By Martin Morgan

Published at 11:26, Thursday, 06 September 2012

A PROBE was launched into rumours of illegal betting in Cumbria ahead of Workington Town’s defeat at Gateshead Thunder last week.

The Rugby Football League referred the matter to the Gambling Commission to investigate, as a matter of course, after learning of the rumours.

But the investigation has unearthed no evidence of any wrong-doing. Once a referral is made, the commission speaks to bookmakers to check for any suspicious betting activity around a match. If there had been any irregular betting patterns concerning the game, the Gambling Commission would have been in touch,” said an RFL spokesman.

“It suggests there’s nothing in it apart from the west Cumbrian rumour mill being in overdrive.”

Thunder went in to the game as huge underdogs after going 64 games against professional opposition without a win.

But Town were under-strength on Tyneside, with players sidelined by injury and suspension. Many others had to play out of position, with long-term injured pair Stephen Dawes and Daniel Rooney named on the bench to make up the required 17 but with no chance of being able to take part.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk