Brentford forward Ivan Toney has been suspended from all football-related activities for the next eight months by England’s football governing body after being found guilty of dozens of FA’s betting rules breaches.
The 27-year-old had last year been charged with 262 breaches of FA Rule E8 in relation to the betting rules which took place between February 2017 and 23 January 2021 before 30 of those breaches were later withdrawn.
Meanwhile, Toney, who has been an integral part of Thomas Frank’s team this season, scoring 20 league goals as Brentford sit ninth on the Premier League table, pleaded guilty to all the charges and was ready for any decision the FA deemed fit the offenses.
In the ruling handed down by an independent regulatory commission following a personal hearing, Toney was given an eight months suspension from all football-related activities which is to begin immediately and will run up to and including 16 January 2024.
He was also fined £50,000 and issued serious warnings about his future conduct. However, he would be allowed to return to training only with his club for the final four months of his suspension starting from 17 September 2023.
“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,” the statement read.
