List of snooker players investigated for match-fixing

Last updated

Liang Wenbo PHC 2016.jpg
Li Hang PHC 2016-1.jpg
Liang Wenbo (left) and Li Hang (right) received lifetime bans for match-fixing

Snooker has seen corruption allegations since its inception as a professional sport. Professional player and commentator Willie Thorne considered match-fixing endemic to snooker, noting that he himself was offered a bribe to throw a match. [1] The earliest known case of corruption in the game involved Joe Davis, pioneer of the professional sport and winner of the first 15 world championships, who is believed to have "carried" weaker opponents in multi-session matches to maximise gate revenue. [2] In 1968, The Sunday Times published an article titled "Great TV Snooker Frame-up", which exposed the fixing of non-tournament televised matches for "the artificial production of climaxes". Players Ray Edmonds, John Spencer, Gary Owen and Fred Davis recounted how there had been an understanding that if they were playing a televised match, end with a deciding frame , and that they would play in a way to ensure dramatic tension. Davis said that he regarded these matches as "five frames of comedy: I hate taking part in something that's not genuine". [3]

Contents

Players have sometimes been coerced into fixing results. Thai players in particular have been targeted by cartels. James Wattana once received a death threat as part of a match-fixing attempt, [4] while Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon was the victim of a firebomb attack on his Rotherham home after the governing body opened an investigation into him and fellow Thai player Passakorn Suwannawat. [5]

Match-fixing is difficult to prove. Only four arrests have taken place in the sport's history—Silvino Francisco, Stephen Lee and Scottish practice partners Stephen Maguire and Jamie Burnett—but no criminal prosecution has ever been brought. In 2022, the sport was rocked by the biggest scandal in its history when a match-fixing ring was unmasked, which led to ten Chinese players—Liang Wenbo, Li Hang, Lu Ning, Yan Bingtao, Zhao Xintong, Zhao Jianbo, Chang Bingyu, Bai Langning, Chen Zifan and Zhang Jiankang—being banned for match-fixing offences. Ringleaders Liang and Li both received lifetime bans—the first ever handed out—from the sport. The only other players the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) have successfully prosecuted for match-fixing are Stephen Lee, Leo Fernandez, Yu Delu, Cao Yupeng, David John, Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon and amateur player John Sutton. Four other players—Quinten Hann, John Higgins, Joe Jogia, and Jamie Jones—have served bans on match-fixing related charges.

