SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The relationship between the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and its main sponsor Ladbrokes appears to be at odds, as the governing body ordered an official probe regarding the publishing of odds that Aberdeen FC manager Derek McInnes was ready to leave the club.
Aberdeen FC officials reacted angrily to the news published by Ladbrokes PR department that it had stopped taking bets on McInnes being the next SPL manager to lose/quit his job.
The bookmaker had than installed McInnes as 4/1 favourite to replace Gordon Strachan as Scotland national team manager.
Club officials have expressed to Scottish news sources that they felt they had been embroiled in a cynical marketing campaign led by Ladbrokes, as the club enters a critical juncture in this seasons SPL championship which it currently leads.
SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster has been asked to ‘step-in’ and defuse the situation between the two parties.
Sources close to Aberdeen FC, have stated that team management and club governance are angry that the title sponsor of the SPL would undermine its title challenge by publishing such allegations concerning its manager.
Aberdeen FC released an official club statement claiming that the rumours of its McInnes leaving were without substance.
Current SPL leaders Aberdeen FC are looking to win their first Scottish championship title since the 1984-85 season, which they won under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson
