YOU BET I’M ANGRY
McInnes wants no more wagers on managerial sackings after frenzy over his own future
DEREK McINNES l ast night urged SPFL sponsors Ladbrokes to put an end to taking bets on managers parting company with their clubs.
The Aberdeen boss was the s ubject of a whirlwind of speculation on Wednesday which at one stage led to Ladbrokes closing the book on him leaving Pittodrie.
The club yesterday contacted the SPFL at directorial level to express their concerns at the ongoing practice — 24 hours after feeling the need to release a statement quelling speculation about their manager’s immediate future.
By a quirk of fate, McInnes was announced by Ladbrokes as the Manager of t he Month f or September just before he faced the media at 3pm yesterday, but it’s understood that he refused to participate in publicity photographs.
Clearly still irked at his preparations for tonight’s game wi t h Ross County being interrupted, the Dons boss urged the bookmaker to signal an end to speculating on which manager is next to head through the exit door.
‘I don’t think it’s helpful, they don’t help managers i n that situation,’ he stated. ‘For me, when the league sponsor is at the heart of it then it’s not helpful.
‘We all know the pressure comes when you don’t get results and that it’s part and parcel of it.
‘But when you are the main sponsors, I think you have a responsibility.
‘ I think they should be working with clubs and with managers to foster relationships rather than working against us.’
McInnes confirmed that
his grievance — and that of his employer — has now been communicated to Hampden chiefs. ‘I was getting texts and calls about it,’ added McInnes. ‘The chief executive (Duncan Fraser) has spoken to Neil Doncaster about it but it’s not just an Aberdeen thing. The whole thing has to be addressed and spoken about across the board.’ In the case of McInnes’, the book closed on him leaving the club as opposed to him being sacked. Irrespective of the reasons behind the speculation, however, he felt it was distasteful. ‘I was baffled by the whole thing, it was bizarre. But I’m not the only one to get it, it was Jackie McNamara, Gary Locke, Alan Archibald and Ian Baraclough in previous weeks. ‘It brings an unnecessary spotlight and pressure on managers. They should be working with us.’ Ladbrokes defended their position — and made no apology for running a book on any given subject if there is a demand for it. ‘We took a handful of bets on Wednesday and there was a demand for prices over Derek McInnes being the next manager to leave his club,’ said spokesperson David MacDonald. ‘That prompted our trading department to suspend betting on that issue. All we’re doing is reacting to the market. ‘One of the major talking points in bookmakers, in pubs and in newspapers up and down the country, centres on football and the positions of managers and players. It is something our customers demand, something they ask about all the time. ‘We don’t put these markets up to cause any upset whatsoever.’