Higgins-heckler incident. Where can I see it?

[sharkster63]

I think it's funny everyone is willing to accept a News of the World video as fact, especially after all the phone hacking scandals etc. I'd rather trust that the independent tribunal with more evidence, the full unedited video etc to make a more fair and educated decision on it than the youtube keyboard warriors.

It sounds like you might be a Lawyer, the fact remains that most poeple think that he was guilty and got off easy.

[lawrywild]

It sounds like you might be a Lawyer, the fact remains that most poeple think that he was guilty and got off easy.

lol, I'm an engineer actually but anyway, I just rewatched the NOTW video and it still is very shocking but all I'm saying is that we all know less than what the tribunal did so they were in a better position to make the decision than we are.

[mattandbenny]

What did the heckler say?

[lawrywild]

What did the heckler say?

"How did you swallow the 300,000 John? We all know what you did. You're a disgrace to Snooker."

[beechy1212]

It was always going to happen and it's probably for the best that it did. However, it certainly doesn't need to be shouted out like that again. It's done with now. Whatever everyone thinks, it's time to move on.

[BikiniKill]

I was a little surprised that this is the first time it has come up. The way it has been brushed under the carpet by the BBC etc is a little disconcerting.

I will be quite annoyed if Higgins wins this. The video was there, we've all seen it, and you can't really dispute what he is seen doing on it. I was thinking last night that it would have been better if the paper had held onto the story for a few weeks to see if he really did engineer the scoreline that was agreed upon for money. That way he really wouldn't have had an excuse, world number one or not.

[BikiniKill]

Though I do agree with the poster above mine. It really is time to move on, but that doesn't stop our opinions of Higgins being coloured by it.

[Sayaka]

"How did you swallow the 300,000 John? We all know what you did. You're a disgrace to Snooker."

There was also a remark to the Crucible audience in general along the lines of "How can you sit there and watch?"

[Odrl]

I was thinking last night that it would have been better if the paper had held onto the story for a few weeks to see if he really did engineer the scoreline that was agreed upon for money. That way he really wouldn't have had an excuse, world number one or not.

Well, that was never really an option, was it? The tournament in question was a fictional one, which Higgins and Mooney were trying to organize with the help of the people these journalists were pretending to be. So the match Higgins was supposed to lose frames in never really existed.

[BikiniKill]

Well, that was never really an option, was it? The tournament in question was a fictional one, which Higgins and Mooney were trying to organize with the help of the people these journalists were pretending to be. So the match Higgins was supposed to lose frames in never really existed.

Oh, I knew that it was a tournament outside the main events, but I didn't realise that it was a 'yet to be made up' event.

[gavpowell]

Plus he agreed to lose individual frames, not a particular score so far as I recall. And given the NOTW had edited the video very heavily, that they refused to make the unedioted footage public, that they invented lines on the subtitles that were never said and that an ex-Scotland Yard detective found enough evidence to suggest Higgins' side of the story was true, or at least that the NOTW's account was not accurate, I don't see the point in assuming his guilt. It went to an independent tribunal and he was essentially exonerated. If you're going to believe everything a tabloid tells you, you're going to have a difficult time of things.

[beechy1212]

Are you trying to tell us the News of the World is gutter press? lol

Seriously and only my personal opinion is that Higgins got off lightly. The punishment should have been a bit harsher. Maybe a season ban. Mainly because he didn't report it. Everything else is guess work. The video looked like he was nailed but then the full version wasn't made public. That smacks of 'stitch up' straight away.

This wasn't a kangaroo court. A lot of time went into this judgement and imo, that verdict should be accepted so the game can move on.

[BikiniKill]

People are not going to easily change their minds about this. I don't believe for one second that he felt intimidated into ANYTHING. I'd like to see the full thing, but what was on video was pretty damning. He was worried about how to swallow the money! I took it that he was inexperienced at this cheating lark and trying to be cocky, but he wasn't scared. He mananged to make Mooney a scapegoat and escape unscathed, as not everyone wants to believe that their world number 1 (at the time) would be such a shady guy. It has forever coloured how I look at him, and I do not support him one bit.

[mick 142]

should of been band for life .

[Le Ball Sack]

He should be stripped of all world titles.