Fans outraged after Paddy Power offers odds on late footballer Ugo Ehiogu

Bookmaker Paddy Power has apologised after it included the late footballer Ugo Ehiogu in the odds to become the next manager of Birmingham City.

Following the sacking of Harry Redknapp on Saturday, the gambling firm included Ehiogu’s name in a list of potential managers to take over the Blues’ hot seat.

On 21 April, Ehiogu died after suffering a cardiac arrest at Tottenham’s training ground, where he was a coach with the north London club’s under-23 team. He was 44.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Odds of 66/1 were available on Ehiogu for about five minutes before the betting firm realised its mistake.

After a report in the Irish Examiner, Paddy Power issued a statement via the Press Association. A spokesman from the firm said: “This was a genuine error, a trader re-used an old market as a template for this one, and didn’t notice that Mr Ehiogu was included.

“Obviously, that was a mistake, one which was rectified as soon as it was spotted, within minutes.

“We would like to apologise to Mr Ehiogu’s family if they did see the tweet. It was obviously a mistake and no offence was meant.”

Football fans on social media hit out at Paddy Power for its mistake, with supporters saying the company “should be ashamed”.

One fan says he will never use Paddy Power again.

The lowest of lows says another supporter.

Shame on them for a sick joke.