LONDON: Frank Lampard`s `goal` against Germany in their World Cup last 16 match on Sunday may have been mistakenly ruled as not having crossed the line, but England`s bookmakers have decided to pay out on it in any case.

Ladbrokes will pay out on their popular `Geoff Hurst special market` which had odds of 10/1 on an England goal going in off the crossbar like the iconic goal by England`s hat-trick scorer from the 1966 final against West Germany - which has continually been the source of a debate of whether the ball was over the line or not.

"It was the most popular special market prior to kick off. Everyone bar Geoff Hurst was on," said a Ladbrokes spokesman.
"Everybody could see that it was in - apart from the men that mattered most."
William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe said that it would cost his firm over 100,000 pounds.

"Even (FIFA chief) Sepp Blatter knows Lampard scored so we have already begun paying out to punters who backed him to do so at odds of 10/3," said Hill`s spokesman Graham Sharpe. "It will cost us a six figure sum."

BDST: 2119hrs, June 27, 2010
SA