaching (with the Liverpool Academy), but that won’t be possible.

“I just feel it’s disproportionate. I don’t think the punishment fits the crime.

“The bet was made in my online account, and it was by my brother, but unfortunately it is very difficult to prove that. We tried to prove it but we weren’t successful.

“I knew he was using my account but my mistake was not to check what for. The thing I’m guilty of is not checking and possibly being naive.

“If it was me who had placed the bet I would have held my hands up and not gone to all this expense on barristers, trying to prove my innocence. And, despite the result of the appeal, I still feel I am innocent.

“But I want to thank the club, particularly John Coleman and Jimmy Bell, as well as the fans for their support.

“I can’t fault the club for the way they handled it.

“This was not the way I wanted my Accrington Stanley career to end.”