Friday, February 23, 2007
Swing
Craig Bellamy's golf swing celebration at Camp Nou on Wednesday earned punters on Merseyside thousands of pounds after William Hill offered the novelty bet at 100-1 the day before. But the wager will raise some serious questions within governing bodies about the relationship between bookmakers and sport.
William Hill's response to its £50,000 loss also raised eyebrows. A spokesman for the company said it was likely the Liverpool striker had heard about the bet before the match, though he played down suggestions of a coup.
A Uefa spokesman said: "We have regulations that prevent people betting in a way that endangers the integrity of the sport, but unless we had evidence that he [Bellamy] actually placed a bet it is very hard to investigate."
William Hill's response to its £50,000 loss also raised eyebrows. A spokesman for the company said it was likely the Liverpool striker had heard about the bet before the match, though he played down suggestions of a coup.
A Uefa spokesman said: "We have regulations that prevent people betting in a way that endangers the integrity of the sport, but unless we had evidence that he [Bellamy] actually placed a bet it is very hard to investigate."
