YORK punters were on to a good thing when it came to picking the next Sunderland manager, bookie William Hill revealed today.

Its shops in the city took a string of bets on former Leeds boss Howard Wilkinson to take over the hot seat at the Black Cats - with two gamblers raking in £6,600 after placing £100 bets at 66/1.

Wilkinson's appointment at the Stadium of Light was a complete surprise to many, with Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy having been the clear favourite.

Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe said the biggest bet was one of £120 at 14/1. But he confirmed that two £100 bets at 66/1 were taken, as well as scores of smaller wagers at prices from 66/1 down to 10/1.

"It looks like we were wrong-footed by a smaller gamble on Mick McCarthy, which caused us to close our book - fortunately, as it transpired, because it meant we took no more bets on Howard Wilkinson," he said.

"Yet again this highlights the problems of betting on management jobs - there inevitably comes a point at which the punters know more than the bookies."

Wilkinson revealed that he had been approached to take the Sunderland job on Monday night, almost immediately after former boss Peter Reid was fired.

The flurry of York bets was a mystery to staff at Hill's, but Mr Sharpe said that he didn't think anything was untoward.

He said: "Often when we see a cluster of bets somewhere it's because people learn something and tell their mates.

"But bets have to be taken somewhere, and we will take those kind of bets."

Updated: 11:07 Friday, October 11, 2002