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Ivan Toney. Photo/CNN
- FA has issued an eight-month football ban on Ivan Toney
- Toney is a striker for Brentford
- He will miss out of key matches
FA has issued an eight-month football ban on Brentford player and England striker Ivan Toney for contravening betting rules by the association.
Toney has been facing the possibility of a football ban ever since he was accused of breaking 232 FA rules in November 2022 and another 30 in December 2022.
This is despite earning £20,000 weekly at Brentford. Toney, 27 had earlier complained about the leaked rumours of his gambling following his admission to breaching betting rules.
Besides the eight-month football ban, the Regulatory Commission fined Toney £50,000.
“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,” FA said in a statement.
Ivan Toney. Photo/Sky Sports
“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. “
The England striker is allowed to return to training for the final four months of his suspension beginning on September 17, 2023 with Brentford.
FA’s ban throws a spanner in the works for Toney two months after making his England debut as a last-minute substitution for captain Harry Kane in the victory against Ukraine during the Euro 2024 qualifying round.
He has 20 goals this season and is only one goal behind Kane and Erling Haaland in the Premier League scoring rankings.
His meticulous football skills saw him included in Gareth Southgate’s side for the qualifiers against North Macedonia and Malta later in May.
Sadly, he is no longer eligible for selection until March, he cannot represent his nation on the pitch.
Charges against Toney pertained to a four-year span between February 2017 and January 2021, during which the striker played for Scunthorpe and Wigan while on loan from Newcastle, followed by Peterborough and the Bees.
Toney made an appearance before an independent FA disciplinary panel yesterday in an effort to contest his impending suspension, which will undoubtedly prevent him from playing in a high-profile summer transfer.
Ivan Toney. Photo/TEAMtalk
The talisman of Brentford had been linked to a summer transfer to Chelsea.
In addition to missing the encounter against Manchester City on the final day, he will start serving his punishment for the match against Tottenham on Saturday.
Toney will continue to serve his suspension throughout the slow summer months with the intention of joining the fray again in January.
Toney’s suspension, which will prevent him from playing against Manchester City on the final day for Brentford, infuriated several Arsenal supporters on social media.
This is true despite the fact that the Gunners’ title chances are all but dead following their 3-0 loss to Brighton last Sunday.