In a shocking revelation, an independent commission report has exposed the gambling addiction of Ivan Toney, the banned England and Brentford striker. Toney, who recently admitted to 232 breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules, is currently serving an eight-month suspension as a consequence.
During a personal hearing, the independent regulatory commission handed down several sanctions against Toney, including a hefty fine of £50,000 ($62,000). As a result, Toney is barred from training with Brentford until September 17, with his return to competitive play scheduled for January next year.
The personal hearing saw the attendance of psychiatrist Philip Hopley, who diagnosed Toney with a gambling addiction. Based on this professional assessment, the commission modified its ruling, reducing the initial 11-month suspension by three months.
According to the written reasons document, published on Friday, the commission stated, “The lack of control the player has in respect of gambling is clearly a reflection of his diagnosed gambling addiction. The commission finds that a significant reduction should be made to reflect the diagnosed gambling addiction identified by Dr Hopley.”
Toney’s violations of the FA rules occurred over a span of five seasons, from 2017 to 2021, during his stints at Newcastle, Peterborough, and his subsequent move to Brentford in 2020. The commission’s investigation unveiled that Toney placed 13 bets on his own team to lose in seven different matches during the 2017/18 season. Notably, 11 of those bets were against Newcastle, a period when Toney was on loan from the club.
Additionally, two other bets were placed on a match between Wigan and Aston Villa, despite Toney being on loan at Wigan and not involved in the matchday squad. Furthermore, the commission discovered that Toney had also wagered on his own team to win in 15 different matches and on himself to score in nine separate matches.
However, the regulatory commission clarified that Toney’s case did not involve match-fixing. “There is no evidence that Mr Toney did or was even in a position to influence his own team to lose when he placed bets against them winning,” the commission stated. “He was not in the squad or eligible to play at the time.”
Brentford FC, in response to the findings, issued a statement affirming their commitment to supporting the 27-year-old striker in his battle against gambling addiction. “Ivan and Brentford FC accept that offenses were committed, and sanctions were inevitable,” the club’s statement read.
Highlighting the commission’s observations, the club added, “The commission noted that none of the charges related to events where Ivan could negatively impact his own team. The detail is included in the written reasons. The club will now be doing everything possible to provide support to Ivan and his family to deal with the issues raised in this case.”
Despite the controversy surrounding him, Toney has enjoyed a remarkable season, scoring 20 goals in 33 Premier League games. His outstanding performance earned him a debut for the England national team, where he made an appearance against Ukraine in March. England manager Gareth Southgate expressed the importance of supporting Toney during his time away from the game, emphasizing the need for assistance and understanding.
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