John Higgins: Fined £75,000 and banned for 6 months. Pic: © STV
John Higgins has been fined £75,000 and banned from snooker for six months by a disciplinary tribunal.
But the three-time world champion, from Wishaw in North lanarkshire, has been cleared over the most serious charges of taking money to throw games.
The World Snooker Association withdrew the charges having accepted Higgins’s explanation that he felt he was having a conversation with underworld figures in Kiev when recorded by reporters from the News of the World.
However, 35-year-old Higgins admitted acting in breach of Snooker Association rules by discussing the possibility of match-fixing.
Higgins’s manager Pat Mooney has been banned from involvement in the sport following the tribunal. He was found guilty of discussing and planning frame-fixing, without the knowledge of Higgins.
The tribunal found that “Mr Higgins was put in a highly invidious position by Mr Mooney, who was entirely responsible for Mr Higgins’ presence in Kiev and, in particular, at the meeting there on 30 April. Mr Higgins can be criticised for the way in which he chose to respond to the situation in which he found himself.
“I was unimpressed by Mr Mooney as a witness and I found much of his account highly implausible. I very strongly suspect that he intended to put the corrupt agreement alleged by the Association into effect without having decided precisely how he would do this (given that Mr Higgins would clearly not be cooperative). His motivation throughout was, I find, financial self interest.”
The tribunal explained that it withdrew the charges of match-fixing after Mr Higgins "truthfully accounted for his words and actions at the meeting in Kiev".
Its report reads: "Without any opportunity for mature reflection Mr Higgins, who is by nature someone who seeks to avoid confrontation or unpleasantness, decided to play along with the discussion when the topic did indeed arise.
"He also found the atmosphere in the meeting somewhat intimidating. His focus was entirely on bringing the meeting to an end as soon as possible and getting on a plane home. He would never throw, and had no intention at that meeting of throwing any frame, of snooker for reward.
"I have no doubt that the Association was right to conclude that this account by Mr Higgins was a truthful one."
The News of the World had alleged that Higgins and his manager Pat Mooney had agreed to take money to influence the outcome of matches. Higgins and Mooney both travelled to Ukraine where they took part in a meeting with undercover reporters posing as businessmen who they believed were keen to set up tournaments in the country.
Higgins and Mooney ran the World Series of Snooker, which staged tournaments in countries the main professional tour did not visit.
The News of the World alleged they agreed to accept £261,000 in return for fixing the outcome of four frames in matches to be played later this year at the new events.
Higgins denied the claims, insisting in a statement: "Can I say that I have never been involved in any form of snooker match-fixing. In my 18 years playing professional snooker I have never deliberately missed a shot, never mind intentionally lost a frame or a match."
He insisted at the time of the allegations coming to light that he and Mooney had feared they were in the company of "Russian mafia" in Kiev and decided "to play along with these guys and get out of Ukraine".
IN DETAIL
- BACKGROUND: John Higgins: A man who does his talking with his cue
- PROFILE: John Higgins: 'The Wizard of Wishaw'
- VIDEO: John Higgins interviewed on STV Sports Centre
