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INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE PLAYER BANNED FOR 10 YEARS

The first major British player ever to have been found guilty of cheating has been banned for 10 years. Tony Haworth, a steel company manager has represented Wales 11 times in the Home International Series, and has also been non-playing captain for the Welsh National Team.

Mr Howarth assured the disciplinary committee that his playing partner, Keith Pratt, had not known he was cheating.

Tony Haworth admitted substituting his own pack of cards for one provided by the organisers during a Welsh championship in September.

It was alleged during a hearing of the laws and ethics committee of the Welsh Bridge Union, that Mr Haworth would have had advance knowledge of the cards when they were dealt and his team would profit. It was noted that Mr Haworth would have been unable to make the switch during an international match because on these occasions the cards were never dealt by the players, but were dealt in advance, either manually by the organisers or using a computer.

He was alleged to have switched the packs four times before his team was disqualified from the Welsh Foursomes tournament. Five witnesses said Mr Haworth, of Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan, would arrive at the table early, replace one of the packs with his own, then deal them without shuffling. In this event he would of course, have "stacked the deck" so that he had prior knowledge of the lie of the cards and would thus be able to ensure a very good board when it was played.

The committee decided that he had broken the Welsh Bridge Union rules. It was the first time any player had been banned for cheating in the union's 50-year history.

Information about the ban has been sent to the British Bridge League and the European Bridge League to ensure that Mr Haworth is unable to play tournament bridge anywhere in the world. The ban does not cover social bridge events.

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10 December 1999