Latest news with #Baccus
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How did Baccus fare on return to St Mirren?
Keanu Baccus said he was returning to his "home away from home" after re-joining St Mirren just over a year after leaving for Mansfield Town. Manager Stephen Robinson said the Buddies have "arguably one of the best midfields in the league now", So, how did the Australian international fare on his return to Scottish football, as his side drew 0-0 with Motherwell? Well, two shots on target, a couple of attacking actions in the box, and a team-high nine passes in the final third could well be the start of him trending towards the dynamic midfielder many Paisley punters will remember. Five out of his eight long passes found a team-mate, with 23 of his 31 passes being accurate as he completed 90 minutes in the goalless draw. It was a relatively cagey game, with the visitors dominating the ball, but Baccus and co stood firm and denied them any real sights at goal. A controlled and promising return for Baccus.
Daily Record
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Keanu Baccus feels at home back in Paisley as he eyes Europe with St Mirren
The Australian international jumped at the chance to return to the Buddies after a challenging 12 months at Mansfield Town south of the border. Keanu Baccus insists home is where the heart is as he reflected on his stunning return to St Mirren. The Australian international made his second Buddies debut in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Motherwell following his transfer from Sky Bet League One side Mansfield Town. The 27-year-old played more than 40 games for the Stags but said his 'eyes lit up' when the chance of coming back to the SMiSA Stadium was put on the table. Baccus wasted no time in agreeing a two-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months, to rekindle his love affair with the black-and-white army. Getting things settled off the pitch was important for him as well with partner Erme from Glasgow. The couple have two boys —Tariq, six, and seven-month-old Kamari — so making sure they were happy was high on the priority list and paved the way for his return to Paisley and the Premiership. He said: 'It feels nice to be back at my home away from home. I'm now comfortable off the pitch and I just want to get those performances back. 'Things moved very quickly and there has been a bit of driving. I only had half the week to prepare but there's no excuses. My body is in pretty good shape and I was ready to go. 'When Jim [Gillespie, vice-chairman] and the gaffer [Stephen Robinson] reached out, my eyes lit up. This club gave me the chance to leave Australia and showcase myself, ultimately making the national team. 'I knew off the field that my family would be a bit more comfortable as they are from Glasgow so that was part of it.' Last season wasn't easy for Team Baccus who split time between Glasgow and Nottinghamshire while raising newborn Kamari. 'It's hard to be away from your kids and your family here,' he said. 'I have family in Australia as well and it was hard juggling that but I did my best for them. 'I learned a lot and credit to Mansfield for giving me a chance to play in England. They are a good club and have been good to me. 'It was tough off the pitch, if I'm honest, but it was a no-brainer to get that solidity off the pitch and I think that will translate into performances.' Baccus insists he didn't consider offers made by other clubs as he set his sights on Saints. Now he wants to repay the faith shown in him by reaching Europe. Baccus was part of the squad which clinched Saints a UEFA Conference League qualifying spot in 2024 but left to join Mansfield. He added: 'It was my dream to play in England. I never got the chance to experience the European games and I want to be part of that.'
