A 45-year-old man from Portsmouth secured a payout close to £1 million after staking £4 on a 12-fold accumulator focused entirely on match corners across 12 EFL fixtures. He selected every single game to feature over 11.5 corners, resulting in a total return of £997,385.09.

The Betfair customer explained that he and his friends usually place weekend accumulators for fun, often picking both teams to score in their group chat, but he prefers betting on corners. Having £4 left in his balance, he built his own slip with higher corner thresholds. He mentioned that he will now buy the drinks for his mates every time.

Success arrived following a surge of corners during the second half of all 12 fixtures. The winner admitted he failed to notice his victory immediately, stating he only checked roughly half an hour after the final whistles blew. As an Aston Villa supporter, he had been out watching the early match with his son before walking home through heavy rain.

"I don't know how to describe it really. It was emotional, I felt little bit sick at first making sure it was real, and then obviously the reality kicked in," he said. His wife was away when he discovered the balance, requiring her to verify the numbers upon her return. After a sleepless night considering future plans, the Villa supporter intends to clear his mortgage, purchase a new vehicle, and take his family on vacation.

Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom stated: "We are absolutely delighted for this Portsmouth punter and couldn't be happier to pay out such a large sum of money. It's an incredible amount to win on a football accumulator, congratulations from everyone at Betfair."

The winning bet

The punter won almost £1million from a 12-fold accumulator...

  • Oxford Utd v Bradford - Over 11.5 corners - 5/4
  • Reading v Barnsley - Over 11.5 corners - 7/5
  • Stevenage v MK Dons - Over 11.5 corners - 3/1
  • Doncaster v Sheff Wed - Over 11.5 corners - 7/4 - WON
  • Cambridge Utd v Plymouth - Over 11.5 corners - 31/20 - WON
  • AFC Wimbledon v Wycombe - Over 11.5 corners - 8/5 - WON
  • Notts Co v Stockport - Over 11.5 corners - 23/10 - WON
  • Burton Albion v Leyton Orient - Over 11.5 corners - 14/5 - WON
  • Bromley v Peterborough - Over 11.5 corners - 7/5 - WON
  • Preston v West Brom - Over 11.5 corners - 31/20 - WON
  • QPR v Swansea - Over 11.5 corners - 2/1 - WON
  • Blackpool v Mansfield - Over 11.5 corners - 7/4 - WON

Total odds: 249,346/1

Stake: £4

Winnings: £997,385.09