Ssb - stephen lee arrested in match fixing probe

[Mr Snooker]

Any chance I can find the Francisco v White match on You Tube or anywhere on the internet please post links if you know of anywhere, I did have the match on video and remember peter Missing the green to get his third frame on the board.

avideo

Silvino's nephew, Peter Fransico lost 10 - 2 to Jimmy at the World Champs, got caught for match fixing and received a 5 year ban, that ultimately mean't he couldn't come back through the rankings. I've got the match on video, but will probably never watch it again as it's so painfully obvious, that after the 2 frames Fransisco gets (presumably to meet the requirements of his betting friends) he just in't trying despite Jimmy's best efforts to hand him several frames on a plate. (one frame I remember ended up a black ball finish, and any half- decent amateur would have won that frame)

Following this match the WPBSA mounted a thorough investigation, Jimmy was totally exhonorated, Fransisco banned from playing.

I don't condone any of this sort of thing. It gives our fantastic game a bad name and lowers it to the level of Football and Horse Racing.

I hope Lee is innocent and gets a fair hearing. As has been stated, the cannabis thing is a red herring, dont let that colour your opinions as smoking weed doesn't help you clear up on a snooker table.

If he's proven to be guilty, then throw him out with Quinten Hann et al.

Quinten Hann: "If I practised, I'd be the best player in the world"
Ronnie O'Sullivan: "I dont practise and I am the best player in the world!"

[cazmac1]

No one is forcing any body to play snooker; every body knows how much money is in the game at moment or lack of it. So if a professional can't make a living he simply has two option's pack the game in and get full time job to support his family and himself or find a job that will allow him to do both. The truth of the matter is these guys most properly thing there above working.
Cheating is not an option. I'm not directing my comments at any one player but what I would say is that for someone to be call in because of betting irregularities there is going to lots and lots of smoke. Proving that any individual has involved means having real evidence, that can stand up in a court of law and unless the player or people involved with the fraud hold there hands up, I can't see how any charges could be brought and made to stick. So I don't expect there to be any charges in any of the alleged rigged matches.

[magicman]

cazmac1 No one is forcing any body to play snooker; every body knows how much money is in the game at moment or lack of it. So if a professional can't make a living he simply has two option's pack the game in and get full time job to support his family and himself or find a job that will allow him to do both. The truth of the matter is these guys most properly thing there above working.

Unless you've been talented enough or educated enough to work in a high paying job then you have no idea what it must be like to suddenly have financial problems. I'm not condoning cheating in any way, but with a cv that reads professional snooker player what full time job do you really think they're going to get? If they somehow managed to get a 'full time job' (what makes you think snooker is not full time?) at a wage twenty/thirty times less than they're used to, how will this pay their mortgage? Bills etc? Plus when are they supposed to practice to maintain their career? Or do they just give it up and settle for their new employment earning a fraction of what they're used to? BTW I think you meant 'these guys most probably think they're above working. What you're suggesting here is the equivalent of me saying to you - give up your current job, desperately hunt round for another at less than £1 an hour and work for 9-10 hrs a day at it. It won't cover your mortgage/rent or your bills, it won't pay for your kids private education, their holidays, your wife's perfume, your beer, or pretty much anything else but do it anyway or you think too much of yourself.

[gerbisto]

Unless you've been talented enough or educated enough to work in a high paying job then you have no idea what it must be like to suddenly have financial problems. I'm not condoning cheating in any way, but with a cv that reads professional snooker player what full time job do you really think they're going to get? If they somehow managed to get a 'full time job' (what makes you think snooker is not full time?) at a wage twenty/thirty times less than they're used to, how will this pay their mortgage? Bills etc? Plus when are they supposed to practice to maintain their career? Or do they just give it up and settle for their new employment earning a fraction of what they're used to? BTW I think you meant 'these guys most probably think they're above working. What you're suggesting here is the equivalent of me saying to you - give up your current job, desperately hunt round for another at less than £1 an hour and work for 9-10 hrs a day at it. It won't cover your mortgage/rent or your bills, it won't pay for your kids private education, their holidays, your wife's perfume, your beer, or pretty much anything else but do it anyway or you think too much of yourself.

Perfectly placed

[vmax4steve]

Human beings cheat and lie every single day of their lives, some make a very good living at it, totally legally like footballers and politicians and bankers.
As long as betting on sport is legal, then someone is always going to throw a match at their own or someone elses behest. The mafia practically owned pro boxing in the states for decades, anyone seen Raging Bull ?
I don't care if low ranked players set up a match score in order to get a bit of money, they aren't going to win the tournament anyway. This is a problem for the bookies to sort out, they are the ones taking bets and making millions from the poor stupid saps who put their hard earned on nags, dogs and total strangers poking balls around a table with sticks.
If betting irregularities are noticed by the bookies then they have every right to stop taking bets and withdraw any payouts due, sorted, no criminal charges needed.

[ken147]

Stephen Lee also works as a car mechanic, not sure if its own company but one thinks he should be earning more from fixing cars than on the snooker pro tour judging by his bad run of results these past two seasons.

[jb134]

I think there usually has to be some decent cause for concern before the gambling commission move in.

[vmax4steve]

Stephen Lee also works as a car mechanic, not sure if its own company but one thinks he should be earning more from fixing cars than on the snooker pro tour judging by his bad run of results these past two seasons.

If it's a Toyota franchise then he should be coining it for many months to come.

[cazmac1]

Magicman I think you have missed the point I thought we were talking about players who can't make a decent living from snooker therefore resort to cheating?
If these players on the kind of wages you are talking about whats the problem?

and are also implying that professional snooker players are uneducated?

[1lawyer]

Its a shame that snooker is in such a state, only the top 16 make a decent living and compared to golf and tennis they are poor sportsmen.
They need more events and sponsors.
As for this story...I don't believe it and quite frankly even if it is true then does anyone really feel sorry for the bookmakers?:snooker:

[gerbisto]

Magicman I think you have missed the point I thought we were talking about players who can't make a decent living from snooker therefore resort to cheating?
If these players on the kind of wages you are talking about whats the problem?

and are also implying that professional snooker players are uneducated?

All sportsmen must have given their education the cold shoulder to excel in it otherwise they would only be good amateurs. Would White have succeeded had he not skipped school? Would Alex Higgins have suceeded without playing 4 hours after school instead of doing his homework?

[goldengirl]

My gripe is the timing of the investigations and arrests. The authorities are usually referring to a match months ago and yet always seem to pick the most damaging time for the player being investigated, as in the case of MacGuire & Burnett. If I was at all cynical, which I am not, you might say some people/bodies/organisations have arranged it so.
They should conclude all their enquiries within a couple od weeks of the match and either charge the player or shut up!!