The latest player to be named is also the first British player, Mark King, who has been suspended over a game he played against Joe Perry and lost 4-0 in February at the Welsh Open
King Becomes First British Player Suspended in Recent Match-Fixing Case
King’s name is lumped together for the time being with that of 10 Chinse players who are also facing match-fixing charges and other offenses. His suspension comes with an official confirmation by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) which released a statement on the matter.
According to the press release, the organization’s chairman, Jason Ferguson, has made a decision to suspend King from attending or participating in the World Snooker Tour with immediate effect. The suspension announcement also came with a clarification:
The suspension will remain in place until the conclusion of the investigation or any subsequent charges that may or may not be brought.
WPBSA statement
Perry, though, has not been accused of wrongdoing and said that he was surprised to hear that the WPBSA would open an investigation. In his opinion, King was simply having a bad day at the table, not so much losing on purpose.
He further added that like any top-ranking player, King is prone to have his good and bad days. Perry said that he himself had bad streaks and found it hard to rally from some of those. However Perry noted that King did have a gambling addiction, but to the best of his knowledge, the man had been able to keep it at bay and stay away from gambling.
Every Player Has Their Bad and Awful Days
“I hope it comes to nothing, I hope it’s just a coincidence and it comes to nothing. I’d hate to see any truth in it,” he concluded. The first reports of suspended players began at the start of the year, with a number of Chinese players named in the first offenses. Their numbers have since swelled to 10 suspects.
While King may have been involved in some strange betting patterns, this does not mean that the man did anything purposefully. There is no clear statement as to how King would have even known the other players and what he would have done to connect with match-fixers in the first place. All of this will be answered during the investigation.