Non league star wanting £55,000 for injuries is caught out on Soccer AM

A non league star wanting £55,000 for injuries is caught out after footage of one of his goals appeared on Sky Sports’ Soccer AM.

Footballer Callum Saunders who claimed he couldn’t play football after a car accident and wanted a £55,000 insurance payout was caught out when he scored a wonder goal.

The amateur player’s goal against Three Bridges FC appeared on Sky and YouTube and was titled: “The cleanest strike you’ll see today.”

Saunders, 33, claimed that he was left unable to work as a plasterer or play the beautiful game but his goal-scoring appearance on TV triggered an insurance fraud probe, reports the Daily Star.

Damian Rourke, who led the investigation, said: “Callum Saunders may well have been feeling happy about his Soccer AM appearance. But, in the end, it turned out to be a massive own goal.”

Saunders’ claim came after his white van was involved in a traffic collision, however Aviva called in lawyers after concerns about his evidence.

They believed he was exaggerating the extent of his injury to increase his payout.

Investigators at Clyde & Co started their forensic examination of the midfield player’s social media and found that his Twitter account contained multiple posts about playing for West Sussex side Haywards Heath in the Isthmian League. BUSTED.

The team’s YouTube channel posted footage of him playing several times, even though he’d claimed his injury meant he was unable to.

The video of his goal against Three Bridges was watched more than 25,000 times on the Facebook page as well as 12,500 times on Twitter, and no doubt many more thousands on YouTube and on the TV.

It showed Saunders striking the ball from the halfway line with his right foot – the one he claimed was injured. He scored twice in Haywards Heath’s 4-3 win. Now he’s in big trouble.

A few weeks after the game he signed a document claiming he was “at a permanent disadvantage on the open labour market”.

Saunders asked for £17,300 in compensation for this alone.

Saunders, who now plays for Horsham FC in the Isthmian League Premier Division, has been confronted with the key TV evidence from the Soccer AM episode.

A judge at Brighton County Court decided his claim was “fundamentally dishonest”. Saunders had to agree to withdraw it and to pay £5,000 costs.

Mr Rourke, of Clyde & Co, said: “Having consistently lied to increase the amount of money he thought he could claim, our investigation showed that he behaved dishonestly.”

Rob Lee, head of casualty claims at Aviva, said: “This is a shocking example of opportunistic greed.

“Saunders clearly believed his minor injury claim was an open-goal – what he didn’t count on is that Aviva is determined to tackle fraudulent claims and stop fraudsters in their tracks.

“We will pursue and prosecute those who commit fraud to ensure there are serious consequences, as Saunders can now attest.

“Cases such as this highlight the serious need for the whiplash reforms, which came into effect last month. The reforms remove the financial incentives for those who might otherwise seek to exploit the system for their own benefit.”

ADVICE FROM ACCIDENT CLAIMS WEBSITE TO PLAYERS

Accident Claims Advice write: “Football injuries can occur in any level of the game. From grass roots up to the professional game. Every game is different as is every injury and that’s why we take every football injury claim seriously and deal with it professionally and promptly. If you’ve had an injury while playing football then let us know, we want to help.

“There are plenty of scenarios in football that might mean a compensation claim being made that typically include:

• Bad tackles including violent tackles and recklessness.
• Assault (from other footballers, spectators and even any officials).
• Poorly maintained pitches or equipment.
• Poor training procedures that might have caused your injury.

“It is important to remember that football is a fast moving sport where accidental fouls will happen. It is sometimes difficult to prove negligence but every footballer, in the eyes of the law, have a legal duty to take care of the welfare of the opposition players. It is usually beneficial to have independent witnesses to verify what you’ve alleged. We will assess your case with you to determine if we think we can proceed. See more by clicking HERE.”