Bookies William Hill have ordered staff not to accept more bets after the caretaker manager was heavily backed on Wednesday.

A spokesman said: "We received a succession of large bets for Burton in the space of 10 minutes so head office took the decision to suspend betting immediately."

She described the bets as "three figures" and with Burton originally priced at 10-1, the bookies could have been facing heavy losses.

Ladbrokes is also refusing to offer prices on who will be the permanent successor to Egil Olsen.

A spokesman said: "It's for one major reason - there are people out there who know more about it than we do."

Burton, who has been with Wimbledon in various roles since being appointed by Bobby Gould 12 years ago, has already admitted that he would love to be handed the manager's job on a permanent basis.

And the chances of him being appointed were strengthened on Wednesday when original favourite Aage Hareide and former manager Joe Kinnear ruled themselves out of the running for the post.

Hareide, a former Norwich City player, said he had no intention of breaking his contract with Brondby, which runs until 2002.

And Kinnear said: "I had some fantastic times there but I'm looking at something further afield. I've two offers on the table and I'm now considering them."

Two other front-runners, Vinnie Jones and John Fashanu, came under fire from the club for comments they had made in recent days.

Wimbledon co-owner Bjorn Rune Gjelsten appeared to dismiss any possibility of either getting the job when he said: "The Crazy Gang days were wonderful for this club, but they are in the past.

"We want to build up the club and look to the future and we will only make a decision on a new manager at the end of the season."

Few tears as Olsen gets boot

At the press conference when he was unveiled as the new Dons manager last summer, Egil Olsen told the assembled press corps that if things didn't work out for him at Wimbledon it was OK, as he still had a large house back in Norway.

Even the most vociferous critics of the Olsen regime at Wimbledon will have been surprised that he will be returning there having managed the Dons for less than a year, with two games still to play this season.

But there will be few tears shed by the Wimbledon faithful as the man who has come to epitomise Wimbledon's lacklustre season returns to his native Norway.

The rumblings of discontent in the Wimbledon camp had been increasing in volume and frequency since January, as both players and fans continued to fail to come to grips with Olsen's managerial and tactical style.

The zonal defence, the long term exile of Michael Hughes and Olsen's aloof style when dealing with the press meant that doubts over his future were present since Christmas.

But as long as Wimbledon stayed up, perhaps Olsen's protestations that the club could rebuild and come back stronger next season may have held true.

But Wimbledon's two month dalliance with the drop zone became something altogether more serious on Sunday, after a 3-0 defeat to Bradford at Valley Parade moved Wimbledon into the Premiership's relegation zone for the first time in three seasons.

The defeat leaves them in the bottom three of the table, needing favours from other clubs to survive.

At the press conference last Monday to announce Olsen's departure, Wimbledon chairman Bjorne Rune Gjelsten announced: "Relegation is not an option."

But, unfortunately, for the Wimbledon fans relegation is very much an option if Bradford win their last two games.

However, if the players and fans get behind new boss Terry Burton, then perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The main candidates to fill Egil's wellies

MICK HARFORD

Pros: Current coach and former player. Knows the club inside out and could regenerate that Crazy Gang spirit.

Cons: No experience as the main man.

LAWRIE SANCHEZ

Pros: Dons hero, having scored the winner in the 1988 cup final. Has made a promising start to managerial career.

Cons: Just a year's managerial experience at Wycombe.

JOHN FASHANU

Pros: Wimbledon legend from his playing days and has a high profile.

Cons: No managerial experience and his comments have been criticised by the club's owners.

JOE KINNEAR

Pros: Hugely successful seven-year stint as Dons manager.

Cons: Would find it hard to work for the Norwegians again and has ruled himself out.

ROBBIE EARLE

Pros: Intelligent, current club captain. Would definitely be good for the club's PR.

Cons: Who knows whether he could cut it as a manager.

VINNIE JONES

Pros: The face of the club's old Crazy Gang image.

Cons: Not wanted by the Norwegians - and it would get in the way of his Hollywood career.

AAGE HAREIDE

Pros: Led Helsingborg to the Swedish championship last year.

Cons: Says he doesn't want the job. Another Norwegian appointment would not be popular with the fans.

STEVE COTTERILL

Pros: Has led newly promoted Cheltenham Town to the edge of the Third Division play-offs. Former Dons player.

Cons: Short of experience in the big time.

PETER TAYLOR

Pros: Excellent record with England under 21s and Gillingham.

Cons: Has only been with the Gills for a year and may want to finish the job.

DANNY WILSON

Pros: Highly-rated young manager who led Barnsley into the Premiership.

Cons: Relegated with Barnsley and he was sacked with Sheffield Wednesday heading for the drop.

ROY EVANS

Pros: Currently a coach at nearby Fulham and highly respected within the game.

Cons: Was unable to work in tandem with Frenchman Gerard Houllier at Liverpool so could he cope with the Norwegians?

MICKY ADAMS

Pros: The Brighton manager is regarded as one of the game's brightest young bosses.

Cons: Has had a trail of bad luck at Fulham and Forest.