STV News
09-08-2025
- Sport
- STV News
St Mirren held to goalless draw by Motherwell in Paisley
St Mirren are still waiting for their first goal of the Premiership season after being held to a 0-0 draw at home to Motherwell. The visitors were the better side for much of the opening hour before Stephen Robinson's side, who lost 1-0 to Celtic in their opening game of the campaign, went on to dominate the latter stages without finding the net. Keanu Baccus and Alex Gogic both went close to scoring, only to be denied by Well goalkeeper Calum Ward. St Mirren made two changes from the team that played Celtic. Baccus went straight into the starting line-up after returning to the club on Thursday from Mansfield, while there was a debut for Miguel Freckleton. Fraser Taylor and Richard King dropped to the bench. Motherwell also made two alterations following their draw with Rangers. In came Ibrahim Said and Stephen O'Donnell to replace Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Liam Gordon. Former Well midfielder Mark O'Hara had the first chance for St Mirren within the opening minute but sliced his half-volley wide. Said almost marked his first Motherwell start with a goal, but keeper Shamal George did well to repel his shot and the danger was cleared. Motherwell were looking the more dominant side midway through the first half, but Johnny Koutroumbis' ambitious long-range effort flew well off target. He later hobbled off injured. Tawanda Maswanhise came closer with a shot from the left that curled just wide as the visitors pushed for a half-time lead and Saints struggled to contain them. The home side made two changes at half-time to try to regain a foothold in the contest, with Evan Mooney and Tunmise Sobowale replacing Roland Idowu and Jayden Richardson. Motherwell keeper Ward was then a relieved man after his scuffed clearance went straight to Mooney. The substitute fed Mikael Mandron, but his shot was blocked and O'Hara could not tuck away the rebound. At the other end Geroge did well to push away Callum Slattery's dangerous free-kick that looked destined for the bottom corner. St Mirren replied with Baccus teeing up Mooney, who stabbed his effort off target. It was a much more even contest after the interval and Saints were unfortunate not to break the deadlock when Ward made a great save to keep out Gogic's header from Conor McMenamin's centre. Baccus then burst into the box but could not get his driven effort on target from a tight angle. Killian Phillips tried his luck with a low driven effort not long after, but Ward saved comfortably before stretching to keep out another late Baccus strike. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Advertiser
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Former A-League star's jail confession in bet scandal
A former A-League player admitted to deliberately earning a yellow card "to earn a little bit of coin" during a covertly recorded conversation in a police cell. Ex-Macarthur Bulls team captain Ulises Davila, and midfielders Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis have been accused of manipulating yellow cards during matches in 2023 and 2024. Davila, 33, allegedly acted as the conduit between the southwest Sydney team's players and a Columbian criminal known as 'J Col', organising for the cards to occur during certain games. Baccus, 33, and Lewis, 27, swapped jerseys for crisp shirts as they faced a Sydney Local Court on Thursday to plead guilty to engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event. A second charge of participating in a criminal group was withdrawn for both midfielders, who will return to court in September for sentencing. They agreed they had been paid $10,000 each by Davila to deliberately earn the referee-issued disciplinary cautions for foul play at a match in December 2023. Davila, the alleged local ringleader of the criminal group behind the betting corruption, has not yet entered pleas to the nine charges against him. He will return to court in August. According to the facts agreed by his former teammates, the former captain orchestrated the 50 "suspicious" bets placed on the Macarthur FC game against Sydney FC through international wagering platform Betplay. The wagers were all placed at the same time before the match started, and all involved exactly two bets of equal amounts predicting the same outcome. During the game at Allianz Stadium, Davila earned the first of the team's four yellow cards for delaying the start of play by kicking the ball away after the referee blew the whistle. Twenty minutes later, Lewis received the same caution for unsporting behaviour after he pushed a Sydney FC player in the chest and caused him to fall backwards on the ground. Baccus attracted another rebuke for tackling an opponent to the ground from behind towards the end of the game. The successful bets resulted in a payout of more than $200,000 and caused the wagering operator a loss of an estimated $167,387, according to the facts. There is no evidence either Baccus or Lewis had any involvement in placing the bets, but they were both paid $10,000 by Davila after the match. Lewis was paid in three instalments, but Baccus devised a more elaborate explanation for his payment, telling Davila to describe it as a car payment for a Volkswagen Golf. "If anyone asks, you (are) buying a car off me," he said in the WhatsApp messages quoted in the facts. "Yes bro. Whatever you want papi," Davila responded. After his arrest, Baccus told police the