Wayne Shaw has left Sutton United amid controversy for a second time following his antics during last night's FA Cup defeat against Arsenal.

The Football Association is investigating whether Sutton's reserve goalkeeper and community liaison officer broke betting rules after eating a pie/pasty in the dugout during Monday's 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.

Totton-based Shaw, who revealed his role at Sutton has helped him in his battle against depression in this exclusive Sports Pink interview last weekend, admitted after the game he knew a bookmaker was offering odds on him being seen eating during the televised fifth-round meeting with the Gunners.

The 46 year-old, who parted company with Sutton in December 2013 after confronting supporters who heckled him during a Surrey Cup match, has been one of only two full-time staff at Gander Green Lane for the last 18 months. 

But Sutton have responded to the controversy by releasing the following statement: "Wayne Shaw has resigned from his role at Sutton United following the events of last evening and subsequent publicity.

"He has said that he 'fully understands the club's position regarding this matter.'  

"We are naturally disappointed that Wayne's time with us should end in this manner, and would like to thank him for his contribution to the club and wish him well for the future."

Sutton manager Paul Doswell, Shaw's friend for more than 30 years, said: “We like to do things in a professional manner at this club and what happened last night did not portray us in a very professional manner.

“It’s a honest mistake. Wayne’s a lovely man but he’s been swept along with things and he’s been ill-advised – now he has paid the price.

“It’s been a very sobering morning for me. What happened with Wayne has taken the spotlight away from the players, and I feel sorry for the players.”

Speaking to Sky News, Doswell continued: "This decision was taken at board level.

"We felt we had to take very strong actions. The chairman spoke to him this afternoon and Wayne offered his resignation.

"I'm devastated, the chairman is devastated. I have spoken to Wayne and the guy is in tears, crying down the phone. It is a very sad situation."

Daily Echo:

With Sun Bets tweeting that they had paid out a "five-figure sum" on the bet, the FA will now launch an inquiry to determine whether Shaw has breached its gambling regulations.

"We are investigating to establish whether there has been any breach of The FA rules relating to betting," an FA spokesperson said.

Before resigning, Shaw responded to the criticism on his Twitter account, which has swelled in the last 24 hours to more than 9,000 followers, by saying he had not been eating a pie.

The Gambling Commission announced earlier on Tuesday it would be conducting its own investigation into whether Sun Bets had breached its licence requirement by offering such a bet in the first instance.

Shaw made plenty of headlines in the build-up to the game but, his antics could now prove to sour the occasion for the National League outfit.

Sutton chairman Bruce Elliott, referring to Shaw, said that the "fame has gone to his head" following the pie-eating stunt while the Gambling Commission announced they will be looking into whether Sun Bets breached their licence requirement.

"Integrity in sport is not a joke and we have opened an investigation to establish exactly what happened," Richard Watson, the commission's enforcement and intelligence director, said in a statement.

"As part of that we'll be looking into any irregularity in the betting market and establishing whether the operator has met its licence requirement to conduct its business with integrity."

The FA has yet to announce its own intentions to investigate whether the association's betting rules have been breached by Shaw - who did admit after the game that he believes some people placed money on the 8-1 on offer for him to be shown eating a pie in the dugout during the match.

"A few of the lads said to me earlier on what is going on with the 8-1 about eating a pie," he said.

"I said 'I don't know I have eaten nothing all day so I might give it a go later on'.

"As I say Sun Bets had me at 8-1 to eat a pie. I thought I would give them a bit of banter and let's do it. All the subs were on and we were 2-0 down.

"I went and got it at half time from the kitchen, I had it all prepared and ready to go. It was meat and potato.

"I think there were a few people (who backed it). Obviously we are not allowed to bet. I think a few of the mates and a few of the fans. It was just a bit of banter for them. It is something to make the occasion as well and you can look back and say it was part of it and we got our ticket money back."

Speaking on Tuesday morning, Elliott said the 20st goalkeeper would need to be brought back down to earth following the stunt.

"If you knew the roly poly goalkeeper you probably wouldn't be very surprised. But Wayne is a top man," he told BBC Radio 5Live.

"I didn't know anything about it. He has got himself in the papers again and the fame obviously has gone to his head a little bit, but we will soon bring him back down to earth, don't worry about that.

Doswell was also unhappy after a big night in the club's history.

"Wayne has become a global superstar on the back of being 20 stone," he said.

"He's made that a chance to get more media coverage off the back of it. It wouldn't surprise me. I don't think it shows us in the best light.''

Sun Bets tweeted that it had paid out a "five-figure sum" after Shaw's pie-eating antics.

Meanwhile, Shaw returned home this morning, after an appearance on breakfast television with Piers Morgan, to meet youngsters at an AFC Totton half-term football camp.