What was up with Sutton's GK eating a pie on the sideline during the FA Cup?
The most interesting thing that happened when Sutton United hosted Arsenal on Monday wasn't anything on the pitch. No, Arsenal's 2-0 win to advance in the FA Cup was a pretty lackluster affair.
Rather, the highlight of the entire match was the video above: Sutton's goalkeeper coach and back-up goalkeeper, Wayne Shaw, scurried off to the concession stands at halftime, bought a meat pie, and then ate it on the sideline during the second half -- in the middle of an FA Cup fixture.
This is really a thing that happened. Live television cameras were rolling, but Shaw seemingly decided the 2-0 match was out of reach and decided to chow down next to his team's bench. Maybe he was eating his feelings. Maybe he was getting an energy boost in case he needed to sub in.
It's not all that surprising. This is the team that had a coach vaping in the sideline during a match. But, in a plot twist, the fun quickly turned into a conspiracy as some incredulous fans wondered if the second-half snack was pre-planned:
https://twitter.com/SunBets/status/833745594996944897
Sutton, an underdog in this FA Cup, signed a deal with The Sun newspaper's betting outfit and a tweet earlier on Monday from Sun Bets seemed to foretell the meat pie feast on live TV.
After the match, they followed up with the announcement that the live pie-eating moment earned some betters a handsome payout.
https://twitter.com/SunBets/status/833797353010262016
Hmm. It's all a little too perfect, no?
Pre-planned or not, Shaw certainly looked like he enjoyed his FA Cup pie. And the fact that he was willing to do that makes him the Man of the Match anyway.