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Ssb - higgins case nearing conclusion
The WPBSA disciplinary committe is referring its investigation into allegations that John Higgins agreed to fix results for money to Sports Resolutions UK, the sports dispute resolution body that works with governing bodies but is independent of them.
A WPBSA statement said: "The WPBSA Disciplinary Committee has resolved to refer an investigation arising from the News of the World newspaper's report of May 2, 2010, which contained allegations against John Higgins and Pat Mooney, to a hearing board convened under the auspices of Sport Resolutions UK.
"David Douglas, head of the WPBSA's disciplinary committee, said: "Sport Resolutions deals with cases in various sports and is named in WPBSA disciplinary rules. It is completely independent of the WPBSA and we have no doubt that it will bring a fair conclusion to this matter."
One of the positive things about the new regime is their openness. It is right that the details of the investigation are kept private but at least we now know who is in charge of the disciplinary process.
This is absolutely true: under the last board I made numerous requests over a five year period to officially obtain the identity of the disciplinary committee chairman without any success. Results of disciplinary cases were not released to the media unlike in other sports - until the board finally relented last year after a sit-down meeting with members of the press.
It was typical of the needless, paranoid secrecy that marked the administration. They made Kim Jong-Il, the North Korean leader, look like a blabbermouth.
Barry Hearn told a newspaper earlier this week that it should take the independent tribunal a month to come to a decision after Douglas has presented his report, so end of July/early August is when Higgins should learn his fate.
In the meantime, he remains suspended and has not been selected for this season's Premier League.
Unlike most of the rest of the internet, this blog will not be speculating about the outcome of the case nor prejudicing it with gossip, theory and opinion based on only knowing some of the facts.
I will write about it again when the result of the investigation is known.
More...
A WPBSA statement said: "The WPBSA Disciplinary Committee has resolved to refer an investigation arising from the News of the World newspaper's report of May 2, 2010, which contained allegations against John Higgins and Pat Mooney, to a hearing board convened under the auspices of Sport Resolutions UK.
"David Douglas, head of the WPBSA's disciplinary committee, said: "Sport Resolutions deals with cases in various sports and is named in WPBSA disciplinary rules. It is completely independent of the WPBSA and we have no doubt that it will bring a fair conclusion to this matter."
One of the positive things about the new regime is their openness. It is right that the details of the investigation are kept private but at least we now know who is in charge of the disciplinary process.
This is absolutely true: under the last board I made numerous requests over a five year period to officially obtain the identity of the disciplinary committee chairman without any success. Results of disciplinary cases were not released to the media unlike in other sports - until the board finally relented last year after a sit-down meeting with members of the press.
It was typical of the needless, paranoid secrecy that marked the administration. They made Kim Jong-Il, the North Korean leader, look like a blabbermouth.
Barry Hearn told a newspaper earlier this week that it should take the independent tribunal a month to come to a decision after Douglas has presented his report, so end of July/early August is when Higgins should learn his fate.
In the meantime, he remains suspended and has not been selected for this season's Premier League.
Unlike most of the rest of the internet, this blog will not be speculating about the outcome of the case nor prejudicing it with gossip, theory and opinion based on only knowing some of the facts.
I will write about it again when the result of the investigation is known.
More...
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