03/09/2026
Rugby Borough Council has been accused of malpractice after it came to light, it was using a ‘trust ‘ lagreement rather than a formal one with the local football league. There are concerns that David Sharpe‘s Rugby and District Sunday football league has been underpaying match fees over a long period without any controls.
A freedom of information request made to the council was replied without the necessary details. John Howes the head of the department in question has refused to reply to the request. He continued to deny there was any agreement between the council and the league despite contrary emails from the department itself. The department stated it had a trust agreement whereby Jamie Malin, fixture secretary , from the league had the keys to the changing rooms and council pitches and allocated them accordingly without any real process for invoicing the facilities used. This has led to concerns about embezzlement from the league in underpaying the costs of pitches. There is no actual fixed practice between the council and the league which shows which pitches have been used and when. The audits expected for both parties don’t seem to have been adhered to, the league has an unqualified treasurer and no certified auditor .
The process has been going for potentially for the whole of David Sharpe tenure as lchairman, which is over six years and the amounts owing could be substantial.
