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STEVE DAVIS: SNOOKER STARS BET ON THEMSELVES TO LOSE
18th July 2010
TOP snooker players often bet on themselves to lose big matches, says Steve Davis.

The six-time world champion was speaking as controversy rages over sensational match-fixing allegations against John Higgins.

Davis, 52, exclusively told the Daily Star Sunday: “Players having a bet is not uncommon.

“Lots of players have been known to have a bet on themselves to win matches or have a bet with their opponents.

“I have also known boys to bet on themselves losing as an insurance bet if they don’t win.

“That doesn’t mean in any way they want to lose. But they saw it as a consolation prize if they did.

“I have also known players who have notched up the highest break so far in a tournament and then had a bet on it being beaten, as insurance.”

But the cue legend emphasised: “We are not talking about fixing a match or deliberately losing for personal gain.

“That is the kind of behaviour that nobody could ever condone.

“And after the allegations laid against John Higgins, the reputation of the sport has been badly tarnished.

“We now have to work together to get rid of all the things that could be seen as shady.
“Snooker now has to be whiter than white. ”

Davis is also looking forward to the result of the independent inquiry on the Higgins scandal so snooker can finally move on.

Scot Higgins, 35, is being investigated after it was claimed he agreed to pocket a £261,000 bribe to lose frames.

Keen card player Davis, who was in Las Vegas last week playing in a World Series poker event for the Ladbrokes Poker team, said: “It has been a tough time for snooker.

“The revelations have shocked everyone in the game.

“We are all in limbo until a final verdict is announced.

“It doesn’t look good for Higgins from the evidence that was reported.

“But I understand there are a lot of other details about the matter that are being looked at.”

Davis added: “We will not know the full truth until the investigation is over.

“The game needs to move forward from this scandal and regain people’s trust in it.”

Promoter Barry Hearn, the new chairman of the World Professional Billiards Snooker Association, said he hoped the inquiry would be concluded by the end of the month.

He said: “The investigation carried out by the former Metropolitan Police chief David Douglas has been completed.

“The next stage of the process will be to hand his findings on to an independent tribunal.

“They have 28 days to come to their conclusion.

“Hopefully, for John Higgins’ sake, they will get back to us sooner rather than later.” Интересненькое желание.... Ради Джона Хиггинса, а не ради чего другого.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/<\/u><\/a>