Ex-Wales international Natasha Harding in academy cash claims

One in every of Wales’ prime footballers has been accused by teammates, dad and mom and sponsors of taking 1000’s of kilos that she has not returned.

Natasha Harding, who now makes use of her married title Allen-Wyatt, is dealing with claims she took cash for one-to-one teaching with kids that she didn’t ship.

Some dad and mom and companies instructed the BBC that the previous Studying FC captain warned them she would take motion in opposition to them in the event that they complained on social media. Many have now contacted police and Motion Fraud.

Ms Allen-Wyatt admitted she needed to cancel “some classes” attributable to circumstances outdoors of her management, and apologised to these affected.

Ms Allen-Wyatt, who was seen as a trailblazer for the ladies’s sport, retired from football in September 2023 after profitable 103 caps for Wales, becoming a member of an elite group of simply 9 Welsh footballers to play greater than 100 occasions for his or her nation.

She was unexpectedly left out of the Wales women’s squad in late 2022, which the BBC understands was attributable to a breakdown in her relationship along with her teammates, attributable to allegations some had lent her cash that she had not paid again.

Former teammates have now revealed to the BBC that a few of Ms Allen-Wyatt’s actions “additionally impacted ourselves, our households, and pals”.

In a press release, launched by the Soccer Affiliation of Wales (FAW) on behalf of gamers, workers and the FAW, they mentioned Ms Allen-Wyatt’s alleged actions have been “extraordinarily disappointing” and “don’t characterize us as a squad or our values”.

The FAW requested households to report any “potential criminal activity to police within the first occasion”, but in addition inspired them to get in contact for assist.

Additionally they confirmed they’d spoken to police and that gamers have been being supported.

Ms Allen-Wyatt, who additionally performed for Liverpool and Aston Villa and now commentates for an additional certainly one of her former golf equipment, Manchester Metropolis, launched the Tash Harding Academy in August 2023.

She usually posted on-line about its success, claiming she had run 2,000 teaching classes for youngsters throughout south, mid and north Wales, Cheltenham and Bristol.

Whereas it’s clear the academy does run classes with some children, BBC Wales has spoken to folks and companies who say they paid cash for companies, or for returns on investments, that didn’t materialise.

BBC Wales has analysed a whole lot of WhatsApp messages, banking transactions, invoices and contracts between April 2023 and November 2024 that again up what they’ve mentioned.

The allegations embrace:

• A “soccer mad” brother and sister who used their Christmas cash to pay in direction of classes that didn’t happen

• Youngsters as younger as seven left feeling rejected and “not adequate” when classes didn’t occur

• Volunteers at a grassroots soccer group have been “heartbroken” at telling 40-plus kids they’d not get the teaching from a former Wales worldwide they’d anticipated

• The BBC additionally understands £3,770 raised by Ms Allen-Wyatt from a charity skydive in 2020, for causes near the hearts of fellow Wales teammates, was not handed on to 2 charities. The third mentioned it was unable to test due to how a lot time had handed

Ms Allen-Wyatt is seen as an influential determine in Welsh ladies’s soccer and has usually spoken about her want to encourage youthful gamers.

Some dad and mom mentioned they felt flattered that she noticed potential of their kids.

Lucy and Matt Roberts paid £300 for 10 classes for his or her seven-year-old daughter Willow, who “lives and breathes” soccer however generally lacked confidence.

The parents-of-three, who reside in Hengoed, Caerphilly, mentioned Ms Allen-Wyatt instructed them a GPS tracker would measure Willow’s metrics, which she would then examine in opposition to kids on the Aston Villa Academy database.

Aston Villa have been approached for remark.

Willow’s dad and mom mentioned she had one free “taster” session after which one paid session. They mentioned they’d “by no means had one since”.

Ms Roberts mentioned: “It is one factor to lose this cash, however on the coronary heart of this are kids who’ve been promised one thing that hasn’t occurred.”

Dad and mom instructed the BBC they paid between £180 and £975 for blocks of one-to-one teaching classes and that always only one or two have been delivered – together with a free taster.

Not one of the dad and mom the BBC has spoken to had all the teaching classes they paid for.

