Gainsborough Trinity have condemned an individual falsely claiming to be manager Russ Wilcox who contacted players across the non-league pyramid with transfer and wage offers. Chief executive Matt Boles stated the club became aware of the bogus approaches when other club managers, players, officials, and an agent contacted Wilcox directly, suspecting the communications were not genuine. The imposter allegedly offered an excessively high transfer fee to an agent, raising immediate red flags. Boles emphasized that impersonating a manager and making false representations is unacceptable and risks reputational damage. Wilcox, who has been in football for over 40 years, said he does not know why anyone would behave this way and wants to protect his reputation.

The club, which reached the FA Cup second round in 2024-25 under Wilcox, has reported the incidents to the Northern Premier League and the Football Association. Boles issued a direct message to the perpetrator to stop wasting people's time, noting that such illegal approaches could land the club in trouble with governing bodies.