John Higgins match fixing claims

gman2k

userod wrote: »

I'm standing by Higgins for the meanwhile. I'm a big fan of his, I think he is a gentleman not to mention a fantastic snooker player. This appears to be very out of character, and something stinks about the whole thing. I hope I'm right and I hope it develops in his favour.

And if he is guilty... we all make mistakes, and everyone has a price.

Chin up John, hang in there.

Just because you are a big fan of his does not affect his ability to accept bribes from undercover reporters.

antomadness

FireballPitcher wrote: »

It really is a case of weighing up which is the worse of the two evils, and in my opinion taking a bribe is much worse than tempting someone into a bribe. I doubt this is the first snooker player or sportsperson they've tried to sting, but clearly the ones who turn it down don't make the news.

I would place the blame at about 90% to Higgins and 10% to NOTW.

That was my point, the times he turned the bribes down were not news worthy.

Penisland

FireballPitcher wrote: »

EDIT, I do have to say that I'd love to be wrong about John and that his claims are true, if they are, I take it all back. And I really hope that happens.

+1

ArmaniJeanss

antomadness wrote: »

If he is telling the truth, why didnt he go straight to the police when he arrived home and file a report, saying he was intimidated into agreeing to lose specific frames as part of an international illegal betting ring.

Assuming he is telling the truth....*
I wouldn't have a huge problem with him not telling the police, in his place last thing I'd want to do is have multiple interviews with Scotland Yard police officers. Then more interviews with 'Russian' police officers taking more statements, with the possibility of the hassle of being asked to appear at a trial in Kiev, resulting in threats to his family etc.

I'd be more interested in his explanation of why him and his manager didn't inform the powers that be in snooker.

* clearly he isn't.

userod

gman2k wrote: »

Just because you are a big fan of his does not affect his ability to accept bribes from undercover reporters.

Ya, I never said it did. Like I said if he is guilty, we all make mistakes. Have a go at someone else man, I'm remaining a fan of his either way...

Exclamation Marc

Well if he is guilty, you won't be seeing him play professionally for years.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Healio

fatherbuzcagney wrote: »

if the out come of a sport has been decided and you don't know the result sure what difference does it make to you, you will get the same buzz out of watching it, its like watching a recorded match that you don't know the result off, you will still enjoy watching the recording when you don't know result but thousand of people around the globe will know who won.
he has cheated nobody only made a few quid from the bookies

Are you for ****ing real? Have you ever had a bet? He is not cheating anyone? How about the fans, the snooker governing body, how about himself?

I may not have seen it, but if someone is not trying win he is absolutely cheating the person betting, out of it.

The sums talked about would be nowhere near what bookmakers would be willing to take on a single frame. Where the bets would get through is on betting exchanges; so for those uneducated about the subject (namely you fatherbuzcagney), he is cheating anyone who uses betting exchanges.


It is a sad day for snooker, although the signs have been there for a while. Hann, Burnett, even our own Michael Judge has had an episode or two.

Can't see why the NOTW went after snooker though, the Tennis world is in a pandemic at the moment. Snooker must have been an easier target, and was also topical. The problem here is Joe Public, once they here the story, the circumstance will not matter, all they will remember is maybe the name Higgins, but that some guy was cheating. Even though it has yet or even will be proven, they wont care. The will associate snooker with cheaters and that will drive more people away unfortunately.

Mr.Nice Guy

Very saddened by this. Been an admirer of John for years. I'm not going to slate the guy until a clearer picture emerges, but admittedly it doesn't look good.

Feel sorry for John to an extent and I think it's lousy the way the NOTW went about this. If he's guilty then obviously it can't be condoned but it leaves a bitter taste the way they went about it.

Can anyone tell me what they said about it on the BBC? The likes of Virgo etc ?

Chucky the tree

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

This isnt the first time he's done it(imo) so I doubt he'd be hugely worried/distracted thinking about the meeting.

Adding on, reading some of the stuff is this link is hugely damaging for snooker. Mooney is up **** creek for certain.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/801883/John-Higgins-snooker-match-fixing-scandal.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News

************ doesn't even have to know there's a bet on. I'd say to ***********, 'for television we need this to go 5-3 either way, right'.

"I could say that to ********* ******** (another snooker star). I could say that to any of them. I'd say for television this needs to be 5-3 because we need that time slot."

The fact he hints that it's pretty common for match scores to be fixed and a lot of other players are in on it is very worrying.

InkSlinger67

What a load of rubbish this is!!! Amazing, an international sporting scandal involving thousands of pounds that just happens to be revealed around the time of the final of the sport's showcase event

I'd be shocked if Barry Hearn wasn't behind all this

azzeretti

Healio wrote: »

even our own Michael Judge has had an episode or two.