captain had not yet collected the car he sold him while maintaining he only took yellow cards for playing aggressively or in service of the team. Lewis, meanwhile, was put in a holding cell after his arrest and confessed to the other occupant that he deliberately solicited a yellow card "to earn a little bit of coin". The conversation was recorded with a surveillance device. Lewis was recruited to the betting corruption scheme because he was known to be a gambler and thus seen as "influenceable", according to the facts. All three players were suspended by Macarthur FC after their arrests, and Davila and Baccus have since been released from their contracts. National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858 A former A-League player admitted to deliberately earning a yellow card "to earn a little bit of coin" during a covertly recorded conversation in a police cell. Ex-Macarthur Bulls team captain Ulises Davila, and midfielders Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis have been accused of manipulating yellow cards during matches in 2023 and 2024. Davila, 33, allegedly acted as the conduit between the southwest Sydney team's players and a Columbian criminal known as 'J Col', organising for the cards to occur during certain games. Baccus, 33, and Lewis, 27, swapped jerseys for crisp shirts as they faced a Sydney Local Court on Thursday to plead guilty to engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event. A second charge of participating in a criminal group was withdrawn for both midfielders, who will return to court in September for sentencing. They agreed they had been paid $10,000 each by Davila to deliberately earn the referee-issued disciplinary cautions for foul play at a match in December 2023. Davila, the alleged local ringleader of the criminal group behind the betting corruption, has not yet entered pleas to the nine charges against him. He will return to court in August. According to the facts agreed by his former teammates, the former captain orchestrated the 50 "suspicious" bets placed on the Macarthur FC game against Sydney FC through international wagering platform Betplay. The wagers were all placed at the same time before the match started, and all involved exactly two bets of equal amounts predicting the same outcome. During the game at Allianz Stadium, Davila earned the first of the team's four yellow cards for delaying the start of play by kicking the ball away after the referee blew the whistle. Twenty minutes later, Lewis received the same caution for unsporting behaviour after he pushed a Sydney FC player in the chest and caused him to fall backwards on the ground. Baccus attracted another rebuke for tackling an opponent to the ground from behind towards the end of the game. The successful bets resulted in a payout of more than $200,000 and caused the wagering operator a loss of an estimated $167,387, according to the facts. There is no evidence either Baccus or Lewis had any involvement in placing the bets, but they were both paid $10,000 by Davila after the match. Lewis was paid in three instalments, but Baccus devised a more elaborate explanation for his payment, telling Davila to describe it as a car payment for a Volkswagen Golf. "If anyone asks, you (are) buying a car off me," he said in the WhatsApp messages quoted in the facts. "Yes bro. Whatever you want papi," Davila responded. After his arrest, Baccus told police the captain had not yet collected the car he sold him while maintaining he only took yellow cards for playing aggressively or in service of the team. Lewis, meanwhile, was put in a holding cell after his arrest and confessed to the other occupant that he deliberately solicited a yellow card "to earn a little bit of coin". The conversation was recorded with a surveillance device. Lewis was recruited to the betting corruption scheme because he was known to be a gambler and thus seen as "influenceable", according to the facts. All three players were suspended by Macarthur FC after their arrests, and Davila and Baccus have since been released from their contracts. National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858 A former A-League player admitted to deliberately earning a yellow card "to earn a little bit of coin" during a covertly recorded conversation in a police cell. Ex-Macarthur Bulls team captain Ulises Davila, and midfielders Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis have been accused of manipulating yellow cards during matches in 2023 and 2024. Davila, 33, allegedly acted as the conduit between the southwest Sydney team's players and a Columbian criminal known as 'J Col', organising for the cards to occur during certain games. Baccus, 33, and Lewis, 27, swapped jerseys for crisp shirts as they faced a Sydney Local Court on Thursday to plead guilty to engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event. A second charge of participating in a criminal group was withdrawn for both midfielders, who will return to court in September for sentencing. They agreed they had been paid $10,000 each by Davila to deliberately earn the referee-issued disciplinary cautions for foul play at a match in December 2023. Davila, the alleged local ringleader of the criminal group behind the betting corruption, has not yet entered pleas to the nine charges against him. He will return to court in August. According to the facts agreed by his former teammates, the former captain orchestrated the 50 "suspicious" bets placed on the Macarthur FC