Ethan Conway, a Welshman from Mountain Ash, narrowly missed out on an extraordinary £800,000 football bet win by cashing out just a few minutes too early.
On the final day of the 2023-24 Premier League season, May 19, the 24-year-old scaffolder placed a £219 bet on three specific match results.
Ethan’s predictions for Brighton to lose 0-2 to Manchester United, Liverpool to win 2-0 against Wolves, and Sheffield United to fall 0-3 to Tottenham Hotspur were spot on.
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After Diogo Dalot scored the first goal for Manchester United, putting them ahead 1-0, Ethan decided to cash out, securing £5,130 with just 15 minutes left in the game.
Initially ecstatic about his winnings, Ethan’s joy turned to dismay when Rasmus Hojlund scored Manchester United’s second goal in the 88th minute, completing the exact prediction. Had he waited for that second goal, Ethan would have won an incredible £814,000 from his 3717/1 bet.
The realization of how close he came to such a life-changing amount left Ethan feeling devastated. “I was just tamping, really.
Just heartbroken – disbelief if anything,” he expressed. “I was looking at new cars, new houses, but obviously it’s a different story now. My family and friends were in disbelief too, but they were happy about the five grand win.”
A dedicated Liverpool supporter, Ethan often watches football and regularly bets on matches every weekend. This was the first time he had experienced such significant luck, having won £5,000.
“I just had a rough guess and it just came in. Just pure luck,” he said.
Ethan intends to save his winnings and has no plans to place any more bets in the near future. “I’ve come out of it now. I’ve just won that and run,” he laughed.
“I probably will [bet again] but not yet. I’ll have to get over this one first. It’s just the 50/50 chance of it – you either cash out or you don’t. I’m just gutted really.”
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