Players investigated for match-fixing

NameMatchOutcomeRef
EventDateOpponentScore
Silvino Francisco Masters
Last 16		29 January 1986 Tony Knowles 1–5Arrested, but later released without charge. [6] [7] [8] [9]
Masters
Last 16		23 January 1989 Terry Griffiths 1–5
Peter Francisco World Championship
Last 32		15–16 April 1995 Jimmy White 2–10Found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute, and was banned for five years. Cleared of match-fixing. [10] [11]
Quinten Hann China Open
Last 32		31 March 2005 Ken Doherty 2–5Hann was found in breach of rule 2.8, which states "a member shall not directly or indirectly solicit, attempt to solicit or accept any payment or any form of remuneration of benefit in exchange for influencing the outcome of any game of snooker or billiards." He was banned for eight years in 2006 and fined £10,000. [12] [13] [14] [15]
Stephen Lee Malta Cup
League stage		8 February 2008 Joe Swail 5–1 WPBSA concluded that the match was not fixed. [16] [17] [18] [nb 1]
4 February 2008 Neil Robertson 1–5Lee was found guilty of breaching Rule 2.9 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations by accepting payment to influence the outcome of a match. The case was heard by Sports Resolutions UK from 9–11 September 2013. Lee received a twelve-year ban, which is back-dated to the beginning of his suspension on 12 October 2012 and will run until 12 October 2024. Lee also incurred £125,000 in costs awarded against him after an unsuccessful appeal.
5 February 2008 Ken Doherty 2–4
7 February 2008 Marco Fu 1–5
UK Championship 13–14 December 2008
Round 1		 Stephen Hendry 9–7
15–16 December 2008
Round 2		 Mark King 9–5
China Open
Last 32		1 April 2009 Mark Selby 1–5
World Championship
Last 32		22 April 2009 Ryan Day 4–10
Peter Ebdon Northern Ireland Trophy
Last 32		26 August 2008 Liang Wenbo 0–5Investigated by the Gambling Commission over suspicious betting patterns. [22]
Jamie Burnett UK Championship
Last 32		15 December 2008 Stephen Maguire 3–9Arrested, but later released without charge. [23]
Stephen Maguire UK Championship
Last 32		15 December 2008 Jamie Burnett 9–3Arrested, but later released without charge. [23]
Stephen Lee UK Championship 5–8 December 2009UnknownArrested and charged. Charges later dropped. [24] [25] [26]
John Higgins World Series of Snooker 2010Matches did not go aheadFound guilty of 'giving the impression' he would breach betting rules, and of failing to report the approach. Higgins was banned for six months, fined £75,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 in costs. [27]
Jimmy Michie Shoot-Out
Round 1		28 January 2011 Marcus Campbell 21–32
(points)		Investigated by the WPBSA over suspicious betting patterns, but no charges were brought. [28]
Marcus Campbell Shoot-Out
Round 1		28 January 2011 Jimmy Michie 32–21
(points)		Investigated by the WPBSA over suspicious betting patterns, but no charges were brought. [28]
Joe Jogia Shoot-Out
Round 1		28 January 2012 Matthew Selt Jogia withdrewFollowing an investigation into suspicious betting patterns Jogia was found guilty of breaching Rule 2.1.4.1, which states "It shall be a breach of these rules for a member to engage in any other conduct that is corrupt or fraudulent, or creates an actual or apparent conflict of interest for the member, or otherwise risks impairing public confidence in the integrity and/or the honest and orderly conduct of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match." Jogia was banned for two years (spanning the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons) and ordered to pay £2,000 in costs. [29]
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh PTC – Event 3
Last 128		8 September 2012 Steve Davis 0–4Investigated by the WPBSA over unusual betting patterns, but no charges were brought. [30] [31]
Stephen Lee Premier League
League stage		11 October 2012 John Higgins 2–4Lee was suspended and investigated by the WPBSA and the Gambling Commission over suspicious betting patterns, but no charges were brought. [25] [32]
Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon Australian Open
Qualifying round 2		1 June 2013 Noppon Saengkham 1–5The tie between Thanawat and Ross Muir at the Shanghai Masters in 2013 was investigated by the WPBSA and the Gambling Commission over unusual betting patterns, but in January 2014 the WPBSA closed the investigation after they found no evidence to link either player to the suspicious betting activity. The investigation into Thanawat was reopened in August 2015, following suspicious betting patterns regarding his match against Martin O'Donnell at the Paul Hunter Classic. Following a third investigation in 2022, Thanawat pleaded guilty to breaching Rule 2.1.2.1 by fixing the outcomes of six matches between 2013 and 2015. Thanawat was banned for nine years, reduced to six for his "guilty" plea. Of that period, he will serve two years nine months of his ban unconditionally, with the remaining three years and three months suspended, provided he assists the WPBSA in its anti-corruption work. His ban will run from 15th June 2022 until 14th March 2025, provided he complies with the terms of his sentence. He was ordered to pay £1,925 towards the WPBSA costs. [33] [34] [35]
Shanghai Masters
Qualifying round 1		7 August 2013 Ross Muir 0–5
China Open
Qualifying round 1		16 February 2014 Ding Junhui 0–5
Welsh Open
Last 128		19 February 2014 Martin Gould 0–4
UK Championship
Last 128		25 November 2014 Stuart Bingham 0–6
Paul Hunter Classic
Last 128		28 August 2015 Martin O'Donnell 2–4
Passakorn Suwannawat Shanghai Masters
Qualifying round 1		7 August 2013 Mohamed Khairy 4–5Investigated by the WPBSA and the Gambling Commission over unusual betting patterns but no charges were brought. [34] [36]
