Sometimes irony can be cruel. Pinnacle Casino is one of West Ham United’s main sponsors as they fight relegation from the Premiership but its emerged gambling is ruining the club from the inside.

Recently winger Matthew Etherington announced that he is being counseled at the Sporting Chance clinic in Hampshire.

He said “I have made a personal decision to take steps to tackle a gambling problem, which has developed in recent times."

He added: "I would like to thank my family for their incredible support during this time, all of my team-mates at West Ham and manager Alan Curbishley for their understanding.
"As anyone who has suffered an addiction illness will know, this is not a problem that will disappear overnight and the Sporting Chance clinic is playing a key role in my recovery."

However Ethrington’s problem is not unique for the hammers players.
Northern Ireland keeper Roy Carroll has also sought specialist help recently to combat a gambling habit.

It seems high stakes gambling is rife at Upton Park leading to players falling out with each other and some losing as much as £50,000 in card games on coaches to away games. 
One player told the Guardian newspaper “ I've never seen anything like it in my career. It's one big mess here, the atmosphere is terrible, people don't talk to each other.

Players are losing 30, 40 and 50 thousand pounds sometimes. By the time we arrive one player owes another and it's terrible for the team and morale. They are always playing cards.”

A West Ham spokesman said “The club is aware of the fact that gambling is an area of concern and the manager has made clear that it must stop. Steps have been taken to eradicate this in the team environment.”

Languishing in the bottom three of the Premiership it seems players would be better served putting the cards down and pulling the socks up.