You might want to qualify this.

InkSlinger67

azzeretti wrote: »

You might want to qualify this.

It's alright! Michael Judge hasn't qualified for anything in ages! :pac:

Myrddin

InkSlinger67 wrote: »

I'd be shocked if Barry Hearn wasn't behind all this

Ah this is getting out of hand now, can we not just wait now & instead of speculating at least give John the chance to see what the investigation finds. The more I think about this the more Im starting to doubt the whole escapade. He is guilty of agreeing, that much is certain, but until the details of the meeting are made public I think the rubbish should just stop here.

Its amazing how people have convicted & tried him, on the word of a tabloid rag. Yes he is guitly of agreeing to do it on camera, but thats not everything that went on in that room.

InkSlinger67

EnterNow wrote: »

Ah this is getting out of hand now

I think that's the point! Desperate times for Snooker call for desperate measures. If this was really going on Ronnie would have blurted it out during one of his tantrums years ago for the attention it would bring him!

pinkfloyd34

on the news of the world web site, it said it was following up on allegations against this mooney fella and then set up a few meetings with him on his own before but the iceing on the cake for notw was the meeting with john higgins

i loved john higgins, met him in goffs a few times, one time i was drinking in the public bar and he just walked in and talked to everyone like a normal bloke when all the other players were in the vip bar up stairs, a total down to earth fella, but greed and that alone is behind it, you could see the money signs in his eyes, 6 million in the bank and he is hungry for more, and by his demeanour you could tell he was used to these meetings and the mooney fella knew the process like the back of his hand, i loved snooke so much but just looking at he final now i can'nt get it out of my head, i have lost so much faith in snooker i dont see how it can rise from this

FlawedGenius

pinkfloyd34 wrote: »

on the news of the world web site, it said it was following up on allegations against this mooney fella and then set up a few meetings with him on his own before but the iceing on the cake for notw was the meeting with john higgins

i loved john higgins, met him in goffs a few times, one time i was drinking in the public bar and he just walked in and talked to everyone like a normal bloke when all the other players were in the vip bar up stairs, a total down to earth fella, but greed and that alone is behind it, you could see the money signs in his eyes, 6 million in the bank and he is hungry for more, and by his demeanour you could tell he was used to these meetings and the mooney fella knew the process like the back of his hand, i loved snooke so much but just looking at he final now i can'nt get it out of my head, i have lost so much faith in snooker i dont see how it can rise from this

Yeah he defo looked comfortable doing it and looked like he had done it before. Im never watching snooker again.:mad:

SugarHigh

Chucky the tree wrote: »

This isnt the first time he's done it(imo) so I doubt he'd be hugely worried/distracted thinking about the meeting.

Adding on, reading some of the stuff is this link is hugely damaging for snooker. Mooney is up **** creek for certain.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/801883/John-Higgins-snooker-match-fixing-scandal.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News




The fact he hints that it's pretty common for match scores to be fixed and a lot of other players are in on it is very worrying.

Very true especially since Dott has the same manager. tbh I don't think a player manager should have been on any boards in the first place.

fatherbuzcagney

Healio wrote: »

Are you for ****ing real? Have you ever had a bet? He is not cheating anyone? How about the fans, the snooker governing body, how about himself?

I may not have seen it, but if someone is not trying win he is absolutely cheating the person betting, out of it.

The sums talked about would be nowhere near what bookmakers would be willing to take on a single frame. Where the bets would get through is on betting exchanges; so for those uneducated about the subject (namely you fatherbuzcagney), he is cheating anyone who uses betting exchanges.


It is a sad day for snooker, although the signs have been there for a while. Hann, Burnett, even our own Michael Judge has had an episode or two.

Can't see why the NOTW went after snooker though, the Tennis world is in a pandemic at the moment. Snooker must have been an easier target, and was also topical. The problem here is Joe Public, once they here the story, the circumstance will not matter, all they will remember is maybe the name Higgins, but that some guy was cheating. Even though it has yet or even will be proven, they wont care. The will associate snooker with cheaters and that will drive more people away unfortunately.

thanks healio for the comments, to answer some of your q's , i don't bet or very little, as for cheating your only cheating if you get caught. you could debate forms of cheating in sport till the cows come home, (diving for penalties/handling the ball/drugs in golf /swimming/pulling horses /throwing frames), is it par for the course or is it unacceptable is a persons own opinion.


