And finally…judge backs betting firm over £250,000 Rangers relegation punt

In 2011 Arthur Kinloch, 72 of Slimshill Road, Glasgow was given odds of 2,500 to 1 by Coral Racing for his bet that the Ibrox club would be relegated from the SPL.

In February the following year the club went into administration, setting in motion a series of events that would result in liquidation and the club reduced to playing in the lowest tier of the Scottish senior leagues in the SFL.

However, Coral refused to pay out on the bet that Mr Kinloch, himself a former bookmaker, placed on September 5, 2011 at its branch in Tollcross Road, Glasgow.

Mr Kinloch challenged the decision at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

His betting slip read: “From SPL – Rangers to be relegated”, the local Herald newspaper has reported.

He insisted relegation meant an SPL side started the next season in a lower league but Coral argued relegation was defined as going down only one league on points, according to league rules.

It said Rangers Football Club Plc sold its one share in the SPL to Sevco Scotland following the sale of assets by administrators, which required the approval of at least eight members of the SPL and the application was refused, making it no longer eligible to play in the top tier. It then applied to join the SFL and was permitted to come into the lowest league.

Lord Bannatyne said: “It would be impossible for a betting business to be run without reference to the rules of the sports.”

He said he was persuaded that the sound construction of the bet placed was that advanced by the betting firm, adding: “Accordingly, on this construction of the pursuer’s bet, it is a losing bet.”