The football governing body of England have officially banned Brentford striker Ivan Toney for eight months to conclude the betting saga he starred in.
It was reported in late 2022 that the former Newcastle United man was indicted in over 250 counts of football betting discrepancies while actively participating in the sport.
Footballers and football administrators associating with gambling houses or platforms is a rule that has helped to stifle corruption in the sport. However, some figures still find themselves embroiled in betting scandals.
The most famous example remains embattled former Burnley midfielder Joey Barton, who had a reputation as a troublemaker during his playing days. He was banned for eight months for the same offence. Toney is the next player to receive a lengthy ban for betting-related misdemeanour.
Toney will also be fined £50,000 for his misdemeanours.
The statement making the ban official reads: “Ivan Toney has been suspended from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect for eight months, which runs up to and including 16 January 2024, fined £50,000 and warned as to his future conduct for breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules.
“The Brentford FC forward was charged with 262 breaches of FA Rule E8 in total between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021. The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232.
“His sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing. He is permitted to return to training only with his club for the final four months of his suspension starting from 17 September 2023.
“The independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course, and The FA will wait to review them before commenting further.”
Toney has acknowledged the ban and is focused on returning to football next season.
This ban could not have happened to a less deserving team.
This is not to state that all others (read Burnley) deserved to lose a player to this punishment, however. This is simply saying that Brentford have built a team around Toney, who will now be absent as they continue to prove why they belong with the big boys in England’s top flight.
Toney’s goals took them to the Premier League in 2021/22 and kept them there. His goals have also kept them in the league ahead of the 2022/23 season and at some point, almost took them to Europe for the first time in their history.
The striker is so talented that there have been nationwide calls for him to be made a part of the England Three Lions squad. He is also on the radar of some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs and his manager at Brentford, Thomas Frank, once stated that he would not swap Toney or give him up for the goal-scoring machine at Manchester City, Erling Haaland.
His career is now set to take an eight-month back seat which could see him lose relevance just as quickly as he earned it.
