Ssb - higgins fined £75,000 but free to play

[jamesa54321]

A 12 month ban would have been more appropriate and would have really sent out a message to other players contemplating anything dodgy.

The fine is nothing of note, £75k is peanuts to Higgins. There's no comparision between this case and Hann's case, it ridiculous to try and compare.

I do wonder thoughwhy the NOTW didn't wait to let the fix take place, did they feel Higgins wouldn't play along and the story would dive? Who knows?

Higgins has made a big mistake and this episode will forever tarnish his name and career, regardless of what he was found guilty/not guilty of or what his intention was or wasn't.

Finally i worry for the welfare of Statman's neighbour, I hope they stop the partying before things get ugly!

[The Statman]

A 12 month ban would have been more appropriate and would have really sent out a message to other players contemplating anything dodgy.

The fine is nothing of note, £75k is peanuts to Higgins. There's no comparision between this case and Hann's case, it ridiculous to try and compare.

I do wonder thoughwhy the NOTW didn't wait to let the fix take place, did they feel Higgins wouldn't play along and the story would dive? Who knows?

Higgins has made a big mistake and this episode will forever tarnish his name and career, regardless of what he was found guilty/not guilty of or what his intention was or wasn't.

Finally i worry for the welfare of Statman's neighbour, I hope they stop the partying before things get ugly!

If I were Statman's neighbour, I'd be worried for myself full stop!

[JanieWatkins]

and after all this there is still someone "associated" with our sport who's got away with setting up all this unsavoury business in the first place.

And that is the person (or persons) who contacted NoTW in the first place to suggest that Mooney would be an easy target to set up. (I still think that Mooney was the target of the "snitch" to the NoTW, but that NoTW wouldn't have had much of a story unless they managed to drag John Higgins into it too.

To my mind that was all to do with the murky world of snooker politics.
I wonder if NoTW would now like to unmask that person. And don't worry about independent tribunals, just have that person thrown out of our sport for life.

[miscuehamburg]

and after all this there is still someone "associated" with our sport who's got away with setting up all this unsavoury business in the first place.

And that is the person (or persons) who contacted NoTW in the first place to suggest that Mooney would be an easy target to set up. (I still think that Mooney was the target of the "snitch" to the NoTW, but that NoTW wouldn't have had much of a story unless they managed to drag John Higgins into it too.

To my mind that was all to do with the murky world of snooker politics.
I wonder if NoTW would now like to unmask that person. And don't worry about independent tribunals, just have that person thrown out of our sport for life.

Interesting point. I find this bad Pat / victim John scheme difficult to believe in the first place. It's likely just a defending strategy of clever advocats. How the whole fuss got ignited in the first place, well that's the question. Reminds me of Clive's Book 'Cueball Wizards...'

As to Quinten Henn referred here earlier on, the case was one to one comparable with JH, except QH didn't have the clever advocats and he throw the towel in too early.

[jb134]

and after all this there is still someone "associated" with our sport who's got away with setting up all this unsavoury business in the first place.

And that is the person (or persons) who contacted NoTW in the first place to suggest that Mooney would be an easy target to set up. (I still think that Mooney was the target of the "snitch" to the NoTW, but that NoTW wouldn't have had much of a story unless they managed to drag John Higgins into it too.

To my mind that was all to do with the murky world of snooker politics.
I wonder if NoTW would now like to unmask that person. And don't worry about independent tribunals, just have that person thrown out of our sport for life.

If the snitch had been wrong there would be no story, the snitch has arguably performed a service to the game. Now that we know what we know would you be happy to let Pat Mooney back on the board?

[JanieWatkins]

If the snitch had been wrong there would be no story, the snitch has arguably performed a service to the game. Now that we know what we know would you be happy to let Pat Mooney back on the board?

yes that's a good point JB but I still want to know what the original conspiracy was and who set it up.... I have four suspects in my mind.

[jb134]

Am not saying you're wrong, the strangest thing in my mind is that the WSA would trumpet an independent enquiry from the rooftops and then drop the two most serious charges rather than allow the independent enquiry to consider them.

That puzzles me on so many levels.

[forcefollow]

Epic fail.... In the immortal words of Homer Simpson "DOLT!!! DOLT!!! ahhhhhh!!!!!

Go ahead and draw up a death certificate for world snooker. This was a terrible decision.

[ken147]

You do have to wonder on the integrity of the way NOTW reporting of news??? Is this the way journalism has gone. Yes... To sell newspapers.

In my opinion there is an issue in many sports, horse racing, football, snooker, boxing, cricket, etc where underground gambling is a bigger business than legit gambling establishments. In many parts of the world gambling is illegal and the only means to place a bet is to use these black market gambling organisations.

It is quite obvious if you know the outcome of a sporting result before it happens then you can make a huge amount of money tax free. Money makes the world go round...

I feel sorry for Higgins, his career is tarnished forever and I really thought he was an ambassador for snooker. He let the world of snooker down, he let his family down and above all he let himself down.

If NOTW reported this incident with the bung after if Higgins did throw the frame in question, then Higgins and Mooney would have a leg to stand on. NOTW would of got Higgins and Mooney hook, line and sinker...

[hotpot]

All iffs and butts , if my sister had balls she,d be my brother

[beechy1212]

Another point worth making is that if the NOTW were 100% confident Higgins was going to match fix, they would have either waited for the tournament and frame in question, or set up a frame in a tournament like PTC 1, so they didn't have to wait too long.

[Neil Taperell]

How same does Higgins get a 6 month ban and Mooney a life ban ??????

Did they both commit the same offence .

I'm afraid that i can't really see Higgins in the same light again

[mick farrell]

Correct me if I'm wrong (it wouldn't be the first time) but didn't money change hands in the Hann case? I seem to remember money being transferred into his bank account before he was busted.

I remember reading that no money was transferred.

[maryfield]

john higgins

It will be interesting to see if Higgins sues NoTW. After all he was found innocent.

[The Statman]

You do have to wonder on the integrity of the way NOTW reporting of news???

Well absolutely.

The articles here and, particularly, here, which dates back to May 18, cast great doubts on the authenticity of the video.

If it had been you accused of something, I think you would be a bit miffed if the whole saga rested on a piece of evidence which was seen so suspiciously.

My whole take on the incident has questions on both sides, for example:
- Why did the NotW run its story so immediately, without giving chance for Higgins to ccarry out his apparent agreement?
- Why did it need to so completely rig or edit its video if it was a Higgins agreement to throw matches, as it claimed?
- Was it 'high-profile matches' targeted, as one of the paper's stories said, or exhibition-type events against Ukrainian professionals?
- People are sayong the £75,000 fine won't hurt the likes of Higgins one jot, yet he would risk his career and reputation on making £250,000?
Equally,
- Why did Higgins not report the meeting to the Association on his return?
- Was Higgins really firghtened? The meeting looked relaxed
- Why did Higgins continue the conversation the way he did when the throwing of frames came into discussion, if he would never do such a thing?

I am sure there are many, many more questions that appear unanswered from the outside. But I don't think we have much choice but to assume that all the answers have been found by the tribunal and that they have come to the correct decision. Unless we have all the facts – which we have not – how can we assume otherwise?