Snooker

By Nick Harris 20 September 2010 Snooker players will be banned for life for any infringement of “Draconian” new betting rules intended to make the sport “cleaner than clean, whiter then white”, according Barry Hearn, the chairman of World Snooker. Hearn was speaking as he launched a new integrity unit, to be overseen by the […]

8 September 2010 There follows, in full, the ruling made today by Ian Mill QC in relation to the John Higgins ‘match fix’ case. We are also running a news story. But in short, Higgins has been cleared of the most serious charges of fixing or intent to fix matches (charges dropped), but has been […]

By Nick Harris 8 September 2010 The world No1 snooker player John Higgins will be free to resume his playing career in November after being cleared today of the most serious charges laid against him relating to allegations of match-fixing. Two charges were dropped: 1) agreeing or offering to accept a bribe, bribes or other […]

By Nick Harris 7 September 2010 The disciplinary tribunal sitting in judgement on allegations that the world No1 snooker player John Higgins agreed a £261,000 bribe in April to lose frames at future matches entered a second session at 2pm this afternoon with the outcome unclear but a result expected within 36 hours. The first […]

By Nick Harris 3 September 2010 As controversy continues to surround the manipulated events at the recent fourth Test between England and Pakistan – events orchestrated and paid for by the News of the World to demonstrate corruptibility – and as the New York Times investigates allegations of illegal phone hacking at the NotW – the News […]

By Nick Harris 28 July 2010 In a welcome development in the John Higgins ‘match fix’ case, The Guardian is reporting that the News of the World has now handed over to investigators all the video tapes shot during its sting operation on Higgins and business partner Pat Mooney. Sportingintelligence cannot independently corroborate that the […]

By Nick Harris 28 July 2010 Peter Ebdon, the former world snooker champion, has today taken the unprecedented step of releasing a public statement via the game’s world governing body to say he may not play very well at his next event. The 2002 world champion, 39, currently No18 in the world, will still compete […]

By Nick Harris EXCLUSIVE 26 July 2010 The so-called ‘match fix’ case against the world’s No1 snooker player, John Higgins, which began in a blaze of global publicity on 2 May after a News of the World entrapment sting, will reach a conclusion with a tribunal hearing in early September, sportingintelligence can reveal. The hearing, […]

By Nick Harris 18 June 2010 A second analysis of the News of the World video purporting to show the world No1 snooker player, John Higgins, agreeing to lose frames for cash has concluded that sections of the film have been ‘pasted together’, leading to a misrepresentation of events. A forensic musicologist, using specialist equipment […]

By Nick Harris 18 May 2010 As snooker’s governing body, the WPBSA, continues its inquiry into claims by the News of the World that John Higgins agreed to fix frames, a new analysis of the video evidence against Higgins published by the NotW suggests the footage has not only been cut and edited without full […]