Ruling body to launch inquiry after allegations of match-fixing

[JAM]

Say it ain't so!

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the sport's governing body, has finally announced that a formal investigation will take place into allegations of match-fixing when Stephen Maguire beat Jamie Burnett 9-3 in the first round of the Maplin UK Championship in Telford, Shropshire, on Monday.

There have been extensive calls for a thorough probe into irregular betting patterns, with substantial correct score wagers struck on 9-3. No other score received significant support. One bookmaker suspended betting four days before the match reached its climax.

From 7-3, Burnett committed numerous errors and certain shot selections had many of his fellow players, watching on television in the pressroom, shaking their heads in disbelief. The match concluded when Burnett grossly overcut a short-range, slowly rolled final black to a top corner pocket in the twelfth frame, leaving Maguire a straightforward pot to win.

Last night, the WPBSA confirmed that it has "already instructed specialist external legal counsel to assist in pursuing the investigation robustly and efficiently, so as to protect the integrity of the sport while, at the same time, respecting its obligation to treat those investigated fairly."

The outcome of those inquiries will determine whether any disciplinary measures are subsequently taken. If there is a case to answer the WPBSA insists that it will "pursue it vigorously." The WPBSA revealed that, at 4.50pm on Friday, two days before the match began, it took a call from a bookmaker keen to report an unusual pattern of bets on Maguire to beat Burnett, his close friend, sometime practice partner and fellow Scot, 9-3.

Having notified its other bookmaking contacts, the WPBSA arranged for officials to be in attendance at the Telford International Centre and observe the match in question. The BBC, which covered play live on their interactive service, has released tapes for additional scrutiny.

At a time when snooker is suffering from a chronic shortage of sponsorship ? no replacement has been found for 888.com, former backers of the World Championship ? it is hardly surprising that the WPBSA wishes to be seen reacting to anything that may tarnish the sport?s image or undermine its integrity.

What's that all about?!

Continuing:
However, it should have issued a response sooner.

Maguire goes into his quarter-final against John Higgins this afternoon insistent that the betting furore is without foundation and will not adversely affect his performance for the remainder of the event.

"It really hurts me what?s happened," Maguire, the 2004 champion, said. "I can't really believe what?s going on. My phone has been non-stop since it all started, people asking me what?s going on as if I?ve got the answer.

"It annoys me to some extent, but I know nothing's happened, so if everybody wants to talk, that's up to the them. If it happens it's a disgrace, but me, personally, I know it didn't so I'm not worried. Once you get out there on the table you forget everything, what's been said doesn't affect me."

Article source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article5362211.ece

Stephene Maguire, the alleged match-fixer, below. He denies it vehemently. Others are calling for a lifetime ban for match-fixing.

 

[JAM]

The people who run snooker are a secretive lot, not unlike the gamblers they suspect of lurking around their game again and giving sponsors at the top of a recession an excuse to walk away from the sport...

...Bookmakers, tired of the scams, are now watching specific players to spot patterns. William Hill have stopped taking bets on the result of single frames before a tournament reaches the quarter-finals. One bookmaker told me of the Telford tournament last week: "We are still concerned about one or two games in this tournament."

Some people in the game have had enough. Snooker halls, struggling with increased rents, are closing all over the country. London institutions at Archway, Ealing, Ilford and Camden Town have shut their doors. Others are doing OK - strongholds such as Terry Griffiths's club in Llanelli. Generally, though, it is grim.

For those watching the travails of snooker in black and white, the game is the one behind the eight ball.

Wow, looks like these tough economic times are affecting everybody around the world. :sorry:

Article source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/dec/21/snooker

Here's another picture of the other accused, Maguire's friend, Jamie Burnett.

Geesh, look at the size of that shaft he's hitting 'em with! Looks like a pencil at the end.

 

[Johnnyt]

The people who run snooker are a secretive lot, not unlike the gamblers they suspect of lurking around their game again and giving sponsors at the top of a recession an excuse to walk away from the sport...

...Bookmakers, tired of the scams, are now watching specific players to spot patterns. William Hill have stopped taking bets on the result of single frames before a tournament reaches the quarter-finals. One bookmaker told me of the Telford tournament last week: "We are still concerned about one or two games in this tournament."

Some people in the game have had enough. Snooker halls, struggling with increased rents, are closing all over the country. London institutions at Archway, Ealing, Ilford and Camden Town have shut their doors. Others are doing OK - strongholds such as Terry Griffiths's club in Llanelli. Generally, though, it is grim.

For those watching the travails of snooker in black and white, the game is the one behind the eight ball.

Wow, looks like these tough economic times are affecting everybody around the world. :sorry:

Article source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/dec/21/snooker

Here's another picture of the other accused, Maguire's friend, Jamie Burnett.

Geesh, look at the size of that shaft he's hitting 'em with! Looks like a pencil at the end.

The only way I see to stop this is for the players to ban or demand a lifetime ban on them...if they did indeed bet and dump. This could put Snooker right up there with pool in the USA. Johnnyt

 

[TX Poolnut]

You can't get a line on pro pool in Las Vegas. I wonder why. :shakehead:

 

[CTYankee]

Any sport that is tete-a-tete runs the risk of this. Greed is too prevelant in our collective world culture to ever keep everyone above board. This is why I stopped watching boxing. The whole thing is truly depressing, as most of the finest sports, in my opinion, pit one against one. Honor exists, but it seems to be slowly fading into obscurity.

 

[Roy Steffensen]

This was sad news to read...

Hope it isn't true, but no matter what, these articles have already made it harder for snooker to get new sponsors.

 

[jay helfert]

Sung to the tune of your choice.

Let's make a deal,
No one will squeal.
You get to nine,
That will be fine.

I'll go to three,
That suits me to a tee.
We can hit the book,
Treat him like a schnook.