John Sutton International Championship
Qualifying round		24 September 2014 Jamie Burnett 0–6Sutton was found guilty by the WPBSA Disciplinary Committee of violating sections 2.1.2.1 and 2.1.3.1 of its Members Rules, in relation to match-fixing and misuse of inside information for betting purposes. Sutton received a six-year ban, which is back-dated to the beginning of his suspension on 9 February 2015 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs. [37] [38]
Lu Ning European Tour – Event 5
Last 128		13 December 2014 Oliver Lines 2–4Along with two other unknown matches in the 2014–15 snooker season, an independent tribunal found Lu guilty of fixing the results of four matches in total, in breach of Rules 2.1.2.1 and 2.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations. He was also found guilty of betting on matches. Lu was sentenced to a ban of five years and four months, reduced from eight years for his guilty plea, which will run until 6 April 2028. He was also ordered to pay £7,500 towards costs. His matches in the 2014–15 season are the earliest recorded matches to be fixed by a member of the Chinese match-fixing ring. [39] [40] [41]
European Masters
Qualifying		23 July 2022 Robert Milkins 0–5
Yu Delu Indian Open
Qualifying round		12 February 2015Martin McCrudden4–3Yu Delu was found guilty of breaching Rule 2.1.2.1 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations by accepting payment to fix the outcome of a match. Yu admitted breaches of WPBSA Members Rules before a three-person independent tribunal chaired by David Casement QC held on 2 November 2018, following an investigation by the WPBSA Integrity Unit working with Sportradar Integrity Services and the UK Gambling Commission. Yu was sentenced to a twelve-year ban reduced to ten years and nine months, which is back-dated to the beginning of his suspension on 25 May 2018 and will run until 24 February 2029. Yu was also ordered to pay £20,823.80 in costs. [42] [43]
Paul Hunter Classic
Last 128		29 August 2015 Dominic Dale 1–4
Welsh Open
Last 128		15 February 2016 Ian Glover 4–3
European Masters
Qualifying round		4 August 2017 Michael Georgiou 1–4
Shanghai Masters
Last 32		15 November 2017 Kurt Maflin 3–5
Cao Yupeng Welsh Open
Last 128		15 February 2016 Ali Carter 1–4Cao Yupeng was found guilty of breaching Rule 2.1.2.1 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations by accepting payment to fix the outcome of a match. Cao admitted breaches of WPBSA Members Rules before a three-person independent tribunal chaired by David Casement QC held on 21 September 2018, following an investigation by the WPBSA Integrity Unit working with Sportradar Integrity Services and the UK Gambling Commission. Cao was sentenced to an eight-year ban reduced to six, which is back-dated to the beginning of his suspension on 25 May 2018 and ran until 24 November 2020. The remaining period of the ban was suspended provided Cao assists the WPBSA in its anti-corruption work. He was also ordered to pay £15,558 in costs. Cao returned to the main tour in the 2021–22 season. [42] [43]
Indian Open
Qualifying round		30 May 2016 [44] Stuart Bingham 0–4
UK Championship
Last 128		24 November 2016 Stephen Maguire 1–6
Leo Fernandez World Championship
Qualifying round 1		6 April 2016 Gary Wilson 4–10Fernandez was found guilty by the WPBSA Disciplinary Committee of violating section 2.1.2.1 of its Members Rules, which prohibits its members "to fix or contrive, or to be a party to any effort to fix or contrive, the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match", in relation to suspicious betting on who would commit the first foul in the first frame of the match. Fernandez admitted his involvement in delivering the foul shot in the first frame of the match in question for other persons to make money through betting. He was banned from the sport for 15 months, set to run from 27 May 2016—when the interim suspension pending the investigation too effect—until 27 August 2017 and ordered to pay £2,000 in costs. As a condition of his sentence Fernandez had to assist the WPBSA in its anti-corruption education work. [45] [46]
Yan Bingtao Paul Hunter Classic
Last 16		28 August 2016 Dominic Dale 1–4An independent tribunal found Yan guilty of fixing the results of four matches in total, in breach of Rules 2.1.2.1 and 2.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations. He was also found guilty of betting on matches. Yan was sentenced to a ban of five years, reduced from seven and a half years for his guilty plea, which will run until 11 December 2027. He was also ordered to pay £7,500 towards costs. [39] [40] [41]
Welsh Open
Last 32		3 March 2022 Ricky Walden 2–4
Turkish Masters
Last 16		11 March 2022 Oliver Lines 4–5
British Open
Last 32		29 September 2022 Jordan Brown 3–4
Zhao Xintong ————An independent tribunal found Zhao guilty of fixing the results of two matches in total, in breach of Rules 2.1.2.1 and 2.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations. Zhao was a party to fixing the results of two matches in which Yan Bingtao played on 3 March and 11 March 2022 at the Welsh Open and Turkish Masters respectively (see above). He was also found guilty of betting on matches. Zhao was sentenced to a ban of one year and eight months, reduced from two and a half years for his guilty plea, which will run until 1 September 2024. He was also ordered to pay £7,500 towards costs.
David John International Championship
