Sutton goalkeeper leaves club after gambling probe into sideline pie-eating
A "bit of banter" has landed 46-year-old Sutton United backup keeper Wayne Shaw in a lot of trouble.
Shaw, who was also the non-league side's goalkeeper coach, was spotted live on air eating a meat pie in the dugout during Sutton's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Monday.
It all seemed a bit too perfect, and it appears it was. Before the match, a gambling website had placed an 8-1 bet on its site that Shaw would be seen eating a pie in the dugout. It was for a bit of a laugh, but it was also a real bet. One that some people appear to have cashed in on.
The FA and Gambling Commission are investigating the incident.
UPDATE: And now according to a report from Sky Sports' Paul Kelso, Shaw has left the club.
https://twitter.com/pkelso/status/834067849404612608
Richard Watson, the Gambling Commission's enforcement and intelligence director, offered: "Integrity in sport is not a joke, and we have opened an investigation to establish exactly what happened.
"As part of that we'll be looking into any irregularity in the betting market."
The FA also released a statement saying: "We are investigating to establish whether there has been any breach of The FA rules relating to betting."
Shaw himself explained that he was just doing it for a joke, and that none of the players had placed a wager on it.
From an appearance on Good Morning Britain:
"Obviously we [players] are not allowed to bet. I think there were a few people. I think a few of the mates and a few of the fans.
"It was just a bit of banter for them. It is something to make the occasion as well and you can look back and say it was part of it and we got our ticket money back.
"A few of the lads said to me earlier on: 'What is going on with the 8-1 about eating a pie?' I said: 'I don't know, I've eaten nothing all day, so I might give it a go later on.' All the subs were on and we were 2-0 down."
