Controversy has struck the soccer world once again as the English striker Ivan Toney has been suspended for eight months. Toney, who plays for the Premier League side Brentford FC, has been found guilty of breaching betting rules. With Toney admitting to breaking FA’s rules related to betting, he will be sidelined from soccer activities for eight months.
According to reports from ESPN, Ivan Toney was previously charged with misconduct for 232 breaches between 2017 and 2021. However, as per FA’s recent statement, Ivan Toney has been accused of breaching rules on 262 occasions. The FA issued a statement that read, “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.”
Official: Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been suspended from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect for eight months. 🚨🔴
He has also been fined with £50,000 —and warned as to his future conduct for breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules. pic.twitter.com/ZtHBomVG3B
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 17, 2023
The Brentford star has also been fined £50,000, which is approximately $62,000. Toney has been charged under the FA’s Rule E8, which directly or indirectly prohibits a participant from betting on games. With 20 goals in the Premier League this season, Toney had been in talismanic form for Brentford. However, the 27-year-old’s suspension has come as a huge blow to The Bees’ season aspirations.
“Lump on if you want.”
The WhatsApp messages that led to Kieran Trippier’s 10-week ban from football, according to a report published by the FA. pic.twitter.com/3OGUibpdgU
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 5, 2021
However, Ivan Toney isn’t the first soccer star to be handed a suspension for breaking betting rules. Back in 2020, Kieran Trippier was handed a 10-week ban along with an $87,000 fine for betting activities related to his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Atletico Madrid. Former Liverpool star Daniel Sturridge was also handed a 6-week ban and fined $187,000 back in 2019 for breaching betting rules.
What did Ivan Toney say about his suspension?
Soon after the news about Ivan Toney’s suspension became public, Brentford issued a statement. The statement read, “Brentford FC notes the decision of an independent Regulatory Commission to issue an eight-month ban from all football and football-related activity to Ivan Toney with immediate effect. Ivan was charged with breaches of FA rule E8 and had a personal hearing earlier this week.”
“Brentford FC is currently awaiting the publication of the written reasons of the Independent Regulatory Commission. We will review them before considering our next steps.” Following the news, Ivan Toney also released a statement expressing his disappointment as well as thanking his club for the support. Ivan stated, “I am naturally disappointed that I will not be able to play for the next eight months.”
— Ivan Toney (@ivantoney24) May 17, 2023
The former Newcastle United forward also thanked his friends, family, and his fans. In addition to this, he stated that he will now focus on returning to soccer next season. However, the Football Association’s (FA) decision has not gone down well with the anti-gambling campaigners. They have voiced the concern that if soccer stars are forced to endorse addictive products, they aren’t at fault for getting addicted to them.