Qualifying round		29 September 2016 Graeme Dott 1–6David John was found guilty of breaching Rule 2.1.2.1 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations by accepting payment to fix the outcome of a match. John admitted breaches of WPBSA Members Rules following an investigation by the WPBSA Integrity Unit supported by Sportradar and the UK Gambling Commission SBIU. The case against John was heard on 11 January 2019 by the WPBSA Disciplinary Committee. John was sentenced to a seven-year ban reduced to five years and seven months, which was back-dated to the beginning of his suspension on 22 May 2018 and ran until 21 December 2023. John was also ordered to pay £17,000 in costs. [47] [48]
China Open
Qualifying round		24 January 2017 Joe Perry 0–5
Jamie Jones International Championship
Qualifying round		29 September 2016 David John 1Jamie Jones was found guilty of breaching Rule 4.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations by failing to report the approach to David John in the manipulation of the outcome of the match between John and Graeme Dott at the International Championship Qualifiers in 2016. Jones admitted breaches of WPBSA Members Rules following an investigation by the WPBSA Integrity Unit supported by Sportradar and the UK Gambling Commission SBIU. The case against Jones was heard on 11 January 2019 by the WPBSA Disciplinary Committee. Jones was sentenced to a sixteen-month ban reduced to twelve months, which is back-dated to the beginning of his suspension on 11 October 2018 and ran until 10 October 2019. Jones was also ordered to pay £9,000 in costs. He returned to the Snooker main tour in the 2020–21 season. [47] [48]
Graeme Dott 6
Zhang Jiankang European Masters
Qualifying		22 July 2022 Jack Lisowski 1–5An independent tribunal found Zhang guilty of fixing the result of his match against Jack Lisowski at the European Masters, in breach of Rules 2.1.2.1 and 2.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations. He was also found guilty of betting on matches. Zhang was sentenced to a ban of two years and eleven months, reduced from four years and five months for his guilty plea, which will run until 1 December 2025. He was also ordered to pay £7,500 towards costs. [39] [40] [41]
Chen Zifan European Masters
Qualifying		24 July 2022 Aaron Hill 1–5Despite plans to fix the results of three matches being abandoned in two cases, an independent tribunal found Chen guilty of fixing or conspiring to fix the results of three matches in total, in breach of Rules 2.1.2.1 and 2.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations. Chen was sentenced to a ban of five years, reduced from seven and a half years for his guilty plea, which will run until 20 December 2027. He was also ordered to pay £7,500 towards costs. [39] [40] [41]
British Open
Last 32		9 August 2022 Mink Nutcharut 4–2
Northern Ireland Open
Qualifying		23 August 2022 Ng On-yee 4–1
Zhao Jianbo Northern Ireland Open
Qualifying		26 August 2022 Aaron Hill 0–4An independent tribunal found Zhao guilty of fixing the result of his match against Aaron Hill at the Northern Ireland Open, in breach of Rules 2.1.2.1 and 2.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations. He was also found guilty of betting on matches. Zhao was sentenced to a ban of two years and four months, reduced from three years and six months for his guilty plea, which will run until 7 April 2025. He was also ordered to pay £7,500 towards costs. [39] [40] [41]
Bai Langning British Open
Qualifying		26 September 2022 Zhao Xintong 1–4Even though Bai backed out of the plan to fix the result of his match at the British Open against Zhao Xintong, an independent tribunal found Chen guilty of conspiring to fix the result of one match, in breach of Rules 2.1.2.1 and 2.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations. Bai was sentenced to a ban of two years and eight months, reduced from four years for his guilty plea, which will run until 6 August 2025. He was also ordered to pay £7,500 [39] [40] [41]
Chang Bingyu British Open
Last 32		28 September 2022 Jamie Jones 1–4An independent tribunal found Chang guilty of fixing the result of his match against Jamie Jones at the British Open, in breach of Rules 2.1.2.1 and 2.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations. He was also found guilty of betting on matches. Zhou was sentenced to a ban of two years, reduced from three for his guilty plea, which will run until 7 December 2024. He was also ordered to pay £7,500 towards costs. [39] [40] [41]
Liang Wenbo ————An independent tribunal found Liang guilty of fixing or conspiring to fix the results of five matches in total, in breach of Rules 2.1.2.1 and 2.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations, and of inducing players to fix the results of nine matches, in violation of Rule 2.1.2.4. He was also found guilty of betting on matches, threatening Chang Bingyu, destroying evidence, and not cooperating with the investigation. Liang received a lifetime ban and was ordered to pay £43,000 towards costs. [39] [40] [41]
Li Hang ————An independent tribunal found Li guilty of fixing or conspiring to fix the results of seven [nb 2] matches in total, in breach of Rules 2.1.2.1 and 2.2 of the WPBSA Members Rule and Regulations, and of inducing players to fix the results of seven matches, in violation of Rule 2.1.2.4. He was also found guilty of betting on matches, destroying evidence, and not cooperating with the investigation. Li received a lifetime ban and was ordered to pay £43,000 towards costs. [39] [40] [41]
Mark King Welsh Open
Qualifying round		13 February 2023 Joe Perry 0–4King was suspended with immediate effect on 18 March 2023, following irregular betting patterns reported to the WPBSA. [49] [50]

