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Paddy Power Pays out on Stoke City
by:Danielle Almond
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Fans of Stoke City are outraged that Irish betting agents Paddy Power are paying out bets on the team being relegated only one match into the season after Stoke’s poor performance losing 3-1 to Bolton. Stoke City fan Dave Knapper calls it, “an offensive publicity stunt that should cost them the future custom of any self respecting City follower”.
Rather than changing their decision to pay out, as compensation Paddy Power are offering every Stoke City season ticket holder a free £50 bet and are admitting that it is a possibility that they could “be eating humble pie by the end of the season”.
One angered Stoke fan said that it is, “a cynical and clever marketing ploy but one that is trying to belittle Stoke. I hope it not only costs them the money they pay out but also that every Stoke fan opts for betting with firms other than them.” To rub salt into the wound Paddy Power said this, “If you’re losing to the likes of Bolton there really isn’t much hope.”
The pay-out is expected to cost the company £30,000 and is the first time a betting agent has paid out on a season-long bet on the first day. Before their defeat against Bolton the odds that the team would avoid relegation were 4/9, but after the 3-1 defeat the odds fell to 2/7. Stoke manager Tony Pulis admitted that the club’s performance had been defensively poor during their loss to Bolton. However, Pulis shows optimism saying, “We’ll take it on the chin and bounce back”.
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