A British football scandal resulted in one Manchester United star being banned for 30 years, but he's far from alone among those athletes who have been handed huge suspensions
Former Manchester United star Enoch West was once handed a lifetime ban from football after he was found guilty of match-fixing. West joined the Red Devils in 1910 after playing for Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest, playing for five seasons in Manchester before disaster struck.
As a prolific centre-forward, he scored 72 goals in 166 appearances for United. However, his impressive stint was marred by one of the biggest controversies to rock football at the time, bringing the curtain down on his career in the process.
West and four of his team-mates, along with three Liverpool players, were banned for life after being convicted of match-fixing in 1915. Although many of those who received suspensions were absolved after serving in World War I, West refused to comply with the condition, and his ban remained in place for 30 years until it was finally lifted in 1945.
This remains the longest suspension in Football Association history, and West never played professionally again, as he was 59 when his ban expired. But he's one of numerous athletes who have been banned for various reasons throughout their careers.
Lou Vincent
Lou Vincent, for example, was handed a lifetime ban from playing cricket at any level, entering any cricket ground, or working in a professional coaching capacity, after admitting to match-fixing offences in July 2014. The New Zealand batsman released an open letter admitting to his "dark secret" that "shamed" not only himself but also his country and the sport.
Following his suspension, Vincent turned to construction work in Raglan. However, after a successful appeal in December 2023, his lifetime ban from domestic cricket was lifted, allowing him to return to the sport as a player and coach at a non-international level.
Chinese snooker stars
Snooker stars Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were implicated in a widespread match-fixing scandal that shook the sport in 2023. While eight other Chinese players, including 2025 World Snooker Champion Zhao Xintong, were suspended during the investigation, Liang and Li were found guilty of fixing matches, encouraging others to do the same and betting on their own games.
Consequently, they both received lifetime bans. Zhao, on the other hand, was handed a ban of one year and eight months, reduced from two-and-a-half years due to his early admission of guilt and plea.
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