Higgins in second snooker row

Press, 27 April 1983, Page 52

Higgins in second snooker row

NZPA-Reuter Sheffield, England The titleholder, Alex Higgins, demanded a change of referee as a second row erupted around the controversial Irishman at the world professional snooker championship in Sheffield yesterday. Higgins, who accused his second round opponent, Willie Thorne, of cheating last week, called for a new match official early in his quarter-final clash with the burly Canadian, Bill Werbeuiafc . Trouble flared in the

third frame when Higgins, 2-0 ahead in the 25-frame contest, tried for a snooker behind the pink. The referee, John Williams, up until dawn yesterday with the marathon second round struggle between a Canadian, Cliff Thorburn, and a Welshman, Terry Griffiths, called a foul shot, believing the cue ball had not touched the pink. Higgins promptly protested and made a gesture in Williams’s direction. Werbeniuk pulled-back a 46-point deficit and took the

frame, then Higgins stormed out of the auditorium and demanded that the tournament organiser, Mike Watterson, change the referee. “Play it back on the video if you don’t believe me— I touched that pink,” raged Higgins. “The referee cannot do his job and I want him changed. That call cost me the frame — I was well in command,” he added. “Even the people in the front row saw ■ it, but Williams would not listen to

them and the two officials who are supposed to sit there and watch what is going on said they hadn’t seen it. What were they — aclppn?” Watterson said: “Alex feels he hit the pink and he is a very honest player. He will often call a foul against himself when a referee has not seen it. “But the referee will not be changed unless he wants to retire from the match. And, just like in football or cricket, his decision is fina?.” Watterson dismissed

suggestions that the referee was still tired from the Thorburn-Griffiths encounter. “That’s rubbish. Williams had seven hours sleep to my knowledge.” Higgins put the incident out of his mind by winning the fourth frame, 89-7, for a 3-1 lead but Werbeniuk was level at 4-4 at the end of the opening session. The match continues today. Steve Davis; meanwhile, held off a strong counterattack by the Australian, Eddie Charlton, to take a 53 lead in their quarterfinal. Davis, the 1981 world

champion, led, 3-1, but the 53-year-old Charlton hit back to 3-3, including a superb clearance of 115 in the fifth frame. Davis, aged 25, carefully compiled a 34 break and then a 47 clearance to win the seventh of the best of 25 frames match, 108-9. He took the eighth 83-26, for a two-frame lead when they resume the second session this afternoon. Davis’s stablemate, Tony Moe, led 5-3 after the first session of his second-round match against a Welshman, Doug Mountjoy.