Suspended snooker players including former world champion and match-fixers
A rundown of the snooker players currently banned from competing, including an ex-world champion and those involved in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport
The World Snooker Championship is set for a thrilling conclusion this weekend. Seven-time Crucible champion Ronnie O'Sullivan is battling it out with Chinese qualifier Zhao Xintong, with the score level at 4-4 after the first session.
Meanwhile, world No. 1 Judd Trump is facing off against three-time world champion Mark Williams, who was trailing 5-3 after the opening session. The semi-finals will wrap up on Saturday, with the final set for Sunday and Monday. Other players will be observing from a distance after being knocked out earlier in the tournament or failing to qualify.
Meanwhile, some are currently serving suspensions handed down by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). Here's a rundown of the players currently serving bans from snooker....
Mark King
King is serving a five-year ban after being found guilty of match-fixing. An independent disciplinary committee found the 51-year-old guilty of one count of match-fixing and one count of providing inside information on a match.
The WPBSA suspended the former Northern Ireland Open champion in March 2023 after suspicious betting activity was reported on his match with Joe Perry in the previous month's Welsh Open. King was ordered to pay £68,000 in costs. Two other charges relating to King's match with John Higgins on December 13, 2022 were dismissed. King's suspension is set from March 18, 2023, until March 17, 2028.
Graeme Dott
Dott has been suspended after being charged with child sex abuse offences. The 47-year-old is accused of two charges relating to primary school-age children.
Dott, who clinched the World Championship title in 2006 and was a finalist in 2004 and 2010, has been banned by the WPBSA amidst the ongoing legal proceedings. The WPBSA said: "Graeme Dott has been suspended by the WPBSA due to a case which is scheduled to be heard before the High Court in Scotland. Whilst court proceedings are ongoing, it would be inappropriate for the WPBSA to make any further comment."
Match-fixing scandal
A total of 10 Chinese players received bans in 2023 as part of a huge match-fixing scandal which rocked the sport. Suspensions ranged from one year and eight months to lifetime bans for Liang Wenbo and Li Hang.
The pair were both found guilty of a string of charges, including that they fixed or were party to fixing matches; solicited, induced, enticed, persuaded, encouraged or facilitated players to fix matches; that they attempted to cover up their involvement in match fixing while aware of the enquiry. Five of the other eight players are still serving bans - Lu Ning, Yan Bingtao, Bai Langning, Chen Zifan and Zhang Jiankang.
Bans served
O'Sullivan's semi-final opponent Zhao, who received the lightest punishment of the 10, saw his 30-month ban reduced to 20 months due to his early admission of guilt. He returned to action last year, qualifying for the UK Championship, where he lost in the first round, before coming through qualifying to reach the Crucible. The former UK champion will be back on the tour full-time next season.
Chang Bingyu, whose ban ended in December 2024, will join Zhao back tour next season after recently winning Asia-Pacific Championship. The latest player of the 10 free to resume his career is Zhao Jianbo, who completed his ban in April.
Four-time world champion John Higgins was banned for six months and fined £75,000 in 2010 for failing to report the illegal approach and intentionally giving the impression he was prepared to act in breach of betting rules. The Scot, who was the target of a sting operation by the now-defunct News of the World, was cleared of match-fixing.
In 2017, Stuart Bingham was found guilty of breaking WPBSA rules on betting on matches involving himself and other players. The 2015 world champion was ordered to pay £20,000 in costs. The WPBSA said there was no suggestion that he aimed to "influence matches or engage in any corrupt activity".
Stephen Lee was found guilty of accepting payment to influence the outcome of a match and received a record 12-year ban, which expired in October 2024. There has been no indication that the now 50-year-old is planning a return to competitive snooker.
In 2000, Stephen Maguire was banned from IBSF tournaments for three years for an incident that left a hotel room in China damaged. Maguire, now 44, denied responsibility, but declined to reveal the guilty parties, reported The Herald at the time.
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During his return journey, the umbrella was no longer visible, and it's theorised that he placed the item in the boot once he'd disposed of Suzanne's remains. Explaining why Gilroy will likely never reveal where Suzanne's body lies, Nicole Nyamwiza, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at The University of Law, Nicole Nyamwiza, told The Sun: "Refusing to reveal the location of a body is a pattern we've seen in several high-profile cases. It's often about control. "Even after conviction, the offender can still dictate the terms of closure. In the case of David Gilroy, the continued silence keeps the family in a state of suspended grief, and that in itself is a form of harm. This is not unique. "Ian Simms, who was convicted of murdering Helen McCourt in 1988, never revealed where he left her body. That refusal went on for decades. Despite forensic evidence, despite a conviction, he held on to that final piece of power. "For some individuals, particularly those with controlling or narcissistic tendencies, keeping that information back is deliberate. It sustains attention, preserves denial, or simply continues the exercise of control." Having never given up hope of locating Suzanne's body, her brave family has continued to persevere all these years, even launching Suzanne's Law in her name to stop killers who refuse to disclose where a victim's body is located from being granted parole. Reflecting on this "important step", Nicole continued: "There is also a wider issue here about what justice really means. If someone can serve a sentence without ever disclosing what happened to a victim's remains, we have to question how we assess accountability or rehabilitation. "Proposals like Suzanne's Law are an important step. They recognise that justice involves more than time served. For many families, justice starts with being able to bring their loved one home." 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We remain committed to finding these answers for Suzanne's mother, Sylvia and sister, Gail." Meanwhile, heartbroken sister Gail Fairgrieve, stated: "For the past decade we have lived in a state of limbo, waiting for the news that Suzanne's body had been found, but we've never been able to get that closure. "We accept that Suzanne was murdered and believe that the person responsible is in prison, but we feel we cannot say a proper goodbye until her body is found. "Both my mother and I want to again thank the public who have continued to contact the police, which has always given us hope that Suzanne has not been forgotten. We understand that only one person can tell us where Suzanne is, but has refused to do so. Police Scotland will respond to any information and are committed to bringing us some form of closure. "Their investigation can only conclude when Suzanne is found, and so I would plead with anyone who knows something but hasn't come forward to search their conscience and get in touch. Not for our sake, but for Suzanne's. Please let us give her the burial and send-off she deserves." Those with information are asked to contact Police Scotland via 101. Alternatively, an anonymous report can be made to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
