Certainly one of Wales’ high footballers has been accused by teammates, mother and father and sponsors of taking hundreds of kilos that she has not returned.
Natasha Harding, who now makes use of her married identify Allen-Wyatt, is dealing with claims she took cash for one-to-one teaching with kids that she didn’t ship.
Some mother and father and companies informed 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 periods” because of circumstances outdoors of her management, and apologised to these affected.
Ms Allen-Wyatt, who was seen as a trailblazer for the ladies’s recreation, retired from football in September 2023 after successful 103 caps for Wales, becoming a member of an elite group of simply 9 Welsh footballers to play greater than 100 instances for his or her nation.
She was unexpectedly left out of the Wales women’s squad in late 2022, which the BBC understands was because of a breakdown in her relationship together with her teammates, because of 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”.
Getty PhotosIn an announcement, launched by the Soccer Affiliation of Wales (FAW) on behalf of gamers, workers and the FAW, they mentioned Ms Allen-Wyatt’s alleged actions had been “extraordinarily disappointing” and “don’t symbolize us as a squad or our values”.
The FAW requested households to report any “potential criminal activity to police within the first occasion”, but additionally inspired them to get in contact for help.
In addition they confirmed that they had spoken to police and that gamers had been being supported.
Ms Allen-Wyatt, who additionally performed for Liverpool and Aston Villa and now commentates for one more certainly one of her former golf equipment, Manchester Metropolis, launched the Tash Harding Academy in August 2023.
She commonly posted on-line about its success, claiming she had run 2,000 teaching periods for youngsters throughout south, mid and north Wales, Cheltenham and Bristol.
Natasha Allen-WyattWhereas it’s clear the academy does run periods with some kids, BBC Wales has spoken to folks and companies who say they paid cash for providers, or for returns on investments, that didn’t materialise.
BBC Wales has analysed a whole bunch of WhatsApp messages, banking transactions, invoices and contracts between April 2023 and November 2024 that again up what they’ve mentioned.
The allegations embody:
- A “soccer mad” brother and sister who used their Christmas cash to pay in the direction of periods that didn’t happen
- Kids as younger as seven left feeling rejected and “not adequate” when periods didn’t occur
- Volunteers at a grassroots soccer group had been “heartbroken” at telling 40-plus kids they might not get the teaching from a former Wales worldwide that they had 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 verify due to how a lot time had handed
Ms Allen-Wyatt is seen as an influential determine in Welsh ladies’s soccer and has commonly spoken about her want to encourage youthful gamers.
Some mother and father mentioned they felt flattered that she noticed potential of their kids.
Lucy and Matt Roberts paid £300 for 10 periods 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 informed them a GPS tracker would measure Willow’s metrics, which she would then evaluate in opposition to kids on the Aston Villa Academy database.
Aston Villa have been approached for remark.
Lucy RobertsWillow’s mother and father mentioned she had one free “taster” session after which one paid session. They mentioned that they had “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 informed the BBC they paid between £180 and £975 for blocks of one-to-one teaching periods and that always only one or two had been delivered – together with a free taster.
Not one of the mother and father the BBC has spoken to had the entire teaching periods they paid for.
They mentioned Ms Allen-Wyatt used a number of causes for not doing them, together with automotive crashes, lack of pitch availability, schedule clashes, her hen social gathering and her wedding ceremony.
Many mentioned their requests for refunds had been met with silence or that refunds had been promised however didn’t occur.
Some mother and father mentioned the cancelled periods impacted on their kids’s confidence.
Kelly Tanner from Blackwood, Caerphilly, organized for her nine-year outdated “football-mad” daughter Elen to have a taster session, earlier than she then paid £300 for 10 periods.
Wilmar ManzanoMs 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 attempting to rearrange periods, Kelly requested for a refund which was ultimately returned.
She mentioned: “The explanation we needed these periods was to construct Elen’s  self esteem and it did absolutely the reverse by way of feeling rejected, or not adequate, or simply not essential sufficient.”
Adrian Thole, from Caerphilly, paid for 12 periods for his 15-year-old daughter Hannah, however solely 5 had been delivered.
Hannah, who’s now 16, mentioned the periods had 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 together 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 women and boys aged seven to 11, regardless of their ability stage 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 periods with the membership. She additionally mentioned she could be their ambassador and provided discounted one-to-one periods for fogeys.
Solely two periods had been held and the membership acquired no revenue from the academy.
The membership and two of the mother and father mentioned that they had requested for refunds however had not acquired any a refund.
Membership secretary Haydn Gleed mentioned the scenario was “heartbreaking”.
‘Embarrassed’
The BBC has additionally spoken to numerous companies from south Wales who mentioned they paid a whole bunch in sponsorship, in return for his or her firm identify on the entrance of shirts, on banners and package.
Some acquired pictures of 1 shirt with their logos on it, however have mentioned that they had nothing extra.
James Matthews of air-con enterprise Sub-zero Refrigeration claimed he paid £10,000 in investments and loans after he was informed – like different companies the BBC has spoken to – that he could be a silent accomplice 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 because of her standing as a footballer.
“If it was somebody off the road I might 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 pleasure 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 had been by no means affiliated to the FAW. Nevertheless, the FAW would encourage these probably affected to achieve out for help but additionally 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 need to cancel “some periods” she had organised for youngsters.
She mentioned the cancellations had been because of “circumstances past my management”, together with, “my automotive being written off and the second automotive breaking down” and that refunds had been paid to some mother and father and agreed with others.
She mentioned she arrange the academy to supply low-cost, “detailed technical teaching” to present kids “the alternatives that I by no means had”.
She mentioned she was nonetheless working it and “delivering native periods”.