FA Charges Accepted by Ivan Toney of EPL: Potential Ban Imminent
Football star Ivan Toney has confessed to numerous rule-breaking betting incidents, which will be addressed in an upcoming disciplinary hearing by the Football Association (FA).
The 26-year-old forward was charged with a staggering 262 betting violations by the FA in December, pertaining to wagers on soccer matches. While Toney acknowledges most of the charges, he plans to contest the remaining ones.
Rule E8 of the FA prohibits players from placing bets on soccer games worldwide and sharing information for betting purposes. The allegations against Toney do not concern games where he directly participated. His suspected misdeeds are said to have taken place between Feb. 25, 2017, and Jan. 23, 2021, during his tenure with Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United, and his current team, Brentford.
Last December's accusations came as a hassle for Toney, who aspired to represent his country at the World Cup but was left off the roster for the Qatar tournament. England coach Gareth Southgate later claimed his selection decision had nothing to do with the charges and that Toney's training during England's matches against Germany and Italy in September was lackluster.
Anticipated Long Ban
Now, Toney is expected to endure a prolonged soccer ban, which would be detrimental to Brentford and their aspiration to secure European qualification for the first time.
With 14 goals in 21 games this season, Toney ranks third in the English Premier League, just behind Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.
Previously, Burnley midfielder Joey Barton was handed a 18-month ban in 2017 after admitting to placing 1,260 bets between 2006 and 2013. The ruling, at 35, proved to be the end of his professional career.
Currently, Barton coaches Bristol Rovers.
The Inside Advantage Disadvantage
In 2020, another England striker, Daniel Sturridge, was suspended for four months for disclosing insider information about transfers.
Given the unpredictability of soccer transfer deals, the information Sturridge leaked wasn't always advantageous. According to the FA, one of Sturridge's relatives lost £10,000 ($12,000) betting on Sturridge joining Inter Milan, as the deal fell through. Additionally, Sturridge advised his brother, Leon, to bet on his transfer from Liverpool to Spanish club Sevilla, which never transpired.
Upon investigation, the FA found that £13,755 ($17,300) was placed on Sturridge's potential transfers by individuals either directly or indirectly linked to the player. However, the group ended up losing approximately £3,000 ($3,600) overall.
Furthermore, £20,560 ($25,730) in bets were denied when bookies became suspicious. If accepted, these bets would have grossed £317,006 ($396,700) in returns.
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