Lee suspended

There's never a dull day in snooker.

Today, Stephen Lee was suspended from the professional circuit pending an investigation into alleged match fixing.

Picture by Monique Limbos

As another negative story does the rounds in the national press, the reputation of the sport is dragged through the mud once more.

It is too early to condemn Lee to guilt but, either way, the headlines will do little to cure the public's tarnished perception of the game.

If Lee - ranked in the top eight in the world - is found guilty the consequences could be catastrophic. I'd question whether our beloved sport is infested by a poison which cannot be eliminated.

The great strides being made in the sport under the stewardship of Barry Hearn would be undermined again with more corruption exposed.

It will be interesting to see this story unfold. While I am all for finding and punishing players who get caught up in scams, what the outsiders looking in have and will soon read means a lot of the damage has already been done.

Although gutting, this all too familiar story doesn't come as a surprise in a sport which seems to jump from one controversy to another.

Lee has always been one of my favourite players and remains innocent until proven guilty.

For now, click here to read the full statement.