John Higgins is expected to learn his fate this week following allegations in the News of the World last May that he agreed to lose frames for money in the now aborted World Series.
Higgins and his then manager, Pat Mooney, were caught in an undercover sting operation in the Ukraine.
The tribunal will be chaired by Ian Mill QC on behalf of Sports Resolutions UK, an independent body, at an undisclosed location in London.
Sports Resolutions can apparently take up to four weeks to reach a verdict in cases deemed to be complex but I understand World Snooker are expecting to learn of their findings tomorrow following the two-day hearing.
The charges Higgins is facing are unknown but are likely to include one or more of the following:
- Conspiracy to fix frames
- Failure to report an approach to fix frames
- The old catch-all 'bringing the game into disrepute'
It's unclear what action could be taken against Mooney given that he has now severed all ties with the snooker world.
If a punishment is handed down to Higgins it will be decided on by Sports Resolutions and not World Snooker, which is as it should be because accusations of bias could not then be levelled at the governing body.
This affair has hung over the game all summer. I'm sure the whole of snooker, not least Higgins himself, will be glad when it is finally settled - one way or the other.
Needless to say, when I know the result of the tribunal I will post it here.
6 comments:
Dave, do you know whether the verdict by Sport Resolutions will be final (like in arbitration) or can it be appealed? If so, how long could this case possibly drag on?
And for Mooney: I guess he could be denied the right to pick up any future position in snooker governing or management again, even if he's left the sport for now.
I don't know. Information has been scarce to say the least.
Quinten Hann was still sentenced despite resigning his professional membership if I remember correctly.
Presumably even if Higgins is denied the right to appeal should the verdict go against him, it doesn't prevent him from challenging it in court.
Just saw Higgins in Fleet Street. He looked a worried man.
A verdict in this case can be appealed, firstly via normal means, ie via Sport Resolutions. If necessary, i think it could later go to the Court ofn Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
dave
infact the world series has not been aborted it was always going to be part of the PTC Series sanctioned by WSA.
the PTC in europe goes on.
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