They mentioned Ms Allen-Wyatt used a number of causes for not doing them, together with automobile crashes, lack of pitch availability, schedule clashes, her hen get together and her marriage ceremony.

Many mentioned their requests for refunds have been met with silence or that refunds have been promised however didn’t occur.

Some dad and mom mentioned the cancelled classes impacted on their kids’s confidence.

Kelly Tanner from Blackwood, Caerphilly, organized for her nine-year previous “football-mad” daughter Elen to have a taster session, earlier than she then paid £300 for 10 classes.

Dr Tanner mentioned: “[Ms Allen-Wyatt] gave Elen actually optimistic suggestions and joked, ‘I will be your supervisor if you’re a well-known footballer’. Elen was completely beaming.”

However after six weeks of making an attempt to rearrange classes, Kelly requested for a refund which was finally returned.

She mentioned: “The rationale we wished these classes was to construct Elen’s  self-worth and it did absolutely the reverse by way of feeling rejected, or not adequate, or simply not vital sufficient.”

Adrian Thole, from Caerphilly, paid for 12 classes for his 15-year-old daughter Hannah, however solely 5 have been delivered.

Hannah, who’s now 16, mentioned the classes have been actually good, however that she felt “embarrassed” when her dad needed to chase Ms Allen-Wyatt, believing it was her fault for not being “adequate” to coach along with her.

Adrian mentioned: “Tash talks about how a lot of a privilege it was to play for Wales. She’s exploited that privilege and upset my daughter, and many different individuals.”

Membership Dreigiau Dâr was arrange in Aberdare final 12 months to supply soccer for ladies and boys aged seven to 11, irrespective of their talent degree or monetary background.

The membership, which is run by volunteers, paid £650 to Ms Allen-Wyatt in return for 20% of her academy’s income and 12 teaching classes with the membership. She additionally mentioned she can be their ambassador and supplied discounted one-to-one classes for folks.

Solely two classes have been held and the membership acquired no revenue from the academy.

The membership and two of the dad and mom mentioned they’d requested for refunds however had not acquired any a reimbursement.

Membership secretary Haydn Gleed mentioned the state of affairs was “heartbreaking”.

The BBC has additionally spoken to numerous companies from south Wales who mentioned they paid a whole lot in sponsorship, in return for his or her firm title on the entrance of shirts, on banners and equipment.

Some acquired images of 1 shirt with their logos on it, however have mentioned they’d nothing extra.

James Matthews of air con enterprise Sub-zero Refrigeration claimed he paid £10,000 in investments and loans after he was instructed – like different companies the BBC has spoken to – that he can be a silent associate and take a share of the income.

Over a one-year interval, he mentioned he solely acquired £437 again for his 48% stake.

Mr Matthews mentioned he now felt “embarrassed” that he trusted Ms Allen-Wyatt attributable to her standing as a footballer.

“If it was somebody off the road I’d by no means have paid that cash in,” he mentioned.

Of their assertion to the BBC, the FAW, Wales ladies’s gamers and workers mentioned: “As a squad that represents our nation with satisfaction and look to encourage the youthful technology, it has been extraordinarily disappointing to listen to the allegations.”

They added: “The actions taken by the academy topic to the BBC investigation have been by no means affiliated to the FAW. Nonetheless, the FAW would encourage these probably affected to achieve out for assist but in addition advise that any potential criminal activity must be reported to the police within the first occasion.”

Gwent Police mentioned it had acquired an allegation of fraud, which it forwarded to Motion Fraud.

Motion Fraud has been contacted for remark.

Ms Allen-Wyatt didn’t reply to the allegations made by her former teammates or by companies, however admitted she did should cancel “some classes” she had organised for youngsters.

She mentioned the cancellations have been attributable to “circumstances past my management”, together with, “my automobile being written off and the second automobile breaking down” and that refunds had been paid to some dad and mom and agreed with others.

She mentioned she arrange the academy to supply low-cost, “detailed technical teaching” to offer kids “the alternatives that I by no means had”.

She mentioned she was nonetheless working it and “delivering native classes”.