The following statement has been released by John Higgins after the verdict in his ‘match fix’ tribunal.

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STATEMENT BY JOHN HIGGINS 8^th Sept 2010

I welcome today’s judgement by Sport Resolutions and endorsed by the WPBSA following their exhaustive enquiry into the allegations against me by a tabloid newspaper.

I am pleased that Sport Resolutions and WPBSA have concluded, after a thorough and fair investigation, that I was NOT guilty of any dishonesty and had no intention to fix a match and no intention to do anything corrupt.

The statement I made in May, immediately after the newspaper accusations, was 100% true then and is 100% true today.

I said: ‘I have never been involved in any form of snooker match fixing. In my eighteen years playing professional snooker I have never deliberately missed a shot, never mind intentionally lost a frame or a match.’

I am glad that the WPBSA’s view of the events in Kiev reflects that statement.

If I am guilty of anything it is of naivety and trusting those who, I believed, were working in the best interests of snooker and myself.

I accept that I should have informed the WPBSA officials about the events in Kiev immediately on my return to the UK.

I accept the decision to suspend me for 6 months and impose a fine of £75,000.

Those who run WPBSA have made it plain that if the sport is to advance it must be above reproach and those of us playing and involved in snooker must be cleaner than clean.

Those who know me will appreciate that I have tried to encourage and advance snooker. I have tried to be an ambassador for the sport.

In November, I will return to snooker a stronger person with a new determination to succeed. I plan to hold up many snooker trophies in the coming years.

I will, as I always have, work with the snooker authorities to promote the good reputation of snooker throughout the UK.

I was one of the loudest voices calling for change in snooker, one of the loudest voices calling for Barry Hearn to guide the sport that I love onwards and upwards.

This has been a traumatic time for me, and those close to me. It has been made all the more hurtful by the knowledge that I never have, and never would, fix a snooker match.

I have been sustained by the love and support of my wife, family and friends.

I must also thank my many, many fans from around the world who have encouraged me, backed me and raised my spirits.

I make this promise to every single one of them:

John Higgins will be back and he’ll be back winning.

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