Former snooker ace Davis slams match fixing
Thursday 2nd September 2010, 2:29PM BST.
Six-time World Championships winner snooker player Steve Davis with Tim Prevel of Tim’s Windows. Mr Davis was in the island yesterday as ambassador for double glazing industry organisation Network VEKA. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 1020318)
EVERY sport is open to abuse from match fixers, said the former snooker world champion Steve Davis.
The former snooker world champion was in Guernsey yesterday in his capacity as ambassador for double-glazing industry organisation Network VEKA.
Mr Davis said in a world increasingly obsessed with gambling, transparency was the key to keeping any sport clean.
‘When people are found out it is good for the game, whether it is snooker or cricket. It has to be made clear that is not going to be tolerated,’ said Mr Davis.
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Steve Davis – what a Legend!
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“Mr Davis said in a world increasingly obsessed with gambling, transparency was the key to keeping any sport clean”
…he went on to say, “whereas with these windows, keeping them clean is the key to transparency”.
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I agree Steve Davis is a legend who had it in him not to press the self destriction button on himself like many others have done.
Problem with betting and sport it is wide open to corruption and match fixing whatever the money is being placed on.
My preference would be to put your money on the final result and not all what goes on during the game/match.
Personally I dont go betting, however its better to have it legalised and regulated than it being outlawed and driven underground.
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As someone with personal experience of the dangers of gambling, despite my distaste for the industry as a whole I agree with Bill that it is far better to have it regulated. Sadly there remains plenty unlicensed gambling in the world and corruption will always be buzzing around sport like flies around the proverbial dung heap.
Thanks to technology sports and gambling are both available worldwide and online meaning that criminals have easy access. Someone in Hong Kong can easily place live market bets on a cricket match the other side of the world.
Markets are also available for pretty much anything, much of which is so minor that it goes unnoticed; bets can also be placed in-play. The recent cricket scandal illustrates this perfectly: without evidence gleaned from outside the match environment who is going to suspect foul play when a couple of no-balls are bowled in a 5 day test match? This makes the potential for corruption far greater as it’s much easier to bowl a no-ball than throw an entire match.
I think it’s pretty much impossible for sporting authorities to ever stop gambling or corruption. On the surface, severe penalties such as life bans for anyone caught and convicted seems the right way to go. The problem however is that many players (some very young, naive and vulnerable) are preyed on and intimidated to the extent that they fear for their safety. The Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir, a supremely talented prospect, may well illustrate this point depending on the results of any investigation.
No matter what level it’s played at cheating and corruption will always be a problem for competitive sport. Although all measures should be taken to guard against corruption, without sounding too pessimistic it will never be eliminated. Perhaps the answer is to adopt the professional wrestling policy of predetermined, stage-managed bouts?!
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How can sports like snooker and cricket claim to be clean when they are sponsored by betting firms?
Betting is a pastime for the idle rich but the last chance saloon for the desperate poor.
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I find it sad how the games are starting to become fixed, just the other day I was playing a game with bets at somebodys house and I could tell that the inside pocket was dipping in a bit meaning I could not pocket in these holes.
simon
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