Snooker
Exclusive: Snooker’s Ken Doherty Laments Mark King's 'Ruined Legacy' After Match-Fixing Ban
Ken Doherty reflects on Mark King's match-fixing ban, calling it a tragic end to a once-promising career. The snooker legend stresses the importance of educating players on the perils of cheating.
Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images
Snooker legend Ken Doherty says Mark King will have to live with his actions for the rest of his life after being found guilty of match-fixing.
The former Northern Ireland Open champion has been banned for five years and ordered to pay £68,299.50 in costs after being found guilty of fixing a match against Joe Perry at last year’s Welsh Open, and providing information on a match, by an independent disciplinary committee.
Aged 50, it is a ban that will effectively end the former world No.11’s career.
It was only last year the sport was rocked by the biggest cheating scandal in its history when 10 Chinese players were slapped with bans for varying levels of offences.
Now the King saga has finally come to an end, there is optimism among those in the sport that the punishments handed out in recent times are a strong enough deterrent to stop potters fixing.
Romford cueist King has been candid about drink and gambling problems in the past, and downbeat 1997 world champion Doherty said: “It ruins your career. For the sake of money, he’s ruined his legacy, he’s tainted and will have to live with that for the rest of his life. So will the Chinese players.”
“I’ve known Mark since he was ten years of age when I used to play down in Ilford. He used to practice with Ronnie, they came from the same club.”
"I’ve known him for so long. For his career to end like this is very very sad for him and his family, his dad who went around with him for years. He supported me as well, so I was close to the family. I feel sad for them and sad for the game really.”
“There’s no room in the game for people trying to make money and throwing matches.”
Mark King was very well liked among the snooker crowd. He was a very funny guy.
Ken Doherty
“I know he had a gambling problem. That was well documented and he had help through GA with it. We thought he was past all that.”
For him to do this, I feel sorry that it had to come to this for him after knowing him for so long.”
Doherty has been a mainstay on the professional circuit since first getting on the tour back in 1990 and the Darlin’ of Dublin has been one of the game’s great ambassadors ever since.
There aren’t many people on the tour with more experience than the Irish stalwart and as part of the WPSBA Players’ Board is helping to educate younger players getting on the World Snooker Tour about the perils of cheating.
He added: “It’s so important to educate new players coming into the game. Those induction couple of days are really important.”
“There’s a whole section there on fixing, betting, and the pitfalls of people approaching you and things like that. Even if you don’t do it, but know someone who has and you don’t tell you’re still guilty.”
“It’s very important that players know that when they come into the game and they don’t fall for those temptations.”
Shane is a respected journalist who has covered a range of sports for a number of years.