Ivan Toney banned for eight months for breaching betting rules

Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney has been banned from football for eight months and fined 50,000 pounds ($62,500) for 232 breaches of the Football Association’s (FA) betting rules, the English governing body has said.

Toney has been suspended with “immediate effect” and will not be able to play for club or country until his suspension ends on January 16, 2024, the body said on Wednesday. The 27-year-old has also been warned over his future conduct.

“The Brentford forward was charged with 262 breaches of FA Rule E8 in total between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021,” the FA said. “The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232.”

The sanctions were imposed by an independent regulatory commission after a personal hearing. Toney can return to training for the final four months of his suspension starting from September 17, 2023.

A Brentford 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.”

Toney has scored 20 Premier League goals this season, trailing only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Tottenham’s Harry Kane in the scoring charts. He made his debut for England in March in a European Championship qualifier against Ukraine.

His absence will be a huge blow for the team after his goals played a key role in their rise to ninth place in the Premier League heading into the last two games of the season.