FORMER Blackburn Rovers star Kevin Gallacher admitted he was shocked by the allegations that striker DJ Campbell deliberately got a booked in a 3-1 defeat at Ipswich last week.

Gallacher labelled Campbell ‘stupid’ should the accusations prove to be true but added that spot fixing was not a new problem saying that he had been aware of issues while stil playing.

He said: “I’m actually shocked by it. When it’s a player earning good money anyway you’re scratching your head as to why would he need to do it?

“Is it the excitement or the idea that they will never get caught? It’s stupid.

“It’s in the game, it was years ago in our time when three or four players were alleged to have done things.

“I never saw it. Nobody ever approached me. But hearing about it makes me angry because it is cheating the public.”

Gallacher added that he believed any footballer found guilty should face a life ban from the sport.

He added: “You just have to look at what’s happened across the continent with footballers and crickets getting two-year bans or banned for life. If that happens in football your career’s over.

“If you get proven guilty for anything like that you know it’s going to be a ban and probably the cancellation of your contract, which means you won’t be getting any money.”

Gallacher added that Rovers boss Gary Bowyer has his sympathy for having to pick up the pieces of the latest scandal.

Gallacher said: “Just when things seemed to be picking up at the club it gets knocked on the head by something else.

“It must be frustrating working at the football club.

“You are cheating your team-mates and you don’t want that around football.”