The Dark Side of Snooker: 10 Shocking Moments the Sport Can’t Forget

Stop scrolling. Snooker may look quiet on the surface—but beneath the green baize lies drama, scandal, and chaos.

From lifetime bans to balls that moved on their own, here are 10 unforgettable moments that turned the sport upside down.

1. Leon WBO – Cheating Scandal

Leon WBO’s career collapsed when Chang Bingju exposed his match-fixing and bullying. He bet on outcomes he controlled, forcing others to throw games. The governing body banned him for life, while Chang received two years. From near-champion to disgrace, Leon’s story is snooker’s darkest fall.

2. The Red Ball That Moved

In a Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Kieran Wilson match, a red ball mysteriously shifted without contact. Fans speculated about magnets, vibrations, or sabotage. Ronnie calmly potted it anyway, but the moment remains infamous—proof that even snooker’s precision can produce eerie, unexplained drama.

3. Steven Lee – 12-Year Ban

Steven Lee was found guilty of deliberately losing frames for betting syndicates. His punishment: a 12-year ban that destroyed his prime career. Though Lee insists on his innocence, the scandal branded him forever as a cheater, overshadowing his once-promising reputation.

4. Mark King’s Hanging Red

Mark King played a red that balanced on the pocket lip before dropping seconds later. Referee Marcel Eckardt ruled it legal, but both players protested. The “gravity shot” sparked fierce debate among fans over whether physics or fairness should decide snooker’s tiniest margins.

5. Rory McLeod vs Referee

A fiery clash erupted when Rory McLeod disputed a free-ball call. He argued the shot was impossible without fouling, but the referee disagreed. Voices rose, shocking fans. The rare confrontation highlighted how even calm snooker can explode into open conflict under pressure.

6. Wrong Ball Placement

In a tense frame, the referee mistakenly replaced both pink and red in the wrong spots. Craig Steadman noticed, but officials ignored him. Players and fans were left confused. The blunder showed that even referees, guardians of precision, can disrupt matches with simple mistakes.

7. Dennis Taylor’s Antics

Dennis Taylor once turned snooker comedy, cheekily placing an extra red and even climbing the table to take a shot. The referee stopped him, but the crowd loved it. Some purists frowned, others laughed. It became one of snooker’s most replayed light-hearted moments.

8. Michaela Tabb’s Cue Ball Error

At the 2013 World Championship, referee Michaela Tabb mistakenly picked up the white cue ball instead of the black. Millions watched live as confusion unfolded. Though quickly corrected, the clip went viral—reminding fans that even elite referees can falter under immense pressure.

9. 2010 World Championship Mix-Up

Referee Michaela Higgins accidentally placed the wrong ball during a Crucible clash. Though she corrected it swiftly, the moment disrupted play and drew global attention. For a sport obsessed with precision, even a small error became unforgettable, fueling debates about referee responsibilities.

10. Williams’ Cue Tip Disaster (2009)

Mark Williams led Stephen Hendry 7-5 when his cue tip broke mid-shot. The disaster shifted momentum, Hendry winning 10-7. Fans debated bad luck versus poor preparation. The incident remains a legendary reminder that in snooker, equipment failure can end dreams instantly.

Closing

Snooker is a game of inches and discipline. But as these scandals and oddities show—sometimes chaos rules the table.

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Steven Lee’s 12-Year Exile Ends – But His Crucible Comeback Never Came

Imagine waiting 12 long years to step back into the game you love, only to watch the biggest event of the season pass you by. That’s the bittersweet reality of Steven Lee—once a world number five with one of the smoothest cue actions snooker had ever seen—who sat out the 2025 World Championship despite finally serving his suspension.

From Class of ’92 to Scandal

Lee wasn’t just another pro. He was part of the same iconic generation as Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, and Mark Williams. While he never matched their heights, his cueing was praised as one of the purest in the sport. Fans admired his effortless strike, and peers acknowledged his natural rhythm.

His résumé wasn’t empty either: five ranking titles, two Grand Prix victories, and a Masters final in 2008 where he pushed Mark Selby to the limit. Twice, he climbed to world number five. For much of the 2000s, he was seen as a solid top-10 player.

But in 2013, the dream collapsed. The WPBSA tribunal handed him a 12-year ban for match fixing, calling it the worst corruption case snooker had faced at the time.

The Details of the Ban

Investigators uncovered seven separate cases of manipulation between 2008 and 2009. These included:

Throwing matches against Ken Doherty and Marco Fu at the 2008 Malta Cup.
Deliberately losing opening frames to Stephen Hendry and Mark King at the UK Championship.
Influencing results against Mark Selby at the 2009 China Open.
Fixing outcomes during his World Championship clash with Ryan Day in 2009.

Three betting groups—his sponsor, his manager, and a friend—placed coordinated wagers. Over £11,000 was staked, with winnings exceeding £97,000. Some of that money even reached Lee’s wife’s account.

At the tribunal, chairman Adam Lewis summed it up:

“Mr. Lee did not strike me as a cynical cheat, but rather as a weak man who, under financial pressure, succumbed to temptation.”

Twelve Years in the Wilderness

Lee’s exile was long and messy. His name was erased from snooker halls. His financial problems deepened. In 2014, he was fined for failing to deliver a cue he sold online. By 2018, he was in trouble in Hong Kong for giving lessons without a permit.

His ban officially expired on October 12, 2024, his 50th birthday. Technically, he was free to rejoin the tour. But there was a catch: he still owed £125,000 in unpaid legal costs. The WPBSA ruled he couldn’t re-enter competition until that debt was settled.

Lee’s own words also betrayed a man no longer sure of his fire. In 2022, he told The Mirror:

“I must get asked this daily. I’m still capable of playing, but my eyes are worse now. The determination goes with age.”

Later, on Facebook, he bluntly admitted:

“Not a chance of it, my friend. I struggle to break off nowadays. It’s down to my son now.”

The Lost Legacy

Lee’s son, Alfie Lee, has already taken his first steps in amateur circuits like Q School. The family’s snooker legacy may live through him, not Steven.

But the Steven Lee case changed the sport forever. It exposed how vulnerable snooker was to corruption, with only two outcomes per frame making it easy prey for betting syndicates. After Lee, Barry Hearn brought in a dedicated integrity unit and tougher penalties.

Today, match fixing results in lifetime bans. By modern standards, Lee was almost lucky.

Divided Opinions

Some legends still show sympathy. John Higgins said:

“If he serves his ban and comes back, we’ll welcome him. What a player he was.”

But others, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, took a firmer stance:

“The Steven Lee case was eye-opening. It sent a clear message—cheat and your career is over.”

Endgame

And so, as the 2025 Crucible rolled on without him, Steven Lee’s story ended not with a dramatic comeback, but with silence.

He will always remain a “what if” story: a player with genius cueing, punished for choices made under pressure, left watching from the sidelines as the sport he once lit up marched on.

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