Top footballer took thousands claim teammates and parents

One of Wales' apical footballers has been accused by teammates, parents and sponsors of taking thousands of pounds that she has not returned.

Natasha Harding, who present uses her joined sanction Allen-Wyatt, is facing claims she took wealth for one-to-one coaching with children that she did not deliver.

Some parents and businesses told the BBC that the erstwhile Reading FC skipper warned them she would instrumentality enactment against them if they complained connected societal media. Many person present contacted constabulary and Action Fraud.

Ms Allen-Wyatt admitted she had to cancel "some sessions" owed to circumstances extracurricular of her control, and apologised to those affected.

Ms Allen-Wyatt, who was seen arsenic a trailblazer for the women's game, retired from football successful September 2023 aft winning 103 caps for Wales, joining an elite radical of conscionable 9 Welsh footballers to play much than 100 times for their country.

She was unexpectedly left retired of the Wales women's squad successful precocious 2022, which the BBC understands was owed to a breakdown successful her narration with her teammates, owed to allegations immoderate had lent her wealth that she had not paid back.

Former teammates person present revealed to the BBC that immoderate of Ms Allen-Wyatt's actions "also impacted ourselves, our families, and friends".

In a statement, released by the Football Association of Wales (FAW) connected behalf of players, unit and the FAW, they said Ms Allen-Wyatt's alleged actions were "extremely disappointing" and "do not correspond america arsenic a squad oregon our values".

The FAW asked families to study immoderate "potential amerciable enactment to constabulary successful the archetypal instance", but besides encouraged them to get successful interaction for support.

They besides confirmed they had spoken to constabulary and that players were being supported.

Ms Allen-Wyatt, who besides played for Liverpool and Aston Villa and present commentates for different 1 of her erstwhile clubs, Manchester City, launched the Tash Harding Academy successful August 2023.

She regularly posted online astir its success, claiming she had tally 2,000 coaching sessions for children crossed south, mid and northbound Wales, Cheltenham and Bristol.

While it is wide the academy does tally sessions with immoderate youngsters, BBC Wales has spoken to parents and businesses who accidental they paid wealth for services, oregon for returns connected investments, that did not materialise.

BBC Wales has analysed hundreds of WhatsApp messages, banking transactions, invoices and contracts betwixt April 2023 and November 2024 that backmost up what they person said.

The allegations include:

• A "football mad" member and sister who utilized their Christmas wealth to wage towards sessions that did not instrumentality place

• Children arsenic young arsenic 7 near feeling rejected and "not bully enough" erstwhile sessions did not happen

• Volunteers astatine a grassroots shot squad were "heartbroken" astatine telling 40-plus children they would not get the coaching from a erstwhile Wales planetary they had expected

• The BBC besides understands £3,770 raised by Ms Allen-Wyatt from a foundation skydive successful 2020, for causes adjacent to the hearts of chap Wales teammates, was not passed connected to 2 charities. The 3rd said it was incapable to cheque due to the fact that of however overmuch clip had passed

Ms Allen-Wyatt is seen arsenic an influential fig successful Welsh women's shot and has regularly spoken astir her privation to animate younger players.

Some parents said they felt flattered that she saw imaginable successful their children.

Lucy and Matt Roberts paid £300 for 10 sessions for their seven-year-old girl Willow, who “lives and breathes” shot but sometimes lacked confidence.

The parents-of-three, who unrecorded successful Hengoed, Caerphilly, said Ms Allen-Wyatt told them a GPS tracker would measurement Willow's metrics, which she would past comparison against children connected the Aston Villa Academy database.

Aston Villa person been approached for comment.

Willow's parents said she had 1 escaped "taster" league and past 1 paid session. They said they had “never had 1 since”.

Ms Roberts said: "It's 1 happening to suffer this money, but astatine the bosom of this are children who person been promised thing that hasn’t happened."

Parents told the BBC they paid betwixt £180 and £975 for blocks of one-to-one coaching sessions and that often conscionable 1 oregon 2 were delivered - including a escaped taster.

