Illegal betting and subsequent ban

In April 2009, Williams, who at the time was the club's longest serving player, along Stanley teammates Peter Cavanagh, Jay Harris and David Mannix and Bury player Andy Mangan were charged with breaching the Football Association's betting rules, with some accused of gambling thousands of pounds on their team to lose. The scandal related to Accrington Stanley's last game of the last League Two season, at home to Bury.^[2]

In July 2009, the players (except Cavanagh, whose case was to be heard at a later date) were banned for varying lengths after being found guilty of being involved in betting on a Bury win when the Shakers visited the Crown Ground at the end of the 2007/08 season – a game that Bury went on to win.^[3] Williams was suspended from professional football for eight months and received a £3,500 fine, and was released by Stanley. The players appealed against their bans but lost their cases.^[4]