The day when former world number one, John Higgins was suspended from Snooker for match-fixing
Former world number one player John Higgins, who has been a three-time world champion, was suspended by the World Professional Billiard Snooker Association (WPBSA) on May 2, 2010.
Allegations on him were of match fixing. It was alleged that the outcome of four frames were decided for a value of 261,000 pounds, which were to be played in 2010.
John Higgins was suspended until further notice from the World Professional Billiard Snooker Association, in the wake of the allegations.
A News of the World report said that they had a video of John Higgins and his manager Pot Mooney for fixing the outcome of a specific frame in four matches. The newspaper video showed reportedly John Higgins and Pot Mooney having a deal with an undercover
cop in Kiev, Ukraine and agreeing on this that they are going to alter the outcome of four frames.
Higgins gave a statement that ‘his conscience was 100 percent clear.’ He also said that he has been playing snooker professionally for the last 18 years and has never missed any shot, frame or a match, intentionally.
Pot Mooney himself resigned from the board of snooker’s governing body and the WPBSA accepted it.
Pot Mooney said to the media that they were in real danger for their life and no one has any idea of what circumstances were they facing there. This comment was also supported by Higgins.
Higgins said that when he was told to do so, he just wanted to get out of the hotel room and go to home.
Berry Hearn, chief of the world snooker, said to the media that if anyone is going to be found guilty in this regard, he is going to get a lifetime ban, as he will not let the game die because of these things.
Hearn while discussing it all on radio said that he had made Higgins aware about the serious repercussions on this, if provided by the disciplinary council of the WPBSA.
The chairman of the world snooker in a conversation with Higgins over the phone said to him that his whole career could be in real danger, if this was proven.
Former world champion Dennis Taylor also demanded a lifetime ban for Higgins if he was found guilty. Taylor said that anyone any convicted personality should be thrown out of the game, as the integrity of the game was at stake.
Taylor also said that he knows Higgins since he was first started playing snooker professionally and never found him doing such a thing. He said this matter should be seen closely in this regard. Furthermore he also said that he does not believe that
Berry Hearn is going to walk away from world snooker because of this.
Higgins on the other side blamed Russian mafia for all this. He said, “I doubt may be Russian mafia was after all this happening and when I came to know about the discussions that were developing in Kiev, I just wanted to get out of the Russia.”
John Higgins also commented about his love for the game and said that all of his fans and the people, who know him, know how much he loves the game. He also said, “I would never do anything which could be reason to ruin my career and this lovely game,
which he loves the most.”
Higgins was cleared of any wrongdoings by an independent tribunal, however, he was handed a six-month ban and a 75,000-pound fine for failing to report the approach made by News of the World.
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