Sports

Brentford’s Ivan Toney banned for 8 months for breaching FA betting rules

Brentford striker, Ivan Toney, has been suspended from all football-related activity for eight months for breaching Football Association betting rules.

Toney’s suspension will start with immediate effect, meaning he will miss Brentford’s final two games of the season – at Tottenham on Saturday and at home to Manchester City on the final day.

Toney, who has scored 33 per cent of Brentford’s Premier League goals this season, will be banned until January 16, 2024, and has been fined £50,000 after he admitted to the alleged breaches.

An independent regulatory commission imposed Toney’s sanctions and he will not be allowed to train with his Brentford team-mates until September 17.

Toney, 27, was charged with 262 breaches of FA rule E8 between February 25, 2017, and January 23, 2021.

The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232.

The one-cap England forward, who has scored 21 goals in 35 appearances for Brentford this season, has the right to appeal the punishment.

In a statement, Brentford said they were “awaiting the publication of the written reasons of the independent regulatory commission.”

“We will review them before considering our next steps,” the club added.

Toney later posted on social media to say he was “disappointed” with the ban but would not be commenting further until the written reasons are published.

The Star