Chinese match-fixing ring

Between October 2022 and January 2023, amid the biggest match-fixing investigation in the sport's history, [51] [52] the WPBSA suspended ten Chinese players—Liang Wenbo, Li Hang, Lu Ning, Yan Bingtao, Zhao Xintong, Zhao Jianbo, Chang Bingyu, Bai Langning, Chen Zifan and Zhang Jiankang—and subsequently brought match-fixing charges against all of them. [53] [54] [55] In total, they were charged with fixing or conspiring to fix the results of 24 matches between 2014 and October 2022. In addition to the 22 matches listed below, Lu Ning was also charged with fixing two other matches in the 2014–15 snooker season. [41]

The bulk of the match-fixing was arranged by Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, sometimes working with each other and, at other times, independently. The two players had a slightly different modus operandi ; whilst Li was often cautious and conducted his fixes with a view to evading detection, Liang's focus was on maximising financial gain and he often intimidated or threatened the younger players. The inquiry heard from three players who were ultimately not charged: Cao Yupeng, Xu Si and Yuan Sijun. Cao was approached twice by Liang but he and his wife declined to carry out the fixes. Xu Si also refused to fix a result when Liang approached him. Yuan was regarded as an "unimpressive" witness, but ultimately no charges were brought against him. [41]

The cases were heard by an independent disciplinary tribunal, and in June 2023 all ten players were successfully prosecuted on various match-fixing charges in 20 of the 24 matches. Seven of the ten players were all also found guilty of betting offences. Liang and Li both received lifetime bans from the sport, whilst the other eight players received bans ranging from five years and four months to one year and eight months, backdated to the beginning of their suspensions. Liang and Li were each required to pay £43,000 in costs, and the other eight were each required to pay £7,500 in costs. [39] [40]


  † Result was not fixed
Charges brought against Chinese match-fixing ring [41]
EventDatePlayerScoreOpponent
European Tour – Event 5
Last 128		13 December 2014 Lu Ning 2–4 Oliver Lines Yes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Inducing another to match-fix
Paul Hunter Classic
Last 16		28 August 2016 Yan Bingtao 1–4 Dominic Dale Yes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Inducing another to match-fix
UK Championship
Last 128		25 November 2021 Yan Bingtao 6–0 Ng On-yee Conspiring to match-fix
Dark Red x.svgInducing another to match-fix
Home Nations Series 10 October 2021 –
6 March 2022		 Yan Bingtao ——Conspiring to match-fix
Dark Red x.svgInducing another to match-fix
Welsh Open
Last 32		3 March 2022 Yan Bingtao 2–4 Ricky Walden Yes check.svgYes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Inducing another to match-fix
Turkish Masters
Last 16		11 March 2022 Yan Bingtao 4–5 Oliver Lines Yes check.svgYes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Inducing another to match-fix
European Masters
Qualifying		22 July 2022 Zhang Jiankang 1–5 Jack Lisowski Yes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Inducing another to match-fix
European Masters
Qualifying		23 July 2022 Lu Ning 0–5 Robert Milkins Dark Red x.svgYes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Dark Red x.svgInducing another to match-fix
European Masters †
Qualifying		24 July 2022 Chen Zifan 1–5 Aaron Hill Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgYes check.svgInducing another to match-fix
British Open
Qualifying		9 August 2022 Chen Zifan 4–2 Mink Nutcharut Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgYes check.svgInducing another to match-fix
Northern Ireland Open †
Qualifying		23 August 2022 Chen Zifan 4–1 Ng On-yee Yes check.svgYes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgInducing another to match-fix
Northern Ireland Open †
Qualifying		23 August 2022 Cao Yupeng 4–1 Dylan Emery Conspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgInducing another to match-fix
Northern Ireland Open
Qualifying		25 August 2022 Yuan Sijun 3–4 Jimmy White Conspiring to match-fix
Dark Red x.svgInducing another to match-fix
Northern Ireland Open
Qualifying		26 August 2022 Zhao Jianbo 0–4 Aaron Hill Yes check.svgYes check.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgYes check.svgDark Red x.svgInducing another to match-fix
British Open †
Qualifying		26 September 2022 Bai Langning 1–4 Zhao Xintong Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgYes check.svgInducing another to match-fix
British Open †
Last 64		27 September 2022 Lu Ning 4–1 Zhou Yuelong Conspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgInducing another to match-fix
British Open †
Last 64		28 September 2022 Yan Bingtao 4–0 Andy Lee Yes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgInducing another to match-fix
British Open
Last 32		28 September 2022 Chang Bingyu 1–4 Jamie Jones Yes check.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgDark Red x.svgInducing another to match-fix
British Open
Last 32		29 September 2022 Yan Bingtao 3–4 Jordan Brown Yes check.svgYes check.svgConspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgInducing another to match-fix
British Open
Last 16		29 September 2022 Yuan Sijun 4–3 Anthony Hamilton Conspiring to match-fix
Dark Red x.svgInducing another to match-fix
British Open †
Last 32		29 September 2022 Xu Si 0–4 Judd Trump Conspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgInducing another to match-fix
Scottish Open †
Qualifying		13 October 2022 Cao Yupeng 4–2 Yuan Sijun Conspiring to match-fix
Yes check.svgInducing another to match-fix

