Ex-Wales international Natasha Harding in academy cash claims | Global News Avenue

A top-flight footballer in Wales has been accused by team-mates, parents and sponsors of receiving thousands of pounds that have yet to be repaid.

Natasha Harding, who now uses her married name Allen-Wyatt, is facing accusations that she was paid to provide one-on-one tutoring for her unborn child.

Some parents and businesses told the BBC the former Reading captain warned them she would take action against them if they complained on social media. Many people have now contacted police and anti-fraud operations.

Ms Allen-Wyatt admitted she had had to cancel “a number of meetings” due to circumstances beyond her control and apologized to those affected.

Ms. Ellen Wyatt is considered a trailblazer in the women’s game. Retired from football In September 2023, after 103 appearances for the Welsh national team, he joins an elite group of nine Welsh footballers who have made over 100 appearances for their country.

Didn’t expect her Left out of Wales women’s team until end of 2022The BBC understands this was due to a breakdown in her relationship with her teammates amid accusations she had borrowed money which she had not repaid.

Former team-mates have now revealed to the BBC that some of Ms Ellen-Wyatt’s actions “also impacted on ourselves, our families and friends”.

In a statement issued on behalf of players, staff and the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the Football Association of Wales (FAW) said Ms Ellen Wyatt’s alleged behavior was “extremely disappointing” and “does not represent who we are as a team” or our values”.

FAW asked families to “first report any potential illegal activity to the police” but also encouraged them to get in touch for support.

They also confirmed they had spoken to police and that the player had received support.

Ms Ellen Wyatt, who has played for Liverpool and Aston Villa and now commentates for another of her former clubs, Manchester City, launched the Tash Harding Academy in August 2023.

She regularly posts online about her success, claiming she has run 2,000 tutoring sessions for children in south, mid and north Wales, Cheltenham and Bristol.

While it is clear the academy does run courses for some young people, BBC Wales has spoken to parents and businesses who say they are paying for services or a return on investment but this is not being delivered.

BBC Wales analyzed hundreds of WhatsApp messages, bank transactions, invoices and contracts between April 2023 and November 2024, which support their claims.

The charges include:

• A ‘football-mad’ brother and sister use Christmas money to pay for games that don’t take place

• Children as young as seven feel rejected and ‘not good enough’ when lessons don’t happen

• Volunteers for a grassroots football team told more than 40 children they were “heartbroken” they would not get the guidance they expected from the former Wales international

• The BBC also understands that Ms Allen-Wyatt raised £3,770 during a charity skydive in 2020, a donation that was close to her Wales team-mates’ hearts but was not passed on to either charity. The third said it couldn’t be checked because how much time had passed

Ms Ellen Wyatt is regarded as an influential figure in Welsh women’s football and has often spoken of her desire to inspire young players.

Some parents said they were flattered when she saw the potential in their children.

Lucy and Matt Roberts paid £300 for 10 sessions for their seven-year-old daughter Willow. Willow was “all about football” but lacked confidence at times.

The parents of three, who live in Caerphilly Hungold, said Ms Allen-Wyatt told them the GPS tracker would measure Willow’s metrics which she would then compare to Aston Villa’s Children in the academy database are compared.

Aston Villa have been contacted for comment.

Willow’s parents said she attended a free “taste” class and then a paid class. They said they “haven’t had one since.”

Ms Roberts said: “Losing the money is one thing but at the heart of the matter is the children were promised something that has not happened yet.”

Parents told the BBC they paid between £180 and £975 for multiple one-to-one tutoring sessions, but often only one or two were offered, including free tasters.

None of the parents the BBC spoke to attended all the coaching sessions they paid for.

They said Ms Allen-Wyatt did not attend the events for a variety of reasons, including a car accident, lack of venue, scheduling conflicts, her bachelorette party and her wedding.

Many people said their requests for refunds were met with silence, or refunds were promised but never delivered.

Some parents said the cancellation of classes had affected their children’s confidence.

Kelly Tanner, from Blackwood, Caerphilly, arranged a trial session for her “football-mad” daughter Elen, nine, before paying £300 to attend 10 sessions .

Ms Tanner said: “(Ms Ellen Wyatt) gave Ellen very positive feedback and joked, ‘When you become a famous footballer I will be your manager’. Ellen Absolutely beaming.”

But after six weeks of trying to arrange a meeting, Kelly asked for a refund, which was eventually returned.

“The reason we wanted these sessions was to build Ellen’s self-confidence, but it did the exact opposite and made her feel rejected, not good enough or important enough,” she said.

Adrian Thole, from Caerphilly, paid for 12 treatments for his daughter Hannah, 15, but only five resulted in successful deliveries.

Hannah, now 16, said the training was really good but she felt “embarrassed” when her dad had to chase Ms Allen-Wyatt because she didn’t think she was “good enough” to be with her train.

Adrian said: “Tash talked about what a privilege it was to play for Wales. She took advantage of that privilege and let my daughter and so many others down.”

Club Dreigiau Dâr was founded in Aberdare last year to provide football for boys and girls aged 7 to 11, regardless of their skill level or financial background.

The club, which is run by volunteers, paid Ms Allen-Wyatt £650 in exchange for 20 per cent of profits from the academy and 12 coaching sessions at the club. She also said she would be their ambassador and offer discounted one-on-one lessons to parents.

Only two sessions were held and the club made no profit from the academy.

The club and two parents said they have requested refunds but have not yet received any.

Club secretary Haydn Glied said the situation was “heartbreaking”.

The BBC also spoke to a number of businesses in South Wales who said they paid hundreds of dollars in sponsorships in return for having their company names printed on the front of shirts, banners and kit.

Some people received photos of a shirt with their logo on it but said they had nothing left.

James Matthews of air-conditioning business Sub-zero Refrigeration claimed that, like other businesses the BBC has spoken to, he paid £10,000 after being told he would become a silent partner and receive a percentage of profits. Investments and Loans.

He said that over the course of a year, he had recouped just £437 for his 48% stake.

Matthews said he now felt “embarrassed” because he trusted Ms Allen-Wyatt because of her status as a footballer.

“If it were someone on the street, I would never pay that much,” he said.

In a statement to the BBC, Wales’ first female players and staff said: “As a team that proudly represents our country and wants to inspire younger generations, it is extremely disappointing to hear these allegations. ”

They added: “The actions taken by the academy under investigation by the BBC are not related to China FAW. However, China FAW will encourage those who may be affected to seek support but also advises that any potentially illegal activity should be reported to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. “The first is the police. “

Ms Allen-Wyatt did not respond to the accusations from her former team-mates or the business, but admitted she did have to cancel “some classes” organized for children.

She said the cancellation was due to “circumstances beyond my control” including “my car being totaled and a second car breaking down” and that refunds had been paid to some parents and agreed with others.

She said she founded the academy to provide low-cost “detailed technical tutoring” and give children “opportunities that I never had”.

She said she still runs it and “offers local meetings.”