Ivan Toney has been handed a eight-month ban from all football and football-related activity by the Football Association after being found guilty of betting offences.
The Brentford striker was charged with 232 breaches in November and a further 30 in December of Football Association rules - although these later breaches were withdrew. The case dates back to alleged bets placed as far back as 2017, when he was out on loan from Newcastle with Scunthorpe.
A statement from the FA reads: "Ivan Toney has been suspended from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect for eight months, fined £50,000 and warned as to his future conduct for breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules.
"The Brentford FC forward was charged with 262 breaches of FA Rule E8 in total between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021. The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232.
"His sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing. He is permitted to return to training only with his club for the final four months of his suspension starting from 17 September 2023.
"The independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course, and The FA will wait to review them before commenting further."
Brentford have in turn, released a statement: "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."
The striker has been in imperious form for the Bees, scoring 20 Premier League goals in 33 games this season. That goalscoring prowess had attracted attention from clubs at the top of the Premier League, including Arsenal and Manchester United.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has backed the player publicly throughout the process, but admitted his squad were braced for losing their star asset for a prolonged period of time. Talking last week, Frank said: "I am pretty sure we will know where we stand before the season ends or just after the season so we can react, potentially.
"Right now we are in a good position. We have four good players in Kevin Schade, Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo, Keane Lewis-Potter. But we have to wait until the result of the hearing before we do anything. But we are prepared if we need to do anything."
The 27-year-old was called up by Gareth Southgate earlier this season and earned his maiden England cap in the most recent international break. The Three Lions boss was asked about his selection amid the investigation, telling reporters: “He’s playing for his club, he’s available. There hasn’t been a trial or any judgement, so I don’t know on what basis we wouldn’t pick him.”
