It's make or break
Clive Everton told Sky Sports News that snooker must now undergo a root and branch examination.
Last Updated: 03/05/10 11:19am
World snooker chief Barry Hearn had little option but to suspend John Higgins in order to protect the integrity of the sport, according to commentator Clive Everton.
The News of the World caught Higgins discussing throwing frames and claims he agreed to do so for 300 thousand euros.
The Scot denies he's been involved in match-fixing and Everton says snooker must now stamp out the issue or sustain serious damage.
"It is a dark day," Everton reflected. "I've seen the video footage and it does look bad although it would be appropriate to emphasise that John Higgins and his manager will have a chance to present their defence to the disciplinary tribunal that will be called.
"This sort of problem has to be eradicated from snooker. This is not the first alleged case of people attempting to fix frame outcomes.
"It's a problem that has grown in snooker for the last four years. Previous administrations have not acted as they should have done on information which they were supplied with or could have easily obtained.
"Who knows - good may come out of this because I believe there will be a root and branch examination of match-fixing in snooker to stamp it out once and for all because the game cannot afford it.
"Anything that damages the sport's credibility with the public is immensely damaging."
Perception
Everton is fully behind the steps taken by Hearn, who has made it clear that Higgins' career will be in jeopardy if he is found that he was planning to contrive results.
"I think that he (Hearn) has done extremely well over the last couple of days, which have been very trying," he said. "He's done all the right things and said all the right things.
"I can't think of anybody else who would have the oomph and indeed the knowledge of snooker to put it back on the right track, both commercially and in terms of its public perception.
"If the viewing public believe that what they are watching may not necessarily be genuine they won't continue to watch.
"Sponsors won't continue to invest, broadcasters won't want to show it.
"Snooker leans pretty heavily on betting sponsors so that could be commercially catastrophic and the integrity and credibility of the game would be shattered if this match-fixing which has been going on for the last four years is not brought out into the open and cleared up once and for all."
