Wayne Shaw exit forces Sutton United to put outfield player in goal
Saturday 25 February 2017 17:04, UK
Sutton United were forced to put a defender in goal on Saturday when their first-choice goalkeeper got injured, following Wayne Shaw's resignation.
Shaw was reserve goalkeeper at Sutton but took the decision to resign from the National League club after the Football Association and the Gambling Commission opened investigations into his pie-eating during their 2-0 FA Cup fifth round loss to Arsenal last week.
Sutton manager Paul Doswell opted not to put a back-up 'keeper on the bench for Saturday's game at Torquay and were left having to put outfield player Simon Downer in net when No 1 Ross Worner went down injured early in the first half.
Despite conceding two goals following the setback, Sutton finished 3-2 winners over Torquay thanks to a late winner from Dean Beckwith.
Doswell told Sky Sports News HQ that Shaw had been left in tears after the club's board chose to offer him his resignation, but the Sutton boss and fellow coach Ian Baird fully supported the decision.
"I'm devastated and the chairman is devastated," Dowsell said last week. "I am not going to hide the fact that we are all very emotional about it. I have spoken to Wayne on the phone this afternoon and the guy is in tears, he was crying down the phone.
"Ian Baird and myself try to run the most professional non-league club we can be, and to then find out someone has been eating a pie behind us, it might be funny to some people but it shows me, Ian and the club in a bad light.
"And to find out it was done with regard to some 8/1 bet, just exacerbates the problem. The chairman was very clear this morning how he felt and I back the chairman 100 per cent."
