Sutton pie incident investigated by Gambling Commission

Sutton goalkeeper Wayne Shaw eating a pie during their FA Cup match against Arsenal.PHOTO/Daily Star

LONDON, United Kingdom, Feb 21 – Both the Football Association and the Gambling Commission have opened an investigation into Sutton United goalkeeper Wayne Shaw eating a pie on TV during the FA Cup fifth round tie against Arsenal on Monday night.

A British newspaper’s betting company, which sponsored Sutton United for the game, had 8-1 odds that Shaw would eat a meat pie during the match.

After Sutton had used all their substitutions and there was no chance Shaw would appear in the 2-0 loss, he munched on the pie while sitting on the bench. The footage of Shaw eating was broadcast on the BBC.

“I thought I would give them (the betting company) a bit of banter and let’s do it,” Shaw told reporters after the game.

However Richard Watson, Gambling Commission enforcement and intelligence director, has confirmed the matter is being investigated.

“Integrity in sport is not a joke and we have opened an investigation to establish exactly what happened,” Watson said.

“As part of that 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.”

A statement from the FA said: “We are investigating to establish whether there has been any breach of The FA rules relating to betting.”

Sutton manager Paul Doswell was not pleased that one of his players had taken the shine off his team, which plays in the fifth tier of English soccer.

“Wayne has become this global superstar on the back of being 23 stone (322 pounds),” Doswell said. “He’s made that a chance to make some more media coverage off the back of it. I don’t think it shows us in the best light.”

English Football Association rules prohibit players from betting on any “occurrence” in a match, although this incident did not take place on the field. There is no indication Shaw financially benefited himself.

“We’re not allowed to bet, but a few of the lads laid on,” Shaw said Tuesday on a morning television show. “So hopefully there will be a pie and a pint in the local (pub) when I get back.”

-By Sky Sports-

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