Two English League Championship players, Michael Chopra and James Coppinger, and Mark Wilson, a former player with Manchester United, are among nine individuals charged by the British Horseracing Authority on Thursday in a scheme to fix horse races.

The charges follow an investigation into suspicious betting patterns in nine races across England from November 2010 to March 2011. The three players are among eight accused of getting inside information from the ninth suspect, jockey Andrew Heffernan.

Michael Chopra, who plays for Ipswich, has previously admitted to being a gambling addict. Coppinger plays for Nottingham Forest. The Football Association is not expected to take any immediate action against them.