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London - World snooker supremo Barry Hearn vowed on Monday that anyone found guilty of match-fixing would be dealt with severely and swiftly, after world number one John Higgins was suspended over bribery claims.
VIDEO: John Higgins 'sting'
Higgins was "in bits" about the allegations which surfaced in a Sunday newspaper, added Hearn after speaking to the beleaguered snooker champion.
"There will be nothing, I repeat absolutely nothing, that will stop this matter being dealt with in the fastest possible timetable so we can have this matter resolved and get down to concentrating on what we love to concentrate on, this wonderful game," Hearn told a news conference.
He said he was "absolutely flabbergasted" by the allegations made against Higgins by the News of the World.
The tabloid released a video showing Higgins and his manager Pat Mooney agreeing to lose four frames in matches to be played later this year in return for a 300 000-euro bribe.
Higgins has denied any wrongdoing and insisted he will fight to clear his name.
Hearn said he had spoken to Higgins, whom he had known for 20 years, since the allegations were made.
"I spoke to John. The guy is in bits. I can sympathise, empathise with him because the game has been his whole life."
He said that while everyone was innocent until proven guilty, "I said 'it doesn't look good, John'... I stressed to John that this is not something that is going away."
Hearn said that there was no evidence of any irregular betting patterns during the ongoing world championships in Sheffield, northern England. Australia's Neil Robertson is 9-7 up against Scotland's Graeme Dott heading into the last day of the final.
But Hearn vowed that "if there is a sickness in snooker, that is the death knell of snooker". If any sickness were found, it "will be removed in a brutal manner".
The 1985 world champion Dennis Taylor called for a life ban for any player found guilty of match-fixing.
"Anybody involved in that, they've got to be thrown out of the game, because the game's integrity is at stake," the Northern Irishman told BBC radio.
"It's a big shock and there's quite a dark cloud over The Crucible theatre," he added, referring to the world championships' venue.
"I've known John since he turned professional and in fact practised with him when he was a young lad.
"It was a real shock because he's still the current world champion and world number one and I just couldn't believe it. So it remains to be seen about these allegations.
"It's just a total shock. I couldn't believe that John Higgins could be involved in something like this, but it remains to be seen."
VIDEO: John Higgins 'sting'
Higgins was "in bits" about the allegations which surfaced in a Sunday newspaper, added Hearn after speaking to the beleaguered snooker champion.
"There will be nothing, I repeat absolutely nothing, that will stop this matter being dealt with in the fastest possible timetable so we can have this matter resolved and get down to concentrating on what we love to concentrate on, this wonderful game," Hearn told a news conference.
He said he was "absolutely flabbergasted" by the allegations made against Higgins by the News of the World.
The tabloid released a video showing Higgins and his manager Pat Mooney agreeing to lose four frames in matches to be played later this year in return for a 300 000-euro bribe.
Higgins has denied any wrongdoing and insisted he will fight to clear his name.
Hearn said he had spoken to Higgins, whom he had known for 20 years, since the allegations were made.
"I spoke to John. The guy is in bits. I can sympathise, empathise with him because the game has been his whole life."
He said that while everyone was innocent until proven guilty, "I said 'it doesn't look good, John'... I stressed to John that this is not something that is going away."
Hearn said that there was no evidence of any irregular betting patterns during the ongoing world championships in Sheffield, northern England. Australia's Neil Robertson is 9-7 up against Scotland's Graeme Dott heading into the last day of the final.
But Hearn vowed that "if there is a sickness in snooker, that is the death knell of snooker". If any sickness were found, it "will be removed in a brutal manner".
The 1985 world champion Dennis Taylor called for a life ban for any player found guilty of match-fixing.
"Anybody involved in that, they've got to be thrown out of the game, because the game's integrity is at stake," the Northern Irishman told BBC radio.
"It's a big shock and there's quite a dark cloud over The Crucible theatre," he added, referring to the world championships' venue.
"I've known John since he turned professional and in fact practised with him when he was a young lad.
"It was a real shock because he's still the current world champion and world number one and I just couldn't believe it. So it remains to be seen about these allegations.
"It's just a total shock. I couldn't believe that John Higgins could be involved in something like this, but it remains to be seen."
