Now Trouble in the Snooker World

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BasementDweller

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Looks like Matchroom is being squeezed on the snooker side now:
www.dailymail.co.uk

Mark Selby, John Higgins and Luca Brecel lead player mutiny with WST

Mark Selby, John Higgins and world champion Luca Brecel are leading a player mutiny - handing an embarrassing snub to snooker bosses.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

I do think us fans have a slightly skewed view of Matchroom. Barry Hearn himself has defended his top-heavy payout structure in snooker in a recent podcast with Hendry, and I don't think the players below the top ten are really doing as well as we routinely assume.

I just hope this doesn't all blow up.
 
BasementDweller said:
Looks like Matchroom is being squeezed on the snooker side now:
www.dailymail.co.uk

Mark Selby, John Higgins and Luca Brecel lead player mutiny with WST

Mark Selby, John Higgins and world champion Luca Brecel are leading a player mutiny - handing an embarrassing snub to snooker bosses.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

I do think us fans have a slightly skewed view of Matchroom. Barry Hearn himself has defended his top-heavy payout structure in snooker in a recent podcast with Hendry, and I don't think the players below the top ten are really doing as well as we routinely assume.

I just hope this doesn't all blow up.
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Various Asian countries are paying both snooker and 3c players a ton of $ to come play. MR will have to step-up, simple as that.
 
"Players are just trying to earn money, it is their choice. And they are realising their value. They are trying to restrict us."

Funny enough, these words are not about pool players and possible WPA restrictions on them. That's a quote from the linked Daily Mail article, and that's what Ronnie O'Sullivan says about WST. World Snooker. Which is basically Matchroom. Trying to keep their stars tied.
 
Vahmurka said:
"Players are just trying to earn money, it is their choice. And they are realising their value. They are trying to restrict us."

Funny enough, these words are not about pool players and possible WPA restrictions on them. That's a quote from the linked Daily Mail article, and that's what Ronnie O'Sullivan says about WST. World Snooker. Which is basically Matchroom. Trying to keep their stars tied.
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This is different if actual contracts are involved. Are the top snooker players contracted to WST? If so they may be in breach. I don't know anything about Brit biz law.
 
It seems certain that contracts are involved. As we don't know what the contracts of pertinence say, we can't judge who is in the right here.
 
Vahmurka said:
"Players are just trying to earn money, it is their choice. And they are realising their value. They are trying to restrict us."

Funny enough, these words are not about pool players and possible WPA restrictions on them. That's a quote from the linked Daily Mail article, and that's what Ronnie O'Sullivan says about WST. World Snooker. Which is basically Matchroom. Trying to keep their stars tied.
Click to expand...

WST is owned 51% by MR, so the analogy is there for sure. but it's also a bit different because the snooker tour players have contracts, an annual guaranteed wage and very good prize funds. in previous cases the WST has worked to incorporate these kind of events to its schedule, so that's likely to occur here
 
Pot meet kettle.

This is why on POOL MR has in their contract that they can restrict player's tournament choices. HOWEVER, the situation is a bit different. The Snooker players have a complete tour. They do allow the players to play in non MR snooker events, as long as they don't clash with a MR snooker event. That makes sense, because the whole MR tour is cohesive, and is a single package presented to the players, fans, and sponsors.

It would be like half of the NFL players skipping a few games to play in Arena Football.

If MR does this in pool, I would imagine they would first have a complete season of major events, with each player guaranteed a minimum yearly income in either prize money or direct payment. That would still rub some players and fans the wrong way, but at least pool would be in a much better place overall than now.
 
All resolved!

wst.tv

WST Statement Update - World Snooker

WST can confirm that the Macau event previously scheduled for 27-29 October will now take place on the 22-24 December with players having received WST permission to enter. As has been the case throughout, and contrary to reports, WST has dealt with all parties in a respectful and productive...
wst.tv wst.tv

They moved the date so it didn't clash with a WST event.
 
There is a spin-off seems to be evolving, like Ronnie O and Mark Allen still unhappy about the situation.
Get a decent promoter on board
in the UK
and stop treating the players like a piece of s**t. Do it properly. Or don’t get upset when players complain.
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Can you imagine, these again are words addressed not to WPA by a pool player, but a snooker player towards WST . That is what O'Sullivan thinking about them.

