Mark Allen's £10,000 Fine For "Cheat" Remarks

A Northern Irish snooker player who hit the headlines when he accused another player of cheating at the World Championship has been ordered to pay a £10,000 fine and £1,000 hearing costs.

Mark Allen has also been given a three-month ban, suspended for six months, and will be obliged to undergo media training.

In a press conference in April after his defeat in the Betfred.com World Championships in Sheffield, Mr Allen accused China's Cao Yupeng of failing to declare an illegal push shot and said cheating appeared to be a trait of Chinese players.

He named two other Chinese players as being known for cheating.

The 26-year-old Antrim man later apologised for his comments, admitting he "overstepped the line".

A meeting of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) disciplinary committee found that Mr Allen had brought the game into disrepute.

They also found he breached a rule designed to prevent intimidation, offence and discrimination.

Mr Allen's loose tongue has weighed on his wallet this year – in March, he was fined £1,000 for comments he made about Chinese people on Twitter, and in January he was fined £250 for swearing in a press conference.

In April, World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn said players had "responsibility at every level".

He said: "This is a very good time to be a snooker player. It's not a good time to be an idiot. It concerns me that sometimes it's a case that the mouth is functioning but the brain has not been consulted."

(NE)