That will teach me!

3:20pm Thursday 21st August 2008

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ARSENAL’S losing streak last season cost a young Swindon fan more than blushes for his favourite team.

Matthew Graver, 13, of Liddington Street, bet his hairdresser and Manchester United fan Deb Smith of the Simply Red salon in The Circle, Pinehurst, that his team would win the league.

As a forfeit he had agreed to do a day’s work for free in the hairdressers.

And unfortunately, when his team failed to deliver at the end of the season, only coming in third, he had to follow through.

Deb, who is an Old Trafford season ticket holder, said: “We had a laugh about it and it’s just a bit of fun.

“We always have a bit of banter and we had a little bet who would beat who last season.”

Deb is friends with Matthew’s mum and he gets his haircut there every six weeks. She had agreed to give Matthew some free haircuts if Arsenal won the Premier League.

Instead he spent his Saturday tidying the salon and making coffee for the staff.

Due to health and safety he was not allow to do much work and never got near any customer’s hair.

However, on the day he was also given responsibility for a raffle and helped raise £100 for Prospect Hospice on the salon’s behalf.

Deb said: “He was good, he really joined in though he was a bit shy to start off with.”

Now the pair have made a new bet for this year, which will be based on how many trophies the teams get – with similar forfeits.

Deb said: “I said ‘we’ll see you in here next year Matthew’ and had a bit of a joke with him.”

Matthew said: “I am a really big Arsenal fan but I don’t know what happened at the end of last season.

“I was worried that I’d have to go and work in the hair salon. I really didn’t want to work there, but it wasn’t too bad. I just made coffee and did some bits and pieces.

“This year I have bet that Arsenal will win more silverware and I think that’s a safe bet. We have a strong team and Fabregas is such a good player.”