WST will try and change the player’s contract and clamp down. But the more they do, the worse they might make it for themselves. They’ll say, “You can’t play in anything, you can’t have a cue in your hand, anywhere, whether it’s streamed or not, if it’s not a tour event.
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Sounds familiar, doesn't it? :confused:
 
jay helfert said:
I see John Higgins (the Fixer) is on this list. This is the thanks he gives Matchroom/WST for the slap on the wrist they gave him when he got caught discussing dumping matches for big money. No question he was deep into it and they let him off the hook when he should have been banned forever!
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Well if I remember correctly he didn't have a choice due to the individuals who he was approached by. The governing body did a investigation and didn't find any illegitimate activity had occurred.

Perhaps you know more about this?
 
alphadog said:
Well if I remember correctly he didn't have a choice due to the individuals who he was approached by. The governing body did a investigation and didn't find any illegitimate activity had occurred.

Perhaps you know more about this?
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Did you watch the video? He knew exactly what he was doing, and was fully in cahoots with the whole thing. The "governing body" gave him a slap on the wrist saying he had not yet dumped any matches and was just playing along with the planners of this scheme. Baloney! It was a whitewash.
 
jay helfert said:
Did you watch the video? He knew exactly what he was doing, and was fully in cahoots with the whole thing. The "governing body" gave him a slap on the wrist saying he had not yet dumped any matches and was just playing along with the planners of this scheme. Baloney! It was a whitewash.
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I don't know Jay, I almost NEVER disagree with you. On this one not so much. I saw fear. I think he was thinking I just got to get out of here. The papers in Britain play ROUGH. This was a set up. Not Higgins or his management soliciting to fix. If I was in that situation and knowing how some of those Eastern Block Associations play I would have agreed to cannibalism to extract myself.
 
Nick B said:
I don't know Jay, I almost NEVER disagree with you. On this one not so much. I saw fear. I think he was thinking I just got to get out of here. The papers in Britain play ROUGH. This was a set up. Not Higgins or his management soliciting to fix. If I was in that situation and knowing how some of those Eastern Block Associations play I would have agreed to cannibalism to extract myself.
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Did you watch the part where Higgins added that he would be paid in cash, and was concerned about the secrecy involved in making the payments? Those were unsolicited comments from him. He was onboard all the way! He didn't look afraid to me, except at possibly getting caught.
 
jay helfert said:
Did you watch the part where Higgins added that he would be paid in cash, and was concerned about the secrecy involved in making the payments? Those were unsolicited comments from him. He was onboard all the way! He didn't look afraid to me, except at possibly getting caught.
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Under advisement of Mr. Helfert I'm going to rewatch this.
 
Trying to judge from a US and pool viewpoint doesn't really work. The european world and mindset is considerably different. Yet another thing is the often unbelievably harsh snooker penalties compared to pool. Your career can be ruined or totally ended over things that do get a slap on the wrist or just a little wrath of public opinion in the US.

Higgins put forth a plausible scenario. Playing along and escaping that meeting where he was basically helpless might have seemed the right move. What then? Snooker might have chosen to destroy his career had he went to them immediately. He was in a position where any move he made or simply doing nothing might be wrong. Do you jump out of a burning skyscraper with a millions to one chance of living or stay to be burned alive praying for a miracle rescue?

A wrong decision in that meeting could have been life or death but admittedly we are more likely to be talking about a career. Still, we are talking about a lifetime dedicated to snooker for all of the major players I know of, I assume Higgins too. You don't lightly give that up.

I remember being interested at the time and delving into the situation pretty deeply. Now I have lost interest and don't remember details. Snooker, with a history of being very harsh, did tread fairly lightly on Higgins not that most pool players would consider the punishment light. Here is a quote describing the punishment. I didn't verify accuracy.

(included text, bolding in original text)
Higgins was banned for six months, fined £75,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 in costs. Investigated by the WPBSA over suspicious betting patterns, but no charges were brought.
(end included text)

A slap on the wrist considering how the snooker governing body often reacts, hardly what many of us consider a slap on the wrist. I think that is roughly $100,000, a little over, and a year out of his career from a practical standpoint. Of course, John was/is a star and the consideration that he was needed might have came into play.

The punishment seemed more than adequate at the time for what might have been no more than poor judgment and a trap fallen into by going to the meeting. A second incident if his involvement is clearcut would probably be career ending.

Snooker betting is ridiculous. You can bet on every tiny detail. Betting one game in a 21 game match is just the beginning. As a result, snooker players can fix a bet with little or no impact on their finish. It is a weakness of their system.

Hu
 
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