£1m betting coup investigated by FA
The Football Association has launched an inquiry after fans netted about £1m from betting in a game involving Rushden & Diamonds.
Struggling non-League Weymouth FC had to field its youth team against Diamonds on Saturday after members of the first team went on strike over fears about medical insurance cover.
The move prompted a rush of bets as fans sought to cash in.
And bookmakers were left out of pocket after Weymouth's stand-in youngsters were thrashed 9-0.
The Football Association said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding one of the biggest betting coups in non-league football.
"We are investigating unusual betting patterns around the game," an FA spokesman said.
But the bookmakers, who were forced to cut the odds before suspending betting entirely, said there was nothing untoward about the betting coup.
Totesport was one of the first to suspended betting on Saturday morning after "smelling a rat".
Spokesman George Primarolo said: "The 1m figure is about right. It has been taken off the bookies but there's nothing untoward or suspicious about it.
"People have got wind of the team news before the bookies have.
"This sort of thing happens in the lower leagues from time to time.
"It's different to the Premier League because we know everything that's happening, everything is so well documented.
"The lower down the league you get, the more the fans know."
A Coral spokesman said: "Normally 30,000 to 40,000 would be paid out on a match like this across the whole industry.
"But we paid out in the region of 100,000 and we are 20% of the industry.
"It was an exceptional amount of money for a lower league game."
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