Notes

  1. ↑ At Stephen Lee's original hearing, £40,000 in costs were awarded against him. [18] This was increased to £75,000 after Lee unsuccessfully appealed, [19] and he incurred a further £30,000 in costs after an earlier appeals panel was forced to recuse itself after finding him to be an unreliable witness. [20] The remainder of his appeal saw a further £20,000 awarded against him, bringing the total amount to £125,000. [21]
  2. ↑ The WPBSA statement following the judgement against Li Hang incorrectly stated that he had been found guilty of fixing the results of five matches, and this was widely reported by the media such as the BBC. Paragraph 261 of the judgement clearly states that Li was found guilty of fixing the results of seven matches, comprising charges 11b–11h.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Lee (snooker player)</span> English professional snooker player

Stephen Lee is an English former professional snooker player who is currently serving a 12-year ban from the sport. He turned professional in 1992, reached a career-high of fifth in the snooker world rankings for the 2000–01 season, and won five ranking titles. His best performances in Triple Crown events were reaching the semi-finals of the 2003 World Championship, where he lost to eventual champion Mark Williams, and reaching the final of the 2008 Masters, where he was runner-up to Mark Selby. He compiled 184 century breaks in professional competition and was noted for his smooth cue action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liang Wenbo</span> Chinese former snooker player

Liang Wenbo is a Chinese former professional snooker player who is banned from the sport for life. During his playing career, he won one ranking title at the 2016 English Open, twice won the World Cup for China in 2011 and 2017 with teammate Ding Junhui, and was runner-up at the 2009 Shanghai Masters and the 2015 UK Championship. He made 292 century breaks in professional competition, including three maximum breaks, and reached a career high of 11th in the snooker world rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shailesh Jogia</span> English snooker player

Shailesh "Joe" Jogia is an English retired professional snooker player.

The 2008 UK Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 13 and 21 December 2008 at the Telford International Centre in Telford, England. It was the 32nd edition of the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Li Hang (snooker player)</span> Chinese former/retired snooker player

Li Hang is a Chinese former professional snooker player who, in 2023, was permanently banned from the sport after committing a range of match-fixing offences. Li first competed professionally during the 2008–09 season. His best performances during his professional career were reaching two ranking semi-finals. He reached a career high of 28th in the snooker world rankings in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon</span> Thai snooker player

Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon is a Thai retired professional snooker player. He turned professional in 2010 as the Asian nomination following his run to the semi-finals of the 2010 Asian Championship. At the age of 17, he was the youngest player competing on the 2010/2011 main tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cao Yupeng</span> Chinese snooker player

Cao Yupeng is a Chinese professional snooker player. He won the 2011 Asian Under-21 Championship, thus qualifying for the professional main tour for the 2011–12 season. In his first season on the circuit, he reached the last 16 of the World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yu Delu</span> Chinese snooker player

Yu Delu is a former professional snooker player from the People's Republic of China. He is currently serving a 10 years and 9 months ban for match-fixing from 25 May 2018 until 24 February 2029. The ban was announced on 1 December 2018 after the result of a lengthy investigation.

