[JoshW]

Seems a little crazy to me. Three figure bets and they are freaking out.

-------------------------------

Betting storm
Irish League rocked by bookie probe

By Stuart McKinley

24 April 2006
A betting scandal has rocked Northern Ireland football after a major bookmaking chain pulled an Irish Premier League match from their lists at the weekend.

Unusual betting patterns emerged within the space of only a few hours on Friday, which prompted Paddy Power to suspend betting on Saturday's game between Armagh City and Glenavon.

The company confirmed last night that high amounts had been wagered on the particular match.

The Belfast Telegraph has also learned that a Belfast bookmaker was asked to accept a four figure sum on Glenavon winning.

Glenavon emerged 4-0 winners, with three of the goals coming in the final ten minutes, but that failed to ease the Lurgan club's relegation worries with Institute scoring a shock win at Portadown.

"We had a few new accounts opened and the holders then placed substantial three figure sums on the particular game," said a spokesman for Paddy Power.

"Placing that kind of amount on one game is very unusual for Irish League betting.

"We will take bets on single games in the Irish League and I know that there are other major bookmakers who do as well.

"It wasn't a high profile game or even one that had a lot riding on it, so we thought there was something suspicious going on and suspended the betting.

"We took the match off our lists at 8.30pm on Friday night and by that stage the game had only been up for a few hours so we are suspicious that people were waiting for the odds to be released.

"Our understanding is that we weren't the only company to take down that particular game as well, there were a number of other bookmakers who did the same and we are now conducting an investigation."

There may now also be cause for the Irish FA to launch an investigation of their own.

"I am out of the country on business until Tuesday night and if there is anything to suggest there has been wrongdoing then I will look at it upon my return," said chief executive Howard Wells.



http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sp...p?story=688237

[Mudcat]

Odd little story. The book became suspicious - and from the sounds of things they may well have been correct to be suspicious - so I suppose an "atta boy" is in order.

But we're talking about 3 figure bets? I had to do a triple-take because I thought I must be misunderstanding something.

"We had a few new accounts opened and the holders then placed substantial three figure sums on the particular game," said a spokesman for Paddy Power.

THREE?

[tacomax]

This is Ireland, remember. I'm not saying they're backward but goats are the primary currency over there. Any bets not involving livestock will automatically arouse suspicion.

[Mudcat]

:an_roll_l

[Santo]

I'd liken it to someone betting $2000 on a little league lacrosse game ;-)

[natrass]

Also, whenever a bookie appears in the mainstream press its always bloody Paddy Power .... they must have a guy whose job it is to invent stories the papers will use.

Albeit, usually happier tales ....a few weeks ago it was a guy who dreamt Alonso would score from the halfway line against Luton (he did) or a pensioner who bet on themselves to live over 100 years old (they did), etc etc.

I have often placed "three figure sums" on Scottish Third Division games where the crowd has been maybe 65 and teams like East Stirling pay their players £10 a week.

I like books who offer prices on almost anything involving an unknown result (snow at Christmas, Ukranian Third Division (Reserve) League, etc). Just looked at Hollywood ... they have maybe a complete total of 40 bets available all told ... a bit sleepy there.