Snooker chiefs call on Ronnie O'Sullivan to prove his match-fixing claims are true
Barry Hearn hints world champion risks a disrepute charge if he cannot back up tweets written after Stephen Lee guilty verdict
Ronnie O’Sullivan could be punished over his accusations of widespread match-fixing – unless he starts naming names.
Former world No.5 Stephen Lee was found guilty on seven corruption charges on Monday, and faces a likely life ban.
And world champion O’Sullivan has since stirred things up further on Twitter.
The Rocket said: “No need to worry if you got nothing to hide. But plenty of people have got loads to hide. That’s why there is no free speech. I’ve heard there are many more players who throw snooker matches. I suppose Steve Lee was just caught out.
“They will probably fine me for talking about it. They don’t like you doing that. Like to keep things under the carpet.”
World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn hit back angrily and told O’Sullivan, 38, to name names or risk a disrepute charge.
Hearn said: “If he has names and he knows of incidences he has an obligation and a duty to report them and failure to do so will put him in breach of his player’s contract.
“There’s no point in making vague announcements, if he knows something he has a responsibility to be specific and World Snooker will write to him on that basis.
“He’s either got to say, ‘Actually, I don’t know anything’, or if he knows something he has a responsibility to tell us.”
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association chairman Jason Ferguson raged: “It is very disappointing to read. Ronnie has said we like to brush things under the carpet, the Lee case has shown exactly the opposite.
“We monitor betting markets the world over and I can tell you it is not widespread.”