Who Told All the Lies?

Posted by Rob Shepherd on Monday, March 6, 2017

Sutton reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw has got a lot on his plate after both the Football Association and the Gambling Commission announced that they would carry out independent investigations into his pasty munching.

The roly, poly, goalie was caught live on TV munching on a pasty during his team’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of Premier League giants Arsenal. Footage of the 23-stone keeper went viral and many pundits applauded Wayne for bringing a sense of humour to a sport that is often devoid of funny moments.

It was later revealed by Wayne on a live appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain that he knew that club sponsor Sun Bets were offering odds on him eating a pie during the game. However, he stressed that he didn’t personally gain from the stunt. He did admit that many of his close friends won money from Sun Bets after backing him to tuck into a pie.

Smiles and laughter on the breakfast TV show soon turned to sadness when it was announced that the serial salad dodger had been asked to resign from Sutton due to the investigation by football watchdogs. It is a sad end of the story for the man who became the face (and the belly) of Sutton United.

Before the game, Sun Bets offered odds of 8-1 that Wayne would eat a pie on camera during the match and when in the 83rd minute, as Sutton used their last permitted substitute, Wayne duly obliged.

Wayne told reporters he knew about the Sun Bets promotion and did it for a bit of banter. He claims that during games many fans shout “who ate all the pies” and when he knew he wouldn’t be playing, he was just having a laugh with the crowd. He also stated “Plus I was hungry”.

It would appear that the Gambling Commission don’t share Wayne’s sense of humour. Enforcement and intelligence director Richard Watson went on record saying, “’Integrity in sport is not a joke and we have opened an investigation to establish exactly what happened”.

FA rules say players should not “instruct, permit, cause or enable” any person to bet the “result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in, a football match or competition.”

Many celebrities took to twitter to vent their anger at what is being perceived as over reaction by the killjoys regulators.

Piers Morgan, who had interviewed Wayne on Good Morning Britain wrote, “This Wayne Shaw sacking just about sums up the pathetically PC-crazed world we now have to endure. Shame on you, Sutton United”

Football’s Mr Nice Guy, Gary Lineker said “So Wayne Shaw, who slept on a sofa 3 nights a week at Sutton to maintain and run the place loses his job over #Piegate. FFS!”, “Day by day football is losing its heart and its sense of humour.”

Britain’s comedians waded into the argument with James Corden stating “’I feel it should be the law that all second choice keepers must eat a pie at some point during the match.”. Fellow comic Jason Manford said “Absolutely ridiculous that Wayne Shaw has been made to resign. Over a pie!”.

Not surprisingly, not everyone agreed. Jack O’Neil tweeted, “I’m so fed up of Wayne Shaw. He’s fat, we get it!” and Daniel Story messaged “Sutton’s reserve keeper going to the bar at half-time and eating a pie on the bench. Feel like he *might* just be milking this one a touch.”.

Sutton United manager Paul Doswell explained how heartbroken Wayne Shaw was over his resignation and told Sky News, “We spoke — he’s absolutely devastated. Tears down the phone.”, “’It’s obviously got into another world in terms of what he’s used to. I think he’s been ill-advised at times and he’s just made a genuine mistake.”

“He’s been heavily criticised in the papers this morning. He’s such a lovely man but he’s been swept along and his judgement obviously wasn’t great last night and he’s going to pay the price for that, I think. He’s a friend of mine. The reality is he’s going to have to reflect on where he’s at over the next few days. He did a fantastic job for the football club but unfortunately if any of us had put ourselves in Wayne’s position last night then you make your position pretty much untenable… I’d include myself in that.”

This is not the first time that footballers have been involved in publicity stunts. Former Arsenal favourite Nicklas Bendtner was fined £80,000 and banned for one game after showing his underwear branded with the Paddy Power name. During Denmark’s game against Portugal, the Swede lifted up his shirt to reveal his Paddy Power Pants.

Lars Berendt, communications director of the Denmark FA, said: ‘We have spoken to the player and he will not play in those underpants against Germany on Sunday.

Lars unfortunately didn’t state if Nicklas (or should that be Knickerless) was allowed to wear alternative underwear.