Dozens of football fans are thousands of pounds richer after a high street bookmaker underestimated a player's goalscoring talents.

Adam Virgo cost the bookies when he scored the first away goal for Brighton and Hove Albion against Leicester City on Bank Holiday Monday.

Ladbrokes priced him at 33-1 to score the first goal when he was in the team as a defender.

A last-minute switch before the game put him up front as a striker but Ladbrokes forgot to tell their five shops in Leicester city centre.

Fans spotted the odds and realised they could cash in.

Ladbrokes spokesman Robin Hutchison said: "We have to hold our hands up on this one - we got well and truly filled in."

Albion won 1-0 and Ladbrokes yesterday revealed their underestimation of the 21 year-old's goalscoring abilities cost them between £5,000 and £10,000.

Some fans are donating their winnings to the £2 million appeal to keep the club in business.

One lucky punter was Phil Bell, the general manager of Brighton Racecourse, who won £330 from a £10 bet.

He was with a party of Albion fans on a stag weekend.

He said: "We thought the odds were so good, we all put on a bet. Between six of us we won £2,000."

Brighton-born Virgo is a product of Albion's youth policy and is sometimes referred to as Sir Adam because of his private school education.

BBC Southern Counties phone-in host Ian Hart, who did not have time to put on a bet, said: "It is nice to think people have won out of the Albion winning and Sir Adam scoring."

Tonight, Virgo will continue up front against Wolves at the Withdean but the odds of him scoring the first goal are a less generous 3-1.