game against Sydney FC through international wagering platform Betplay. The wagers were all placed at the same time before the match started, and all involved exactly two bets of equal amounts predicting the same outcome. During the game at Allianz Stadium, Davila earned the first of the team's four yellow cards for delaying the start of play by kicking the ball away after the referee blew the whistle. Twenty minutes later, Lewis received the same caution for unsporting behaviour after he pushed a Sydney FC player in the chest and caused him to fall backwards on the ground. Baccus attracted another rebuke for tackling an opponent to the ground from behind towards the end of the game. The successful bets resulted in a payout of more than $200,000 and caused the wagering operator a loss of an estimated $167,387, according to the facts. There is no evidence either Baccus or Lewis had any involvement in placing the bets, but they were both paid $10,000 by Davila after the match. Lewis was paid in three instalments, but Baccus devised a more elaborate explanation for his payment, telling Davila to describe it as a car payment for a Volkswagen Golf. "If anyone asks, you (are) buying a car off me," he said in the WhatsApp messages quoted in the facts. "Yes bro. Whatever you want papi," Davila responded. After his arrest, Baccus told police the captain had not yet collected the car he sold him while maintaining he only took yellow cards for playing aggressively or in service of the team. Lewis, meanwhile, was put in a holding cell after his arrest and confessed to the other occupant that he deliberately solicited a yellow card "to earn a little bit of coin". The conversation was recorded with a surveillance device. Lewis was recruited to the betting corruption scheme because he was known to be a gambler and thus seen as "influenceable", according to the facts. All three players were suspended by Macarthur FC after their arrests, and Davila and Baccus have since been released from their contracts. National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858 A former A-League player admitted to deliberately earning a yellow card "to earn a little bit of coin" during a covertly recorded conversation in a police cell. Ex-Macarthur Bulls team captain Ulises Davila, and midfielders Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis have been accused of manipulating yellow cards during matches in 2023 and 2024. Davila, 33, allegedly acted as the conduit between the southwest Sydney team's players and a Columbian criminal known as 'J Col', organising for the cards to occur during certain games. Baccus, 33, and Lewis, 27, swapped jerseys for crisp shirts as they faced a Sydney Local Court on Thursday to plead guilty to engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event. A second charge of participating in a criminal group was withdrawn for both midfielders, who will return to court in September for sentencing. They agreed they had been paid $10,000 each by Davila to deliberately earn the referee-issued disciplinary cautions for foul play at a match in December 2023. Davila, the alleged local ringleader of the criminal group behind the betting corruption, has not yet entered pleas to the nine charges against him. He will return to court in August. According to the facts agreed by his former teammates, the former captain orchestrated the 50 "suspicious" bets placed on the Macarthur FC game against Sydney FC through international wagering platform Betplay. The wagers were all placed at the same time before the match started, and all involved exactly two bets of equal amounts predicting the same outcome. During the game at Allianz Stadium, Davila earned the first of the team's four yellow cards for delaying the start of play by kicking the ball away after the referee blew the whistle. Twenty minutes later, Lewis received the same caution for unsporting behaviour after he pushed a Sydney FC player in the chest and caused him to fall backwards on the ground. Baccus attracted another rebuke for tackling an opponent to the ground from behind towards the end of the game. The successful bets resulted in a payout of more than $200,000 and caused the wagering operator a loss of an estimated $167,387, according to the facts. There is no evidence either Baccus or Lewis had any involvement in placing the bets, but they were both paid $10,000 by Davila after the match. Lewis was paid in three instalments, but Baccus devised a more elaborate explanation for his payment, telling Davila to describe it as a car payment for a Volkswagen Golf. "If anyone asks, you (are) buying a car off me," he said in the WhatsApp messages quoted in the facts. "Yes bro. Whatever you want papi," Davila responded. After his arrest, Baccus told police the captain had not yet collected the car he sold him while maintaining he only took yellow cards for playing aggressively or in service of the team. Lewis, meanwhile, was put in a holding cell after his arrest and confessed to the other occupant that he deliberately solicited a yellow card "to earn a little bit of coin". The conversation was recorded with a surveillance device. Lewis was recruited to the betting corruption scheme because he was known to be a gambler and thus seen as "influenceable", according to the facts. All three players were suspended by Macarthur FC after their arrests, and Davila and Baccus have since been released from their contracts. National Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858
