Snooker: Stephen Lee has his 12-year ban for match-fixing upheld
Former world No 5 Stephen Lee has had his appeal against a ban for match-fixing dismissed at a hearing in London
Last Updated: 15/05/14 7:25pm
Lee was banned from snooker for 12 years - the sports longest suspension - after an independent disciplinary tribunal found him guilty on seven counts of match-fixing dating back to matches in 2008 and 2009.
In addition to the lengthy ban, the 39-year-old from Trowbridge was originally ordered to pay £40,000 in costs at the hearing last September, which has since been increased to £75,000.
"Today Mr Nicholas Stewart QC (sitting as The Appeals Committee) has delivered his decision and he has dismissed the appeal," read a WPBSA statement issued on Thursday.
"In addition he has increased the costs order in relation to the hearing before tribunal chairman Adam Lewis QC from £40,000 to £75,000.
"The term of the suspension remains at a period of 12 years. This means that Stephen Lee will continue to be unable to compete in professional snooker before 12 October 2024."
WPBSA disciplinary committee chairman Nigel Mawer admitted the case was sad, and that Lee's only route back into snooker now appears to be on the seniors tour.
"There's a degree of sadness because Stephen Lee was a fantastic player and he's thrown it all away through greed and getting involved in match-fixing," Meyer told Sky Sports News.
"Basically, as a result of that, he's now finished with snooker. He's banned now until he's 50 years of age, he's exhausted all avenues of appeal.
"But it is with sadness. It's harmful to any sport when there are upheld allegations of match-fixing.
"We do have a seniors tour and there are options for people who are older to play snooker if they are good enough but if you've been away from the sport for that length of time, I think it would be very difficult for him to re-engage."
The charges against Lee related to three matches in the 2008 Malta Cup, two matches at the 2008 UK Championship, one at the 2009 China Open and one at the 2009 World Championship.
Lee has protested his innocence throughout but saw the first stage of his appeal - which questioned the neutrality of the chair of the original tribunal - fail in February.
The second stage of Lee's appeal directly challenged the guilty verdict handed down to him but the five-time ranking event winner has now seen the original decision upheld.
