CRAIG EDWARDS has slammed allegations of match-fixing in the Blue Square Bet South as "despicable".
It emerged last week that the FA had written to all 22 clubs in the league in the wake of "suspicious betting activity on a number of matches" in the division.
Bookmakers – including title sponsors Blue Square – subsequently did not take odds on the weekend's games involving Edwards' Billericay Town, Chelmsford City and AFC Hornchurch.
But the allegations left Edwards fuming – and he believes all three clubs have absolutely nothing to hide.
"In 15 years of managing, that has got to be the most despicable thing I've ever heard," Edwards raged.
"I'm telling you now, I know people at Chelmsford, I know people at Hornchurch and I know people here. There is absolutely no chance whatsoever that anyone's doing anything untoward.
"When you see such a lovely club as this having aspersions like that thrown at it, it's despicable."
The FA have not charged anyone as yet over the alleged incidents, insisting in a statement they are "continuing to work together with the Gambling Commission's Sports Betting Intelligence Unit in further assessing the evidence regarding these suspicious betting patterns".
But Edwards, whose side were unlucky to lose 2-1 to leaders Welling United at New Lodge on Saturday, also sprung to the defence of the other two Essex clubs whose names have become linked to the story.
"Anything like that at this club is whiter than white," he added. "Anyone who ever thought that me or any of my players would ever do anything for a few quid extra, they've never met me.
"I know Jimmy McFarlane at Hornchurch and his players are the same, and I know Glenn [Pennyfather] and his players are the same at Chelmsford.
"And to throw that at our three clubs because people have looked at it and thought "there's something going on there", it's disgraceful, and I feel so strongly about it.
"What they want to kick out of football is the gambling. Get that out of it and you've got no corruption at all."
Edwards was also far from happy with the FA's appeals process after losing defender Rob Swaine for three games following his red card at Havant & Waterlooville.
The Blues received footage of the incident after the deadline to appeal his ban, meaning it could not be overturned.
"It's the worst decision I've seen," he added. "It's on the video, we wanted to appeal it and we ran out of time. "
