Pie-scoffing goalie resigns in tears
The Sutton United player filmed eating a pie while sitting on the substitutes bench during this week’s 2-0 FA Cup defeat by Arsenal has resigned in tears amidst a growing controversy.
Wayne Shaw, 46, may have bitten off more than he can chew as twin investigations were launched into the stunt yesterday.
Shaw faces possible action from the Gambling Commission and the FA after it emerged that a betting company had offered odds of 8-1 against any Sutton player tucking into a pie during the game televised live on the BBC.
‘‘It’s been very disappointing. I woke up this morning to this storm and criticism. It’s something we’ve dealt with quickly as a club,’’ Sutton United manager Paul Doswell told Sky News. ‘‘I’m devastated, the chairman is devastated. ‘‘I have spoken to Wayne and the guy is in tears, crying down the phone. It is a very sad situation ... a very sad end to what was a very, very good story.’’
Authorities didn’t see the funny side of a story that captured headlines.
‘‘Integrity in sport is not a joke and we have opened an investigation to establish exactly what happened,’’ said Richard Watson, enforcement and intelligence director at the Gambling Commission.
‘‘We’ll be looking into any irregularity in the betting market and establishing whether the operator has met its licence requirement to conduct its business with integrity.’’
The FA announced its own investigation into the behaviour of 46-year-old Shaw, non-League Sutton’s reserve goalkeeper. ‘‘We are investigating to establish whether there has been any breach of The FA rules relating to betting,’’ a spokesman said.
The stunt, picked up by cameras towards the end of the match, was initially treated as a joke.
Shaw, who weighs 20 stone, had featured in