Coleen reprises 'Wagatha' for Paddy Power refund blitz

Paddy Power has drafted in Coleen Rooney  to use her “Wagatha Christie” powers of investigation to put right Manchester City’s dodgy financial dealings.

In a new campaign, Wayne’s missus calls on the bookie to deliver a record-breaking “Justice Refund” for every punter who has placed a bet on a team that finished second to City since the start of their FFP woes in 2011.

Spanning 14 years, with the Justice Refund covering eight seasons in total, more than 100,000 punters who backed Manchester United to win the league in 2011/12, 2017/18 and 2020/21, Liverpool (2013/14, 2018/19 and 2021/22) and Arsenal (2022/23 and 2023/24) will all have their stakes returned despite an official verdict into City’s alleged 115 financial charges yet to be announced.

In the video spot, Coleen takes a knowing look to the camera and then dives headfirst into some of the nation’s most pressing and troubling issues, such as whether nothing does, in fact, beat a Jet2 holiday, as well as Arsenal fans’ (latest) refereeing conspiracy theories.

She also sniffs out a phone call praising VAR from a ‘Mr Howard Wobb’ before going for the jugular. She then moves swiftly on to present her findings on City’s FFP trial and delivers her own verdict – that if the game’s authorities won’t sort it out, Paddy Power will.

She says: “Fans invest so much into football, emotionally and financially, and sometimes it feels like they don’t get much back. This was a fun way to shine a light on that, while actually giving something back to the people who make the game what it is.”

Paddy Power the man added: “This FFP investigation has been dragging on for years and years, with fans being left completely in the dark. So, if those running the game won’t get it sorted, we thought it was about time someone stood up on the side of supporters.

“That’s why we’ve issued our biggest-ever Justice Refund, to give something back to those fans who have been waiting, and waiting, for any white smoke on the investigation to emerge from the Premier League.”

The seven-figure Justice Refund is almost double the largest amount Paddy Power has ever given back to punters. The previous highest amount came at the 2022 World Cup when Cristiano Ronaldo claimed a goal for Portugal that was officially given to Bruno Fernandes – only for Paddy to overrule and settle it as a goal and a shot on target.