PREMIER LEAGUE
Brentford striker Ivan Toney suspended by the FA for 8 months after breaking gambling rules - is he allowed to train with the team?
The Brentford forward admitted to over 200 breaches of the FA’s gambling laws, and has been handed a ban that will see him out of action until 2024.
The English FA have suspended Brentford striker Ivan Toney “from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect for eight months” following the investigation into an incident in which the football was accused of 262 breaches of the FA’s gambling laws, which permit professional footballer from betting on matches.
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”, read the statement.
The striker, who has scored 20 goals in 33 assists this season, has been a huge part of Brentford’s success in the league and the player was even touted as a potential backup to Harry Kane in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
The statement on the FA website continued: “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.”
Is Toney allowed to train with the team?
No. The FA, as they have banned him from all football and football-related activity, will not permit Toney to train or even attend training without participation. “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 statement says.
The reasons for these sanctions will be made public, say the FA: “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.”
Brentford FC issued a statement on the matter:
“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.”