Sutton v Arsenal: Wayne Shaw's pie-eating investigated by FA & Gambling Commission - BBC Sport
Sutton goalkeeper Wayne Shaw is being investigated by the Football Association for potentially breaching betting rules during Monday's FA Cup loss to Arsenal.
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Sutton reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw is under investigation by the Football Association for potentially breaching betting rules during Monday's FA Cup loss to Arsenal.

The Gambling Commission is also investigating if there was a breach of betting regulations after Shaw ate a pie in the 83rd minute of the game.

Before Monday's game, a bookmaker offered odds of 8-1 that Shaw would eat a pie on camera during the match.

He later said it was "a bit of fun".

Shaw, 46, ate the pie while standing by the substitutes' bench.

He told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme that the pie was in fact a pasty and he ate it as he was "light-headed".

"We are told we are not allowed to gamble as it is full-time professional football," he added. "In no way did I put anyone in jeopardy of that - this is not the case here, this is just a bit of fun and me being hungry."

Asked whether he knew if anyone had taken up the bet, he told the Daily Mail: "I think there were a few people. I think a few mates and a few of the fans."

The Gambling Commission, which licenses and regulates gambling in Britain, says it is looking into whether there was any "irregularity in the betting market and establishing whether the operator has met its licence requirement to conduct its business with integrity".

It warned operators in June last year about the integrity of taking bets on novelty markets.

"Integrity in sport is not a joke and we have opened an investigation to establish exactly what happened," said enforcement and intelligence director Richard Watson.

'I don't think it shows us in the best light'

Sun Bets, who sponsored the club on Monday for the fifth-round tie, tweeted that it had paid out a "five-figure sum" on the bet.

Sutton manager Paul Doswell said after the game: "I don't think it shows us in the best light."

Club chairman Bruce Elliott told 5 live: "I didn't know anything about it. He has got himself in the papers again and the fame obviously has gone to his head a little bit, but we will soon bring him back down to earth, don't worry about that."

Shaw said he was told about the betting promotion before the game.

"I thought I would give them a bit of banter and let's do it," he added. "All the subs were on and we were 2-0 down.

"It was just a bit of banter for them. It is something to make the occasion as well and you can look back and say it was part of it and we got our ticket money back."

A worldwide ban on betting in football was introduced in 2014 and covers everyone involved in the game, from the players and managers to the match officials and club staff.

It prevents participants covered by the ban from betting, either directly or indirectly, on any football match or competition, including the passing of "inside information".

The FA website defines that as "information that you are aware of due to your position in the game and which is not publicly available".

It adds: "You are not allowed to pass inside information on to someone else which they use for betting."