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