An English Goalie Ended His Career By Eating A Meat Pie During A Game And Sparking A Scandal

The soccer world has found itself at the center of plenty of scandals over the years. However, it’s harder to think of a dumber one than “Piegate,” which brought the career of goalkeeper Wayne Shaw to an end.

I’m going to assume the vast majority of the people reading this aren’t intimately familiar with Shaw, who spent his entire career playing for clubs you’re probably only familiar with if you’re a very big fan of soccer in the United Kingdom.

The Englishman originally got his start as a midfielder but struggled with his weight and conditioning during his younger years. By the time he ended up playing for Bashley in the mid-90s, he realized the best way to keep his career alive was by pivoting to minding the goal.

Shaw never came close to maintaining the type of figure you’d describe as “thin,” and fans weren’t shy about mocking him over his large frame. In 2013, he was released by Sutton United after heading into the stands to headbutt a spectator who insulted his weight (he tipped the scales at 320 pounds), but he ultimately re-signed with the team and stepped into a backup role in 2015.

However, the man who was dubbed the “Roly Poly Goalie” saw his career come to an end just a couple of years later after a cheeky move sparked an investigation that forced him into retirement.

Wayne Shaw was forced to retire after eating a meat pie during a soccer match

On February 20, 2017, Sutton United faced off against Arsenal in an FA Cup matchup where Shaw’s team was expected to lose and no one expected the 46-year-old reserve to see any playing time.

Shaw’s hefty stature meant that he’d routinely been subjected to the classic “Who Ate All The Pies?” chant from opposing fans, and prior to the match, one English bookmaker decided to have some fun by offering a “Will Wayne Shaw eat a pie?” bet at 8-1 odds.

Anyone who threw some money down on that prop saw it cash in the second half, as Shaw was spotted chowing down on the meat pie (a.k.a. “pasty”) he’d secured midway through the game while chilling on the sidelines in the 83rd minute after his team had exhausted all of its substitutions without sending him onto the pitch.

However, according to NBC Sports, that development quickly came to the attention of the UK Gambling Commission, which launched an investigation to determine if there were any irregular betting patterns and if Shaw had potentially received money to eat the pie.

The goalie eventually admitted he was aware of the bet in question but asserted he hadn’t been illegally persuaded to consume the pie, saying he hadn’t eaten that day and thought it would be funny if he leaned into the bit.

While he didn’t really do anything wrong, he quickly decided to resign from the team in his capacity as a player and a goaltending coach. He ultimately received a £375 fine and a two-month ban from the FA for what was technically considered tampering on the gambling front.

However, the suspension was essentially a moot point, as Shaw decided it was time to hang up his cleats for good once he stepped down.