It’s not a Shaw thing: Petition to save pie-eater’s job
A petition to have pie-eating goalkeeper Wayne Shaw reinstated is recording big numbers a day after his departure from Sutton United.
The rotund 46-year-old resigned in the wake of a betting scandal after he was filmed eating a pie while on the bench during Sutton’s 2-0 FA Cup loss to Arsenal.
Sun Bets, the bookmaker that also sponsored Sutton’s shirts during the tie, had offered odds of 8-1 that Shaw, dubbed the ‘roly-poly goalie’, would eat a pie on camera.
Shaw, the reserve goalkeeper, insisted he had not placed a bet but admitted giving a few friends a hint and is now facing Football Association and Gambling Commission investigations.
Shaw, who did groundkeeping at the club, has become a cult figure and a petition was quickly set up to try to get his job back after his tearful resignation.
By yesterday there were nearly 5000 signatures on the petition.
‘‘Sutton United’s rotund reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw was unjustly sacked for eating a pie in the dugout during his team’s FA Cup tie against Arsenal. Justice must prevail and Wayne must be reinstated to the subs’ bench,’’ was the petition’s pledge.
There was also heavyweight support from other areas.
Media star Piers Morgan and England football great Gary Lineker have tweeted support for 146kg Shaw.
Meanwhile, non-league club Sutton confirmed their website had been hacked with Shaw’s profile describing him as ‘‘best goalkeeper’’.
The website was offline as IT specialist looked to fix the hacking damage.
‘‘Something went wrong over the weekend and our maintenance guys are looking into fixing it,’’ Sutton United chairman Bruce Elliot told the Sutton Guardian.
‘‘It’s extremely frustrating as now is the time where we could do with it up as well.
‘‘It’s just another problem that we could do without really.’’
Morrisons - one of Britain’s biggest supermarket chains - saw a marketing opportunity by offering Shaw a job as their official pietaster, with a salary of a year’s worth of pies.
Morrisons’ Chief Pie Buyer Tessa Callaghan said: ‘‘We’re always looking for the best talent to taste our pies and make sure they hit the back of the net.
‘‘Wayne’s performance last night sets him apart as one of the country’s most famous pie connoisseurs.
‘‘We were really impressed by his commitment to pie eating, and we understand that a good pie is the best way to warm up for any occasion, even if it is the biggest night of your football career,’’ Callaghan said.