The 2012 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 21 April to 7 May 2012 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 36th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible and the last ranking event of the 2011–12 snooker season. The event was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, and in Europe by Eurosport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lu Ning</span> Chinese snooker player

Lu Ning is a former professional snooker player from the People's Republic of China who, in 2023, was banned from professional competition for five years and four months after committing match-fixing offences.

The 2014 Welsh Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 19 February and 2 March 2014 at the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales. It was the eighth ranking event of the 2013/2014 season, and the second time that BetVictor sponsored the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhao Xintong</span> Chinese snooker player

Zhao Xintong is a Chinese former professional snooker player who is currently serving a 20-month ban from professional competition after committing offences relating to betting on snooker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 snooker season</span> Series of snooker tournaments

The 2016–17 snooker season was a series of professional snooker tournaments played between 5 May 2016 and 1 May 2017.

The 2018 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament held from 21 April to 7 May 2018 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Hosted by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, it was the 20th and final ranking event of the 2017–18 snooker season and the 42nd consecutive time the World Snooker Championship had been held at the venue. The tournament was broadcast by BBC Sport and Eurosport in Europe, and sponsored by betting company Betfred.

The 2017 Scottish Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place from 11 to 17 December 2017 at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. It was the twelfth ranking event of the 2017/2018 season and a part of the Home Nations Series.

The 2018 Gibraltar Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place from 7 to 11 March 2018 at the Tercentenary Sports Hall in Gibraltar. It was the seventeenth ranking event of the 2017/2018 season.

The 2018 Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place between 14 and 21 January 2018 in London, England, and the second Triple Crown event of the 2017–18 snooker season. It was the 44th staging of the Masters, and was broadcast in Europe by the BBC and Eurosport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 UK Championship</span> First Triple Crown event of 2018/2019 snooker season

The 2018 UK Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament, that took place from 27 November to 9 December 2018. It was the ninth ranking tournament and the first Triple Crown event of the 2018/2019 season. The event was broadcast on BBC Sport and Eurosport in the United Kingdom.

The 2018 International Championship was a professional ranking snooker tournament, taking place from 28 October to 4 November 2018 in Daqing, China. It was the seventh ranking event of the 2018/2019 season.

The 2021 Northern Ireland Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place from 9 to 17 October 2021 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was the third ranking event of the 2021–22 season and the first tournament in both the Home Nations Series and the European Series. It was the sixth edition of the Northern Ireland Open.

