Belfast youth football coach expelled after posting cocaine prices on league group chat

List detailed times and costs for ‘proper pure bags’ and specified cash payment

A Northern Ireland football club has removed a coach who posted an apparent menu of cocaine prices in a group chat for a youth league.

The list of prices for “proper pure bags” detailed times and meeting locations and specified cash payment.

The Belfast club said it had expelled the coach after becoming aware of the WhatsApp message, posted on Wednesday and later deleted. “This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable within our club. The coach involved has been permanently removed with immediate effect,” it said.

The club said its vetting procedures followed Irish Football Association guidelines and that the post had caused shock and was being treated with urgency. “As a community club, we pride ourselves on putting the best interests of our players first,” it said.

The WhatsApp group reportedly includes about 400 coaches from 300 grassroots teams and is used to arrange match fixtures.

The FonaCab Development League said it could not monitor or control every message between coaches. “However, we do have clear expectations of behaviour, and any conduct that breaches safeguarding or professionalism will be addressed immediately,” it said. “Our responsibility is to protect the wellbeing of every child and uphold the values the league is built on.” It thanked the coaches who met those expectations.

A league spokesperson told the Belfast Telegraph it did not employ coaches and therefore could not sack anyone: “We have already informed the relevant club from west Belfast involved and our safeguarding procedures have been activated, with the coach removed from the fixtures group. The matter is now being dealt through the appropriate channels.”

Of people in Northern Ireland who consume illegal drugs almost half – 46.4% – use cocaine, the health department’s substance misuse database shows.