With his 12-year ban coming to an end on October 12th, 2024, former snooker world number five Stephen Lee has already discussed the possibility of returning to competitive action.
The 50-year-old was suspended from snooker in October 2012 following reports from two bookmakers of illegal betting patterns surrounding a match in the 2012 Premier League, which Lee lost 4-2.
An investigation by the WPBSA subsequently brought charges relating to seven further matches against Lee, including one at the 2009 World Championship.
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Lee, from Wiltshire, was found guilty of influencing the outcome of seven matches in 2008 and 2009, as well as being guilty of 'accepting payment to influence the outcome of a match' for seven other matches.
The tribunal concluded that he was 'working with three different groups, who were betting on multiple platforms and the exact score and frame outcomes for matches he played in those tournaments'.
They also concluded that he deliberately lost matches against two opponents at the 2008 Malta Cup, and agreed to lose the first frame in matches against two other opponents at the 2008 UK Championship.
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Lee was banned for a total of 12 years but WPBSA head of disciplinary Nigel Mawer said it was in effect "a life ban because I think it is highly unlikely that Stephen Lee will be able to come back to the sport at this level."
Mawer added: "We don't take great pleasure out of that - this is a case of a fantastic snooker player who has thrown it all away through making the wrong decisions.
"It is only human to have a degree of sympathy for him and it is going to be very difficult for him, but we have to send a very strong message that match fixing is not going to be tolerated."
Lee is technically able to return to competitive action after his ban from snooker ended on October 12th, 2024.
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So what has he said about the possibility of making a comeback? Back in 2022, the former Welsh Open winner gave an insight into a potential return.
“I must get asked this weekly, daily, minutely,” Lee said, as quoted by The Mirror. “I would like to say no, but I am still capable of playing. Let’s see what happens in two years. It’s not a no, and not a yes.
“We can only just see what happens in a couple of years’ time. I have some exciting things coming up, and I’m also getting older."
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He added: “My eyes are getting worse, and I never had good eyes to start with. As you get older the determination and the fire goes.”
But earlier this year, Lee appeared to rule out a playing comeback to the sport, telling a fan on Facebook: "Not a chance of it my friend. I struggle to break off nowadays. It's down to my son [who plays amateur snooker] now..."
It must also be noted that Lee owes the WPBSA a sum of £125,000 in legal fees related to the court cases and unsuccessful appeals from a decade ago, according to SnookerHQ.
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A spokesperson for the WPBSA told the publication: “Stephen Lee would need to reach a satisfactory agreement with the WPBSA over settlement of his costs before he could play.”
As a result of the unpaid fines, Lee will not be able to participate on the Q Tour, Q School, and the WSF Championship.
Topics: Snooker
Jack Kenmare