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Goalkeeper Wayne Shaw Resigns After Wolfing Down Meat Pie While His Team Plays Arsenal

The 'Roly Poly Goalie' stole the show. Then it became a scandal.
A bit of fun quickly turned serious.
Instagram/Ben Lee
A bit of fun quickly turned serious.

The FA Cup is English soccer's oldest and most prestigious knockout competition. It pits the small clubs against the big ones and every year memories are made as players from around the country take to the pitch.

This year, the reserve goalkeeper of Sutton United, Wayne Shaw, stole the show from the likes of world-class stars Tony Walcott and Alexis Sanchez in the club's fifth-round game against Arsenal on Monday.

An FA Cup match against an English Premier League side looked to be historic for United, who are currently sitting 17th in the fifth-tier of English soccer, and Shaw -- who calls himself the 'Roly Poly Goalie', was snapped in the lead-up preparing with his trademark grin.

But what started as a bit of fun quickly turned serious, as Shaw resigned from the club after the Football Association launched an investigation into the incident over a potential conflict of interest.

Before the game, the club's main sponsor Sun Bets had wagered Shaw would eat a meat pie live on television mid-match at odds of 8/1, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. After three Sutton United substitutions and two Arsenal goals, Shaw remained on the sideline, and sure enough, he was caught chomping on a meat pie in the stands.

That's what caught the FA's eye. The Association is now investigating whether the link between the club's betting sponsor, its cheeky wager and the incident itself constituted a breach of betting regulations.

Wayne Shaw. Hero. #wayneshaw #hero

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"What happened didn't make us look very professional," Sutton manager Paul Doswell said after Shaw's resignation, per the BBC.

"It's clear in FA rules that you're not allowed to bet. And whether it was a fun bet, or whatever it was, it wasn't acceptable,"

Arsenal went on to knock Sutton United out of the competition 0-2 in the match with goals going to Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott, securing their spot in the quarter-finals.

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