Heartbreak for scaffolder as 'worst cash out of all time' costs him £800,000 on final day of Premier League

The moment Ethan Conway realised he'd narrowly missed out on £800,000
-Credit: (Image: Kieran Hawkins)


A punter was agonisingly close to bagging a massive £800,000 from a football bet but cashed out too soon.

Ethan Conway placed a £219 wager on three exact scores for the final day of the 2023-24 Premier League season on Sunday (May 19). The 24 year old scaffolder had astutely forecasted Brighton's 0-2 defeat to Manchester United, Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Wolves, and Sheffield United's 0-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, after Diago Dalot netted the opener for Man United, Ethan opted for caution and cashed out £5,130 with just 15 minutes left on the clock. He was initially ecstatic about his substantial win - that is until Rasmus Hojlund doubled United's lead in the 88th minute.

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Had he held out for those few extra minutes, he would have scooped an eye-watering £814,000 from the 3717/1 bet. Ethan was understandably devastated when he realised how close he came to a life-altering windfall.

"I was just tamping, really. Just heartbroken disbelief if anything," he told WalesOnline. "I was looking at new cars, new houses, but obviously it's a different story now.

"[My family and friends] were in disbelief as well. But obviously they're happy that I won the five grand."

Despite being a Liverpool fan and a regular football watcher who bets on games most weekends, this was the first time Ethan struck gold, winning as much as £5,000. "I just had a rough guess and it just came in. Just pure luck," he remarked.

He has plans to save his winnings and laughed off the idea of placing another bet anytime soon. "I've come out of it now. I've just won that and run," he chuckled.

"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."