Snookered by Snooker: Neil Robertson Wins Under Dark Cloud
Snooker has made massive national and international news, however as is often the case, bigger news stories often have a huge negative aspect, as is the case here.
Media Man and Gambling911 take the probe (and the snooker cue Underbelly style) to see what the real story is, and where from now to see Australian and international snooker return to its former glory.
Firstly, congratulations to the new world snooker champion, Australian Neil Robertson.
Robertson won the world snooker championship title at Sheffield, England. Robertson, 28, def Scotland's Graeme Dott 18-13 in the best-of-35 frames final at The Crucible Theatre. He's only the second Aussie to ever win the crown, after Horace Lindrum in 1952! Quite a few of us weren't even alive back then, or even a thought for that matter.
"It's absolutely incredible. I just can't believe it," Robertson said after his victory, watched by his mother, who had flown over from down under Oz on a "leap of faith".
Robertson's wife Millie is expecting with the couple's first baby, which was due on Sunday. Yesterday Robertson said "Every part of my life is exciting. We were talking about the due date, how wouldn't it be funny if I got to the final."
The champ now has five professional titles to his name. He turned pro at 16, around the same age a number of poker professionals step up and go all in.
Robertson is currently ranked number nine in the world.
Robertson's mother Alison used her credit cards to fund Neil's world snooker circuit antics. She made a surprise trip to cheer on her son yesterday.
Robertson would like to play poker again soon in Australia.
Unfortunately the sport (and therefore his victory) has a dark cloud over it at the moment, with snooker joining the tarnished (largely sports betting and fixing to blame) of cricket, NRL (Melbourne Storm recently) and European soccer. Horse racing and professional boxing also have some dirt on them at the moment, with with the racing and boxing its almost to be expected.
Mail Online has been covering the scandal in great depth and their website also carries multimedia footage, even more interesting with Higgin's caught on camera.
Higgins has been suspended over match-fixing allegations which is having a massive negative effect on the sport.
He filmed shaking hands on a £260,000 deal in which he appears to agree to deliberately lose frames for an illegal gambling syndicate... well, I never!
Higgins, insists his conscience was "100%" and claimed he had feared he was being intimidated by Russian gangsters... its always the bloody mob... if not the Russians, the triads, and of late, Melbourne and Sydney's 'Underbelly' types.
Snooker legend Steve Davis said it was "a dark day for snooker".
Manager Pat Mooney was also caught in the News of the World sting and resigned from his role on the board of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, which polices the game.
The two men were secretly filmed by undercover journalists posing as members of a gambling syndicate.
Websites
News Of The World
The Mail
Media Man and Gambling911 are hopeful that new Aussie champ Robertson can generate more positive press and represent his sport like a true champion. Questions are going to be asked of Robertson's victory, and we hope he has the correct (and true) answers.
The fallout gives more power to the argument by sport purists that there should be no betting on sport. Not even the horses!
Stay tuned to Gambling911 as they tell is straight, in a no hold barred, internet filter - censorship free approach.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company
