O'SULLIVAN FACING ACTION?

Mystery surrounds whether Ronnie O'Sullivan will today be disciplined for his extraordonary mid-match walkout at the Maplin UK Championship last month.

O'Sullivan was trailing Stephen Hendry 4-1 in their quarter-final match at York when he walked out.

Jimmy White told BBC Radio 5 Live last night that he had spoke to O'Sullivan, who told him he had been called before the disciplinary committee today but World Snooker could not confirm this.

Snooker Scene understands O'Sullivan may actually be meeting Sir Rodney Walker, the World Snooker chairman but not part of the disciplinary committee.

If true, this raises the suspsicion that some sort of deal will be struck where O'Sullivan will not be punished if he agrees to play ball in the future. Walker has, after all, already gone on record as saying he would rather "help" the errant player than "hit him with a stick."

Such a scenario would be, of course, entirely wrong. If there is a disciplinary system it should be properly adhered to without the intervention of third parties.

But as there is no official comment, we are left to speculate on all of this.

4PM UPDATE: World Snooker have confirmed that O'Sullivan met Sir Rodney Walker but say this was for "informal talks, not a disciplinary hearing."

8PM UPDATE: Sir Rodney Walker has just appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live and said this: "I had the pleasure of having lunch with Ronnie. He's in good form.

"There's a disciplinary process underway which is entirely independent of me but I wanted a personal discussion with Ronnie to understand his present thinking about his participation in snooker.

"I've come away very encouraged and have undertaken to him that I'll write to the disciplinary committee with my views and hope they take what I have to say into account when they decide what the appropriate action is that needs to be taken.

"As chairman of World Snooker I very much see Ronnie O'Sullivan as being an important part of the future."

It's nice to know O'Sullivan is "in good form" and it's little wonder: he was facing a possible ban for his conduct at York, now he's been wined and dined by snooker's leading official and got him to write a letter on his behalf pleading for leniency.

Would this happen in any other sport?