As bets go it was a no-brainer.

Wayne Shaw’s propensity for pie-eating goes back as far as his career.

In 1999 he told the Daily Echo he was already being goaded with chants of ‘who ate all the pies,’ and said of a match at Kidsgrove in the Vase: “I was stood by the penalty spot when a chicken and mushroom pie landed right next to me in the mud.

“I picked it up and took it back to the crowd and told them they should have given it to me instead of throwing it - then I could have eaten it!”

He went on to say: “It seems strange that every crowd seems to think that they are the first to bait me,” and added that despite playing alongside Le Tiss, Benali and Shearer on Dave Merrington’s “all-conquering” Saints Youth side he was let go from the Dell because he was “too big.”

Now more than 4,000 signatures have been added to an online petition calling for Sutton United to reinstate the goalie after his dismissal for eating a pie - when he knew that there were bets placed at odds of 8-1 of him tucking in at half time.

The Guido Fawkes website set up the petition on Tuesday afternoon, and just 24 hours later the figure had reached 4,089.

Comments in support of the popular player include “Wayne is the nicest guy I’ve met and he’s Mr Sutton,” and “The guy is not Sam Allardyce, get real. Do the honourable thing, Sutton United.”

And Shaw’s support even stretches to ex-Chelsea player Vinnie Jones, who told ITV’s This Morning that he sees ‘piegate’ as nothing more than a good joke.

He said: “This little bet that’s gone on here for a gag has gone all out of proportion. I think it’s a great laugh - I think fair play to the fella it’s brought joy to everybody apart from those that be - they’re making a meal out of it and that’s not a gag there.

“I think he should get an OBE or something. Or another pie. One of the two. If he don’t get paid out I’ll pay him.”