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I'll almost unquestionably support a Scot in any scenario in terms of sport but that match fixing stuff really killed any support I had for Higgins. Respect his game a tonne but that was just crossing a line for me. 

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Don't like Selby as he is boringly good and has won loads and don't like Higgins as he is boringly good and has won loads and agreed to throw frames for money.

Would love to see Ding win. Someone from China is going to win eventually and I think it would be a shame if the man that inspired so many of them doesn't win it at least once.

If not him, Maguire then Hawkins is my choice.

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4 hours ago, BradHorse said:

I'll almost unquestionably support a Scot in any scenario in terms of sport but that match fixing stuff really killed any support I had for Higgins. Respect his game a tonne but that was just crossing a line for me. 

John Higgins has never been formally accused, charged or found guilty of any match fixing. Nor has there ever been suspicious betting patterns around any of his games that could have seen his integrity called into question as is pretty much always seen around true offenders like Stephen Lee, Jamie Burnett etc. In fact the WPBSA investigation found that Higgins had given a truthful account of the meeting in Kiev since he suspected mafia involvement. He was banned for failing to report an approach from men he thought were gangsters - who were really just scumbag NotW plants looking to make a story - and giving the impression that he would break the rules.

I would take Higgins word every time over that of crooked journalists who tried to ruin the guy's life. A true Scottish sporting legend.

 

2 hours ago, Miguel Sanchez said:

There's a guy in a Morton top at this Hawkins/Maguire match

I clocked him as well, travels with the same supporter's club as me. 

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The WPBSA investigation had a vested interest in finding him not guilty, as he was World Champion and one of the game's biggest stars.

I don't doubt that the newspaper in question is a rag. However, they are not forcing him to say the things he says.

I watch the video and I can't see any explanation other than that he is agreeing to chuck four frames for €300,000.

Even the first thing he says is "there's no cameras is there?", why would he ask that if he was behaving properly?

Dunno how to add a YouTube video but link here...



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Yes, that's what he says. Then he failed to report it to the snooker authorities upon his return. Or to the police. In fact he failed to mention it to anyone.

 

It's pretty much impossible to imagine that anyone in such a fixable sport as snooker wouldn't be made aware of the rules regarding fixing and wouldn't have reported it straight away once they felt safe, if we are to believe the "feared for his safety" line.

 

I feel that balance of probability suggests that he was quite willing to take the money and would have done so had it been a real offer and had he not been caught. Others may feel otherwise, but the video is fairly damning and I find his attempt to excuse it unconvincing.

 

 

 

 

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People will believe what they want, and what you consider balance of probability isn't the truth. The video certainly looked bad but that's all we see. I give him the benefit of the doubt. No suspicious betting patterns ever linked to him so the only thing he was ever guilty of was what he said in the video. None of us know the circumstances of it. 

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There were no suspicious betting activities attached to him because... it was a sting, they weren't really paying him to lose frames!

I've yet to see any reason why he wouldn't report the meeting as soon as he felt safe, if his story was accurate.

Fair point regarding my opinion not necessarily being the truth and will edit my previous post accordingly.

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You can try and spin it any way you want but the guy was clearly trying to take money for fixing frames of snooker. That's just scumbaggy... dunno why you're so keen to defend it or think his word is something valuable. Has he proved himself super truthful in the past or what? 

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I always fully bought the line that Higgins and his manager/agent (can't remember which) thought that their very lives were in imminent danger. Yesiree.


Higgins is corrupt. Pat Mooney took the flack but Pat would confirm that Higgins knew exactly what he was doing.
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