Huntly in Scottish Cup betting probe

HUNTLY FC were today dragged into a betting scandal involving their Scottish Cup first round tie.

Police were investigating claims that their opponents, Hawick Royal Albert, rigged the result, which was a 7-0 victory for the Highland League side.

Huntly have insisted their innocence in the matter, and will help the authorities as they probe the allegations.

Huntly Director of Football, Andrew Troup, said today: “Huntly Football Club are totally innocent of any wrong-doing.

“We know absolutely nothing of these allegations and will co-operate fully with any investigation made by the Scottish Football Association or the police.”

The allegations centre around claims the East of Scotland League side’s players and fans made large bets on Hawick to lose by the exact scoreline of 7-0, which carried odds of 50/1 in bookmakers.

There are also claims that bets were lodged on Hawick conceding a penalty at some point during the tie, which had odds of 3/1.

A penalty was awarded to Huntly in the 22nd minute when defender Gavin Watson tipped a shot over the bar with his right hand.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokeswoman today said: “We received a complaint and are currently carrying out an investigation into the matter.”