Pensioner wins £28,000 off £1 bet

Mr Fletcher correctly predicted Everton would beat West Brom 2-1

A 76-year-old man from Greater Manchester is celebrating after winning £28,000 from a £1 bet.

Francis Fletcher successfully predicted the results of 15 football matches from a £1 bet accumulator last Saturday.

And Mr Fletcher, a retired painter and decorator from Walmersley, Bury, said he could have been celebrating a £43,000 win had one more result come in.

"I knew I had won a lot but it was only when I went over the road to the bookies...I found out [how much]."

Mr Fletcher said he had to wait until the result of the final match in the Scottish Premier League was broadcast on the radio before he realised he was in the money.

Mr Fletcher's winning predictions Chelsea 2 Southampton 1 Mid'brough 2 Crystal Palace 1 Arsenal 4 Norwich 1 Aston Villa 4 Newcastle 2 Everton 2 West Bromwich 1 Tottenham 1 Birmingham 0 Millwall 1 Reading 0 Ipswich 2 Rotherham 0 Kilmarnock 1 Dunfermline 0 Luton 3 Blackpool 1 Port Vale 2 Bristol City 0 Grimsby 2 Mansfield 0 Watford 3 Plymouth 1 Hull 2 Barnsley 1 Wycombe 2 Kidderminster 0

"I went home and told my wife but she didn't believe me and thought I was pulling her leg."

He landed the windfall after placing a £1 stake on a match day accumulator bet featuring games in the Premiership, Championship and Premier League.

Mr Fletcher said he has always liked to bet, but steered clear of high-risk gambles.

"I have been gambling all my life but I don't often put more than a pound on here or there," he said.

He and wife Margaret have yet to decide on how to spend their winnings, but are considering splashing out on a new car or holiday.