A while ago, when Manchester United were five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and seemingly on course to comfortably defend their title, we wrote that online bookmaker BetFred were paying out early on the Red Devils winning the league.
Did it seem like too much of a premature move back at the start of April?
Not really, as the challenge from City seemed to have fallen away and who would have bet against United letting a firm grip on the title slip? Well, Fred Done, owner of BetFred and a Manchester United fan, may just be ruing the move.
Manchester City climbed to the top of the summit again after beating Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium this week. That put the Citizens on top by a superior goal difference, with just two games to go. So now Fred Done may be sweating under his collar a bit, as his payout on Manchester United 2/5 shot on winning the league may end up costing him badly. But this isn’t the first time that he has paid out on a Premier League title early. In 1998, Done paid out on Manchester United when they were 12 points clear of Arsenal in April, only to see the Gunners come back and miraculously win the title.
Will Manchester City leave Done reeling again? The BetFred owner came out and apologised for perhaps jinxing Manchester United’s title hopes, as he tried to appease fans who were unhappy with him at the time. This is because the early pay out was seen as nothing more than a publicity stunt, the kind which also saw opportunists selling early Manchester United Champions t-shirts on line. So did Done tempt the football fate of United? Whatever, there is still hope for BetFred, as City have a tough away match against Newcastle to come, while United have to very winnable matches.
So Fred Done may not have jinxed the Red Devils. For now, at least.