We'll get the cash,
And make a mad dash.
To the bank we'll go,
Yelling Hi De Hi De Ho!

It's so easy to do,
To give them a screw.
Someone will make our bet,
All the money we will get!

It's so nice to do,
A little business with you.
I always like to earn,
Next time it's your turn!

 

[Roy Steffensen]

Sung to the tune of your choice.

Let's make a deal,
No one will squeal.
You get to nine,
That will be fine.

I'll go to three,
That suits me to a tee.
We can hit the book,
Treat him like a schnook.

We'll get the cash,
And make a mad dash.
To the bank we'll go,
Yelling Hi De Hi De Ho!

It's so easy to do,
To give them a screw.
Someone will make our bet,
All the money we will get!

It's so nice to do,
A little business with you.
I always like to earn,
Next time it's your turn!

As long as it is possible to stay happy, have humour and joke about things like this, the poolcommunity will survive and get stronger, imo!

Thanks for the laugh Jay.

Merry X-mas

 

[JAM]

There's talent in this forum, I tell you. I've never laughed so hard at the recent poem contributions from Doug Gordon. Now Jay throws us a funny.

Great stuff! :thumbup:

 

[Jadssons]

The only way I see to stop this is for the players to ban or demand a lifetime ban on them...if they did indeed bet and dump. This could put Snooker right up there with pool in the USA. Johnnyt

This is hitting the nail on the head. This is why pool will probably never take off in the USA. There needs to be a substanial punishment for players that do this to try and discourage it.

 

[worriedbeef]

you can watch the frame of snooker where the apparent strange misses and oddball shot selections took place here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ryPHSJfCo9o

burnett actually knew about the alleged flurry of betting on the final score when he attempted the final black, so he claims that that intense pressure to pot the eight to prove he wasn't a cheat was what made him ultimately miss it so badly.

there's a few other strange incidents as well which arguably look a bit suspicious, like when he takes on the blue ball from on the bottom cushion. he needed to miss it I think accordding to the allegations - but it was such a difficult shot he probably thought he wasn't gonna pocket it anyway. so it probably surprised him when it did go in.

To be honest it really is difficult to say one way or another. For every slightly suspect shot or strange shot choice, there's an equally plausible argument to explain it.

There's a lot of useful information in all the youtube comments btw for those who are interested.

 

[JimS]

Sounds like they were pretty obvious in their score fixing. If your ethics allow you to do something like this then you'd better practice being invisible. Ya gotta stay invisible.

 

[Grady]

Further fodder

Some of the American players have thrown matches while in Europe, too. I was there and when I brought it to the attention of the tournament officials, the WPA, the UPA and the bookmakers, they just ignored me. They wouldn't even chastise the players. When players from other countries saw how lenient the officials were, they threw contests, too.
I see no reason to state the offenders names here but they admitted to me that they had done this, not that I needed any verification other than what I had seen.
IMHO players who dump matches in tournaments should be banned for life. Gambling is an entirely different matter. Some stakehorses need to be be dumped. The ones I refer too, are a blight in our sport. They arrange dumps, robberies and provide drugs for pool players.
Merry Christmas, everyone.

 

[TX Poolnut]

Video of Jamie denying a fix: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HpnM7E6ZgKc&feature=related

Merry Xmas to you too Grady.

 

[vagabond]

all those investigations and conclusions based on replays of the videos will only prove that the shot making ability of the player in question is 'inconsistent'.U can no way prove that his inconsistent play is due to malicious intent.In the absence of admissions/confessions/braggings by the players ,the investigation is waste of time,money and only will leave strained relationships in the green felt jungle.

 

[smashmouth]

I disagree, the fix was on and the money poured in at the bookies. People will talk.

 

[smashmouth]

this is also nothing new to snooker, the people running the sport are corrupt old geezers, they allow this shit and turn the other cheek when it suits them, other times, not so much.....

they fight like hell to keep snooker from expanding, to keep the rules defence oriented, to ignore the youth, to fly in the face of modern marketing, etc......

 

[alstl]

It is plausible that Burnett was the max fixer and the winner wasn't involved. The guy evidently did a lousy job of dumping since everybody noticed.

 

[jason]

Say it aint so!

This is not just a pool problem, this is a human problem.

Dumping, point shaving, and odds fixing has happened to the best of sports.

In baseball, it was the Chicago "Black" Sox fixing the 1919 World Series with the now infamous "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. The Pete Rose gambling sanctions where harsh because his activity had potential to undermine the intergrity of the MLB. In college basketball it happened with Boston College in 1978-79 and the Perla brothers. The NBA recently has the Tim Donaghy and he isn't even a player but a referee. We haven't even touched on boxing and Don King!

Add the greed, the opportunity, the will, and the belief of success and it will happen.

Now that we understand the causes, what is the solution? Very difficult to say the least, but the risk must out weigh the reward. In major professional sports, the risk of losing million dollar contracts is a great deterrent. Unfortunately, simple public humiliation is not much of a deterrent at all anymore, and maybe even an incentive for some.

Pool is one of the hardest games to prove dumping because of the precision that is involved. Only a trained eye, like a lot of AZ posters, can detect a thrown shot. Even that can be up to interpretation. Who is going to accurately determine if someone just dogged a shot?

The problem with enforcing, fining, or reprimanding any players is the governing bodies in pool (and snooker) have relatively very little power. You can try to "ban" the guilty for life or fine them but it won't really work. Ban them from what I ask. There is alway another tour popping up. With the difficulty of getting players as is, the power to be are reluctant to loose any players. Even under circumstance like this.

Unfortunately, it will continue to happen and there isn't much anyone can do.

 

[maldito]

Not surprised as long as there is wagering on sports matches there are individuals who will try to make a quick buck.