Footage emerges of snooker match that Mark King fixed as star is banned for five years
SHOCKING footage has emerged from the snooker match that Mark King fixed.
The former Northern Ireland Open champ has been hit with a five-year ban for match fixing.
King was found guilty of “one count of match fixing and one count of providing inside information on that match.”
He was initially suspended by the WPBSA in March 2023, a month after suspicious betting was reported on his 4-0 defeat by Joe Perry in the first round of the Welsh Open.
And now Eurosport footage of the match in question against Perry has resurfaced.
While it cannot be said that he purposefully misplaced these shots, the video shows King quickly working his way round the table.
The 50-year-old can be seen missing several open shots and failing to cut in from uncontested angles across the four frames.
Suspicious betting was reported, with an investigation carried out by bet monitoring partner Sportradar and the Sports Betting Intelligence United at the Gambling Commission.
Following an investigation, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) referred King’s case for a disciplinary hearing in November 2023.
After the suspended Englishman denied the charges, his case was heard before an independent committee in May.
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They found he had ‘”fixed or contrived, or was a party to an effort to fix or contrive the result or score of the Perry match.”
He has since been charged £68,000.
As a result of the hearing, King has now been banned from 18 March 2023 to 17 March 2028 from playing in any “activities or events recognised or organised by the WPBSA.”
King, whose only ranking title win came at the Northern Ireland Open in 2016, has until November 28 to appeal.
The former world No 11 was also under suspicion for his 4-1 loss to John Higgins in the English Open in December 2022.
But the Higgins case has since been dismissed.
King turned professional in 1991 and reached a career-high world ranking of 11 in 2003.
The rules of snooker
THE aim of snooker is to clear the table of all balls – and achieving it in an incredible 147 break is the ultimate goal.
The rectangular table features green baize, a baulk line and semi-circle, known as the D.
It has six pockets, four in each corner and two midway down both long sides.
There are 15 red balls which are arranged in a triangular shape.
There are also six colour balls, and the white cue ball.
Each colour sits on its own designated spot at the start of the game.
While red balls are worth one point when potted, the colours all have a different value.
In ascending order these are:
- Yellow – two points
- Green – three points
- Brown – four points
- Blue – five points
- Pink – six points
- Black – seven points
The first player will cue off and must hit at least one of the red balls in the triangle.
If they pot a red, they can then continue by potting a colour.
However, if no red is potted then their opponent will play the next shot – going for a red first.
Each player must first pot a red ball when it’s their turn to play. If nothing is pocketed it is the other player’s turn at the table.
After each red is potted they must then follow with a colour, then a red, then a colour, and so on.
Whilst there are still red balls on the table, the potted colour balls are returned to their designated spot.
Once all the red balls are pocketed, the player at the table must pot the colours in the order as outlined above.
If they miss then their opponent will have the opportunity to clear the table.
A 147 is a maximum break when all reds are potted by one player in one stint at the table.
In order to achieve 147, the player must pot all 15 reds with 15 blacks for 120 points.
They must then clear all the colours, concluding with the black for 27 points.
During play the rules state that the cue must only touch the white cue ball.
The cue ball also must hit the correct colour ball – reds or colours in order.
If it hits the incorrect colour then a foul is called.
If the cue ball fails to hit any ball or is pocketed it is also a foul.
The player’s turn at the table ends if they play a foul shot.
Players are also penalised if they touch any ball on the table with their person.