None of the parents the BBC has spoken to had each of the coaching sessions they paid for.

They said Ms Allen-Wyatt utilized aggregate reasons for not doing them, including car crashes, deficiency of transportation availability, docket clashes, her hen enactment and her wedding.

Many said their requests for refunds were met with soundlessness oregon that refunds were promised but did not happen.

Some parents said the cancelled sessions impacted connected their children’s confidence.

Kelly Tanner from Blackwood, Caerphilly, arranged for her nine-year aged "football-mad" girl Elen to person a taster session, earlier she past paid £300 for 10 sessions.

Ms Tanner said: "[Ms Allen-Wyatt] gave Elen truly affirmative feedback and joked, 'I'll beryllium your manager erstwhile you're a celebrated footballer'. Elen was perfectly beaming."

But aft six weeks of trying to put sessions, Kelly asked for a refund which was yet returned.

She said: "The crushed we wanted these sessions was to physique Elen’s  self assurance and it did the implicit other successful presumption of feeling rejected, oregon not bully enough, oregon conscionable not important enough."

Adrian Thole, from Caerphilly, paid for 12 sessions for his 15-year-old girl Hannah, but lone 5 were delivered

Hannah, who is present 16, said the sessions were truly good, but that she felt "embarrassed" erstwhile her dada had to pursuit Ms Allen-Wyatt, believing it was her responsibility for not being "good enough" to bid with her.

Adrian said: "Tash talks astir however overmuch of a privilege it was to play for Wales. She's exploited that privilege and disappointed my daughter, and tons of different people."

Club Dreigiau Dâr was acceptable up successful Aberdare past twelvemonth to supply shot for girls and boys aged 7 to 11, nary substance their accomplishment level oregon fiscal background.

The club, which is tally by volunteers, paid £650 to Ms Allen-Wyatt successful instrumentality for 20% of her academy’s profits and 12 coaching sessions with the club. She besides said she would beryllium their ambassador and offered discounted one-to-one sessions for parents.

Only 2 sessions were held and the nine received nary nett from the academy.

The nine and 2 of the parents said they had asked for refunds but had not received immoderate wealth back.

Club caput Haydn Gleed said the concern was "heartbreaking".

The BBC has besides spoken to a fig of businesses from southbound Wales who said they paid hundreds successful sponsorship, successful instrumentality for their institution sanction connected the beforehand of shirts, connected banners and kit.

Some received photos of 1 garment with their logos connected it, but accidental they had thing more.

James Matthews of aerial conditioning concern Sub-zero Refrigeration claimed helium paid £10,000 successful investments and loans aft helium was told - similar different businesses the BBC has spoken to - that helium would beryllium a soundless spouse and instrumentality a percent of the profits.

Over a one-year period, helium said helium lone received £437 backmost for his 48% stake.

Mr Matthews said helium present felt "embarrassed" that helium trusted Ms Allen-Wyatt owed to her presumption arsenic a footballer.

"If it was idiosyncratic disconnected the thoroughfare I would ne'er person paid that wealth in," helium said.

In their connection to the BBC, the FAW, Wales women's players and unit said: "As a squad that represents our state with pridefulness and look to animate the younger generation, it has been highly disappointing to perceive the allegations."

They added: "The actions taken by the academy taxable to the BBC probe were successful nary mode affiliated to the FAW. However, the FAW would promote those perchance affected to scope retired for enactment but besides counsel that immoderate imaginable amerciable enactment should beryllium reported to the constabulary successful the archetypal instance."

Ms Allen-Wyatt did not respond to the allegations made by her erstwhile teammates oregon by businesses, but admitted she did person to cancel "some sessions" she had organised for children.

She said the cancellations were owed to "circumstances beyond my control", including, "my car being written disconnected and the 2nd car breaking down" and that refunds had been paid to immoderate parents and agreed with others.

She said she acceptable up the academy to supply low-cost, "detailed method coaching" to springiness children "the opportunities that I ne'er had".

She said she was inactive operating it and "delivering section sessions".