Striker banned from play following gambling addiction diagnosis
Ivan Toney, striker at Brentford, has received a reduced ban from football following a diagnosed gambling addiction.
The Football Association found Toney attempted to conceal his betting, which included betting through third parties, betting against his own team, and giving "clearly false answers" during his interviews with the FA.
The Commission didn’t uphold all of the FA’s claims and Toney’s ban was reduced after he pleaded guilty to 232 breaches of FA betting rules over a period of five seasons between February 2017 and January 2021.
The 11-month sanction was further reduced to 8 months to reflect Toney’s diagnosis and his determination, “to address his gambling problem with therapy".
In a statement, Brentford said:
"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…" "We consider this matter closed and look forward to welcoming Ivan back to training in September."
The Professional Footballers' Association said it offered "significant practical and confidential support to players" struggling with addiction to gambling.
"It is crucial that players are properly supported in taking the steps to seek help, and that processes covering punishments for gambling in football take proper account of the wellbeing of players.”
Toney’s suspension started immediately, and he was also fined £50,000 and warned about his future conduct.
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