If someone is willing to back or lay a couple of hundred grand on the betting exchanges on a frame of snooker then he should take into account the possibility of being stung

Guy:Incognito

fatherbuzcagney wrote: »

ok , maybe the nixer was a bad example , he was doing overtime :rolleyes:

as for bankers and bookies, there kinda both the same , they'll both take your money and you have a chance you'll get it back

I think you'll find it's the other way round with banks. The problem is they are not getting their money back.

aDeener

FlawedGenius wrote: »

Yeah he defo looked comfortable doing it and looked like he had done it before. Im never watching snooker again.:mad:

you mustn't have watched too much of it to begin with, if the higgins scandal alone has turned you off....

Omega28

This won't turn me off watching snooker as I love the game way too much!

I'v always thought and said it before on one of the threads that Higgins is all about the £ and not in there for the love of the game, as much as I thought this, I didn't think he'd stoop this low, and as much as I dislike him, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, we don't really know the full story here, give the guy a chance to explain.

I'll still be watching the snooker tomorrow as I hope will everyone else, pls don't let this put u off!

a148pro

sad day. thought the NOTW were scum for doing this initially, but the reality is they've obv heard about this kind of thing going on and tried to see what they could get out of it.

again I also thought they were scum for printing it on the morning of the final, but now I think they might be right to. its a real pity for the two lads in the final but its also grabbing the snooker world by the balls and telling it to do something about it.

I would like to see the whole uneditted video though. seems from the report that its Mooney who was up to his eyes in it and Higgins is more passive. I suppose from his perspective its not the worst thing to do - he's saying I'll throw a frame in a match. he prob feels he can give most players a frame and still win the match.

but my gut feeling is this has been going on a lot. and i note the NOTW are saying they'll have more revelations next week...

rip John Higgins. does anyone remember that match with Ronnie a few years ago? one of the best matches ever, Ronnie was on top form but Higgins turned it on something ridiculous, there was century after century from both of them and Higgins won it?

from that to this??

therokerroar

Mooney and Higgins defence when questioned about this is that they feared for their safety :rolleyes:

Aye, they really look like two men who are fearing for their safety in that video like, sipping champagne with the undercover reporters :rolleyes:

alang184

It's just a shocker, and unfortunately looks like it's real. Hard to believe that Higgins is involved, and it's very disappointing.

But it's much worse than that. Maybe I'm reading it wrong or something...

Mooney: "I'd say to *********** (another star player), 'for television we need this to go 5-3 either way, right'".

"I could say that to ********* ******** (another snooker star). I could say that to any of them. I'd say for television this needs to be 5-3 because we need that time slot."

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/801883/John-Higgins-snooker-match-fixing-scandal.html

This reads like it goes way beyond just Higgins. This is other players deliberately fixing a scoreline, for whatever reason.

And in the first WSC in the "new era" (Hearn), Steve Davis did a shock win against Higgins, no doubt keeping Betfred happy, sponsors happy, giving snooker a big boost, bigger TV ratings. Just too good to be true.

gd1987

Ive read through most of the posts and I can't beleive the majority are willing to beleive the news of the world about snooker players. Has any poster ever read that paper before, its 98% rumours and half truths ffs. Don't be so negative!

I'll be surprised if this story is like the tabloids say.

Denners

Don't see the big issue with the NOTW's tactics whatsoever, they proved that Higgins is a cheat at the end of the day and I'm glad they did,end of.

And John knew what that meeting was about, I guarantee that his manager had made previous contact and had told Higgins that there was an offer of a bribe or whatever.

His excuse is an admirable twist on the event, but complete bollix. What did he think that they were gonna threaten to kill one of the most famous snooker players or something? Surely if he was that worried about the people he was dealing with he wouldn't agree a deal and then drop it like a hot rock without telling them as that would clearly make them more upset.

Higgins was caught trying to make a few extra handy quid, he had a good run in snooker that will be tarnished by this forever, time for him to f*ck off now

azzeretti

gd1987 wrote: »

Ive read through most of the posts and I can't beleive the majority are willing to beleive the news of the world about snooker players. Has any poster ever read that paper before, its 98% rumours and half truths ffs. Don't be so negative!

I'll be surprised if this story is like the tabloids say.

Did you even watch the video? Higghin is caught by the bollix. There is not much rumour of speculation to it. Real pitty but it's hard to belive there is not a whole lot more to come.

fryup

Higgins & Mooney, what a double act.

"Feared for their safety".....don't make me laugh.

It looks like the two of them have "form" when it comes to this type of thing.

They both should keep their mouths shut before they dig an even deeper hole for themselves cause the TNOTW have got even further allegations about them to be published next weekend.

Silvio.Dante

As others have said if they felt intimidated why didn't they report their concerns to the Snooker or police authorities? Also, why on earth were they in Kiev in the first place? Its hardly a hotbed of snooker. He's been caught. Shame for him and his family but most of all for the game we all love.