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WEMBLEY builders told last night how they cashed in at the bookies — over their failure to finish the new stadium on time.
More than 60 workers placed bets after Paddy Power opened a book on whether the new stadium would be ready for the FA Cup Final on May 13.
And NONE of them wagered that building firm Multiplex would meet its deadline on the spectacular arched construction.
One electrician said: “We couldn’t believe our luck. We got jammed in the door in the rush to place bets.
“And money riding on Wembley not being ready was hardly an incentive to work harder. A couple of Australian site managers were among the biggest punters. But most of the bets were smaller, from brickies and fitters taking advantage of a guaranteed cert.
“I’m sure Multiplex would be furious if they knew what had gone on.”
The flurry of betting happened days before The Sun revealed on February 10 that some builders were using cannabis and cocaine at Wembley. We also caught drivers asleep in their cabs.
Paddy Power opened its book on the London stadium on January 30 — the day Aussie firm Multiplex revealed there was only a 70 per cent chance of it hosting the Cup.
Power branches in Wembley and nearby Ealing were caned for bets totalling around £10,000 in just two days before betting was suspended.
One of the first punters scooped £1,300 after laying out £800 at odds of 13-8.
The odds were slashed next day to 4-6. But another local punter upped his stake to £2,000 and landed £1,333.
Worried bosses cut the odds further to 1-3 before realising they were being hoodwinked.
A spokesman for the Irish bookies said yesterday: “We’ve been caught with our pants down. I suppose we should have reacted quicker when we saw men in hard hats placing big bets in the Wembley area.
“Another clue was that we didn’t take a single penny that the stadium WOULD be ready.
“It’s a fair assumption this was a scam — but we’re taking it on the chin and will pay out.
“It might not have happened if our Wembley staff had looked at the state of the site.”
Construction workers said they had known for months there was no way Multiplex could meet its deadline.
FA chiefs confirmed yesterday that the £757million stadium will not be ready following a site visit.
Chief executive Brian Barwick said builders had been unable to provide “100 per cent certainty” — so the final will now be played at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
Football League play-off finals in May will also take place in Cardiff.
The Community Shield on August 6 is now likely to be the first match beneath Wembley’s 436ft arch.
Troubled Multiplex — which yesterday laid off 150 electricians at the site — is now being fined £1million for every week of further delay.
The company declined to comment on the betting scam.
The Sun
