Oldham sack striker arrested in fixing probe

London: Oldham Athletic have sacked forward Cristiano Montano for gross misconduct, the English third-tier club said Monday, following his arrest in a spot-fixing investigation.

The 22-year-old was one of six players arrested earlier this month by the National Crime Agency, Britain`s equivalent of the FBI, following a newspaper expose. League One side Oldham suspended Montano without pay on December 8 and the Latics confirmed Monday that his contract has been terminated. Born in Colombia, Montano moved to London as a child. He joined West Ham as a trainee and signed as a professional in August 2010 but did not make any first-team appearances. The east London club loaned him out to lower league sides Notts County (twice), Swindon, Dagenham and Redbridge, and Oxford, before he signed for Oldham in August 2012. A statement on Oldham`s website from the club`s lawyers said that following a thorough investigation by the Latics into Montano`s conduct, the club`s board decided to sack him immediately. The statement said that "without prejudice to the ongoing criminal investigation", it was the club`s view "that the player`s conduct, in not only bringing the name of Oldham Athletic but also the football authorities into disrepute, amounts to very serious breaches of club discipline, and therefore constitutes gross misconduct". Founder members of the Premier League in 1992, Oldham were relegated after two seasons.