Ronnie O'Sullivan fined £4,000 by snooker chiefs for 'lewd and offensive gesture' at UK and World Championship
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ByEurosport
Updated 26/10/2022 at 16:01 GMT
World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will be forced to pay £4,000 after being fined by the sport's governing body for bringing the game into disrepute. The world No. 1 was sanctioned by the WPBSA for incidents at last year's UK Championship and the World Championship earlier this year. The Essex player has the right to appeal the decision. The Home Nations series is live and exclusive on discovery+.
‘Don’t start’ – O’Sullivan in big row with referee
Ronnie O'Sullivan has been hit with a £4,000 penalty after the sport's governing body found him guilty of bringing the sport into disrepute.
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association deemed the world champion in breach of "regulations and his players contract" for making a "lewd and offensive gesture" on two occasions at last year's UK Championship in York and the World Championship in Sheffield earlier this year.
The WPBSA fined O'Sullivan £2,000 and sanctioned the Essex player with a further £2,000 for the cost of staging the disciplinary hearing at which he denied the allegations.
O'Sullivan was involved in a fiery debate with referee Olivier Marteel during the World Championship final in May.
O’Sullivan claimed Marteel was “looking for trouble” after an extraordinary exchange during his 18-13 win over Judd Trump.
Marteel halted proceedings in the final frame of the first session after taking offence at something O’Sullivan did – but would not reveal what it was.
O’Sullivan hit back, telling him to go and check the cameras, while Trump was also disturbed as the delay ran the risk of impacting his next shot.
O'Sullivan has the right to appeal the WPBSA decision.
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‘You should be very forceful as a referee’ – McManus and White on O’Sullivan-ref spat
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‘Looking for trouble’ - O’Sullivan on referee Marteel
Full WPBSA statement
After a WPBSA Disciplinary Committee hearing before an independent tribunal on 16th September 2022, Ronnie O’Sullivan was found to have breached the WPBSA Conduct Regulations and his players contract:
The allegation was that the Player had made a lewd and offensive gesture on two separate occasions in televised matches at the UK Championship 2021 and World Championship 2022. At the hearing Mr O’Sullivan denied the allegations.
On 24th October 2022, the sanction imposed on Mr O’Sullivan was:
- To pay a fine of £2,000; and
- To pay the costs of the Hearing fixed at £2,000
Mr O’Sullivan has the right to appeal the decisions of the Disciplinary Committee.
The WPBSA Members Rules
- 1.1 Members shall, at all times (i.e. whether at a Tournament or not), behave in a proper and correct manner consistent with their status as professional sportsmen.
- 1.3 A Member shall not make or cause to be made any statement or commit or cause to be committed any act which in the reasonable view of the WPBSA is likely to bring into disrepute the games of snooker and/or billiards.
WSL Players Contract
- 3.1.5 Behave in a professional and reputable manner befitting a professional sportsperson.
- 3.1.6 Not to do anything that may damage the reputation and goodwill of the Snooker Parties and the Partners"
- - -
The Home Nations series is back and it is live and exclusive on discovery+. You can also watch Seventh Heaven, a two-part show about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s historic World Championship win last season, on demand now.
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