Out of action: John Higgins will return to the table in November after receiving a backdated six-month ban. Pic: ©SNS Group
Scottish snooker star John Higgins has been cleared of a charge of match-fixing into newspaper claims he agreed to throw frames in snooker matches. But the world number one player has received a ban and a £75,000 fine plus £10,000 costs for discussing the matter with undercover reporters he believed were businessmen.
At an independent tribunal on Wednesday, the Wishaw Wizard was handed a six-month ban, backdated to May, for being in breach of competition rules with regards to discussing betting. The suspension, which will run until November, was also given because of Higgins’ failure to report he had been approached over match fixing.
At the hearing, the 35-year-old admitted "intentionally giving the impression to others that they were agreeing to act in breach of the betting rules"
Higgins' manager Pat Mooney was found guilty of discussing and planning the possibility of frame fixing, without the player's knowledge, and has been banned from having any future involvement in the sport.
Higgins will miss the World Open at Glasgow's SECC later this month, as well as two events in Sheffield in October. He could make his return in the Euro Players Tour Championship in either Hamm or Prague in November but is likely not to return to competitive action until December, when the UK Championship takes place in Telford.
Four charges had been brought against both men with regards to the World Snooker Association's rules on betting, including agreeing to offer or accept a bribe, agreeing to engage in fraudulent conduct, intentionally giving the impression to others they were agreeing to breach betting rules and failing to tell the association of an approach to breach the rules.
Higgins admitted the latter two charges, with the World Snooker Association subsequently withdrawing the first two charges after accepting the player's testimony that he had gone into the frame-fixing discussions without prior knowledge. It was also accepted that Higgins then played along with the hypothetical talk of fixing, while feeling intimidated by those present.
The findings concluded that Higgins had been placed in a "highly invidious position by Mr Mooney", with the manager "entirely responsible" for the player being in Kiev and subsequently attending the meeting.
HIGGINS IN THE CLEAR
- John Higgins: A man who does his talking with his cue
- VIDEO: John Higgins interviewed on STV Sports Centre