References

  1. ↑ Liew, Jonathan (10 October 2011). "Former snooker star Willie Thorne makes match-fixing claims". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Everton, Clive (1993). The Embassy Book of World Snooker. The Book People. p. 12.
  3. ↑ Everton, Clive. "Television snooker". Billiards and Snooker. pp. 3–7.
  4. ↑ Peart, Harry (5 March 1999). "Thai snooker ace defies death threat". BBC . Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  5. ↑ Nunns, Hector (22 September 2013). "Shanghai Masters winner Ding Junhui warns that Chinese are set to dominate". The Times . Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Gambling enquiry in snooker". The Times. 25 January 1989. p. 42.
  7. ↑ "Police look at betting". The Times. 25 February 1989. p. 49.
  8. ↑ "Francisco arrested by police". The Times. 24 January 1990. p. 44.
  9. ↑ "Francisco cleared of alleged betting coup". The Times. 19 May 1990. p. 48.
  10. ↑ Hodgson, Guy (9 May 1995). "Snooker: Francisco banned for five years". The Independent . Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  11. ↑ Downer, Chris (2012). Crucible Almanac. pp. 40–41.
  12. ↑ "Guilty Hann given eight-year ban". BBC Sport . 17 February 2006. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "2005 China Open". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 19 November 2005.
  14. ↑ "2005 China Open Information". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "BBC Sport: "Guilty Hann given eight-year ban"". BBC Sport . 17 February 2006. Retrieved 3 May 2006.
  16. ↑ "World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and Stephen Lee decisison" (PDF). Sport Resolutions (UK). 16 September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2014.
  17. ↑ "2008 Malta Cup Information". Global Snooker Centre. Archived from the original on 7 February 2008.
  18. 1 2 "Stephen Lee: Snooker player given 12-year ban for match-fixing". BBC Sport . 25 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  19. ↑ "Stephen Lee: Appeal against 12-year ban dismissed". BBC Sport . 15 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  20. ↑ "Stephen Lee: Appeal panel steps down over 'truthfulness' doubts". BBC Sport . 14 March 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  21. ↑ "WPBSA Statement – Stephen Lee". World Snooker. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 4 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  22. ↑ Everton, Clive (21 September 2008). "Probe into 5–0 Ebdon defeat". The Guardian . Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  23. 1 2 "Stephen Maguire and Jamie Burnett quizzed by police over 'irregular' betting patterns". The Daily Telegraph . 27 August 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  24. ↑ "Snooker player Stephen Lee bailed in betting inquiry". BBC Sport . 12 February 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  25. 1 2 Hayes, Roy (12 October 2012). "Stephen Lee suspended from snooker over 'suspicious' betting patterns". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  26. ↑ "Stephen Lee suspended while WPBSA investigate allegations". BBC Sport . 12 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  27. ↑ The World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association Limited Disciplinary Hearing Board (8 September 2010). "In full: the John Higgins 'match fix' ruling by Ian Mill QC". Sporting Intelligence. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  28. 1 2 "WPBSA Statement". World Snooker. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 14 September 2011. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014.
  29. ↑ "Joe Jogia banned after suspicious betting patterns investigation". BBC Sport . 25 July 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  30. ↑ "Steve Davis v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh match cleared by WPBSA". BBC Sport . 9 November 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  31. ↑ "WPBSA Statement". World Snooker. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 9 November 2012. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014.
  32. ↑ Keogh, Frank (10 April 2013). "Snooker: WPBSA drops separate Stephen Lee 'match-fixing' inquiry". BBC Sport . Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  33. ↑ "WPBSA Statement – Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon". World Snooker. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 18 November 2022. Archived from the original on 18 November 2022.
  34. 1 2 "Thai Case Conclusion". World Snooker. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015.
  35. ↑ "WPBSA Statement". World Snooker. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 28 August 2015. Archived from the original on 1 September 2015.
  36. ↑ Keogh, Frank (29 January 2014). "Snooker betting: Shanghai Masters inquiry closes with no charges". BBC Sport . Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  37. ↑ Keogh, Frank (27 May 2015). "John Sutton: Snooker player given six-year match-fixing ban". BBC Sport . Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  38. ↑ "WPBSA Statement - John Sutton". World Snooker. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 27 May 2015. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015.
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Broughton, Jamie (6 June 2023). "Snooker match-fixing scandal: Liang Wenbo and Li Hang handed lifetime bans". BBC Sport . Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  40. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "WPBSA Statement". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "SR/014/2023 – In the Matter of Proceedings Before a World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association Disciplinary Commission" (PDF). Sport Resolutions. 6 June 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  42. 1 2 "WPBSA Statement: Yu Delu and Cao Yupeng". World Snooker. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 1 December 2018. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018.
  43. 1 2 Keogh, Frank (1 December 2018). "Yu Delu and Cao Yupeng match-fixing: Chinese pair banned in snooker corruption scandal". BBC Sport . Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  44. ↑ "Indian Open 2016-17" . Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  45. ↑ Huart, Matt (6 July 2016). "WPBSA Statement – Leo Fernandez". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Archived from the original on 7 July 2016.
  46. ↑ "Leo Fernandez handed 15-month ban after admitting corruption charge". BBC Sport . 6 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  47. 1 2 "WPBSA Disciplinary Hearing Finding: David John and Jamie Jones". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 6 February 2019. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019.
  48. 1 2 "David John and Jamie Jones: Pair banned after snooker match-fixing investigation". BBC Sport. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  49. ↑ "WPBSA Statement – Mark King". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 18 March 2023. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  50. ↑ "Mark King suspended from World Snooker Tour during betting investigation". BBC Sport. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  51. ↑ Hepburn, David (9 January 2023). "Everything you need to know about snooker's match fixing scandal – including who's currently banned and suspended". The Scotsman . Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  52. ↑ Broughton, Jamie; Keogh, Frank (18 October 2023). "Snooker match-fixing: 'Perfect storm' led to corruption scandal, say investigators". BBC Sport . Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  53. ↑ "WPBSA Statement". World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  54. ↑ Keogh, Frank (18 January 2023). "Snooker match-fixing investigation - 10 Chinese players charged by WPBSA". BBC Sport . Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  55. ↑ "Ten suspended Chinese snooker players charged with match-fixing by WPBSA". The Guardian . 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.