Stephen Lee was at the centre of a storm in 2013. The English professional snooker player was handed a 12-year ban – backdated to 2012 – after being found guilty of seven match-fixing charges by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the sport’s governing body.
At the time, this was the harshest punishment imposed in the sport, until the lifetime bans given to Liang Wenbo and Li Hang in 2023 (for match-fixing and other charges). Lee, who was 38 when he took this massive blow, was also ordered to pay £40,000 in costs, which eventually went up to more than £100,000.
It was a sad end to a professional career which had reached impressive heights. An impulsive potter who could make the white ball dance to his tune, thanks to an aesthetic ‘Rolls Royce’ cue action, Lee won five ranking titles, the last of which came at the 2012 Players Tour Championship Finals.
Rising star
Early signs of his exceptional talent was seen in the 1999 Millennium Cup held in Hong Kong, when Lee whipped world-beaters Marco Fu (5-0), Stephen Hendry (6-1) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (7-2) en route the title.
Lee reached his career-best world ranking of five in the 2000-01 and 2003-04 seasons before suffering a dip in form between 2008 and 2010. Lee had just begun to regain his touch when the ban hit him hard.
Adam Lewis, the chairman of an independent tribunal which heard the case, noted that “as a weak man in a vulnerable position, Lee succumbed to temptation. I consider it unlikely that he was the prime mover or instigator of the activity. It seems to me likely that advantage was taken of him.”
The rap sheet contained seven fixed outcomes, including a first round loss to Ryan Day at the 2009 World championship. Lee, meanwhile, maintained his innocence.
Forgetting the past
Now 50, the man from Trowbridge is in Bengaluru, competing in the Cue Sports Premier League. The soft-spoken Lee is not shy to speak about his past. He vehemently denied the charges, pointing to the police investigation into match-fixing claims against him in 2010. These charges were subsequently dropped in 2012. “The police had looked into it for two years, and there was no money involved with their allegations,” Lee said.
“If I had done wrong and they found money everywhere, then yes, I am guilty. But there was no money. I lost my house, I lost my car. If I was match-fixing, I wouldn’t have lost my house, I wouldn’t have lost my car. I’ve seen the betting patterns but there was no money coming anywhere near me,” he added.
Moving on: During his lowest moments, Lee found support from his wife Laura, and he summoned the strength to live on and fight mainly because of his children
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ALLEN EGENUSE J
During this tumultuous period, Lee relied on his wife, Laura, for support. “My wife stood by me. I looked at my kids’ faces and realised that there is more to life. That is what spurred me on to come out and fight for everyone involved,” he said.
Lee alleged that an English national daily “told lies” about his case. He added that there was a plan to tell his version of the story in a book. “I’m going to have my say. I never had my say on how it made me feel, and what they had actually done to me as a person. At that time, I did not speak out because my wife did not want me to,” he revealed.
No second wind
Lee’s ban, incidentally, ended a year ago. There were rumours that he could make a comeback to the professional tour, but he has no intentions to return to the grind.
“I played a match against James Wattana in Thailand a couple of months back and it went viral. I feel very humble about that,” Lee said. “I lost my wife two years ago. She never wanted me to go back and play professional snooker. I’ve got zero interest in the World Snooker Tour. I’m going to do other things.”
“I’m still able to enjoy playing snooker at a certain level. But I’m not silly enough to think I’m going back after 12 years. Twelve years is too long. I’m not prepared to waste any time battling it out in Q School (qualification tournaments). And working again for WPBSA does not appeal to me one bit. WPBSA never did anything for me as an association. They don’t help players.”
Second innings: Lee, who now lives in Thailand, is eager to help the next generation and give back to the sport
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AP
Lee is focused on his life in Thailand, where he coaches young talent. “I’m going to be helping the Thailand lads. I’m going to help the Chinese when I get my chance there. I’m happy to help any player who wants some experience, who wants to know how to strike the ball, and what it takes to be a professional. It would be nice to give back to the sport.”
Lee explained that he recently received an invite to take on O’Sullivan in an exhibition match, an offer he politely declined. “I told the promoter that I couldn’t beat Ronnie even in my heyday. And there’s no chance I’m flying all the way out from Thailand.”
Good tidings
Speaking about his time in the CSPL, Lee stated that he readily accepted the invite from his good friend, multiple-time world champion Pankaj Advani. “Pankaj is a really nice guy. He is a great ambassador for Indian snooker and billiards. There is a lot of love between me and him. In fact, everyone here has made me feel very welcome. I’m going to leave Bengaluru with some good friends,” Lee gushed.
There was a shy smile when the Englishman was asked about his ‘Rolls Royce’ cue action. “That’s very nice of you to say. I feel very humbled by that,” he said. The power and precision of a clean strike comes as a result of years of hard work.
“You need to put in a lot of hours to understand the cue action. It’s all about striking it with ease, not power. You must stay relaxed and strike through the ball as easy as you can. Of course, everyone’s cue action is personal to them. There’s not one cue action that works for all. A lot of players ask me for cue action tips, which feels very nice,” he added.
Lee is a content man in this phase of his life, and speaks highly of his four children. “My son Alfie is with me. He’s going into Chinese pool. He has also been playing some snooker in Bangkok. I’ve signed a few deals to do a few things in China. I’ve got a couple of my own little businesses. Things have changed. Yeah, I’m all good,” Lee signed off.
Published – October 11, 2025 12:05 am IST