Full reasons behind Ivan Toney football ban revealed with striker diagnosed a gambling addict
Ivan Toney was diagnosed as a compulsive gambler who had bet 13 times that his own clubs would lose before being banned for eight months by the Football Association, it has been revealed.
Brentford and England striker Toney, 27, also admitted lying to the FA about betting on football and providing inside information to a friend about when he started a match.
The FA’s bombshell written report, released today, reveals that Toney:
- Placed 13 bets on his own team between August 2017 and March 2018, including 11 against his parent club Newcastle, while on loan at Wigan
- Told a friend he would start his next club match in March 2018
- Used other people’s accounts to place bets despite initial denial of the allegations
- Admitted to lying during his first interview with the FA when questioned about gambling charges
- Suspected of having a separate mobile phone to place bets, which he failed to hand over to the FA during their investigation.
- Still betting on other sports and casino games and ‘determined to tackle his gambling problem with therapy’ during ban
The governing body was about to give Toney a 15-month suspension due to the nature of the offenses, but cut the suspension by nearly half as he pleaded guilty and was diagnosed with a gambling addiction by a psychiatric expert.
The FA has revealed the reasons behind Ivan Toney’s eight-month suspension
The striker was diagnosed as a gambling addict after betting 13 times that his own team would lose
It was also mentioned that Toney did not play in any of the matches in which he bet against his parent club.
Part of the FA report on Friday read: ‘Of those 29 bets, 13 were bets on Mr Toney’s own team to lose in 7 different games between 22 August 2017 and 3 March 2018.
Mail Sport’s OLIVER HOLT broke the news of Toney’s football ban in the Mail on Sunday (above) this month, while MATT HUGHES was the first to break the assailant’s guilty plea (below)
‘Mr Toney didn’t play in any of those games where he placed bets against his loan club because he wasn’t in the match squad or against his parent club because he was on loan.
‘Of the 13 bets, 11 were against Newcastle, while Mr Toney was on loan to another club. The other 2 bets involved a game between Wigan and Aston Villa while the player was on loan to Wigan but not part of the squad.
‘A further 15 of the 126 bets or instructions to bet were placed by Mr Toney to score in 9 different games in which he all played.
All those 15 bets or instructions to bet were initiated by Mr. Toney at a time when it would not have been widely known that he started or played the match.”
The FA further revealed that Toney has now been diagnosed with a gambling addiction and has been advised to seek professional help.
The 27-year-old attacker was fined £50,000 by the Football Association of England.
Toney’s suspension, one of the longest in football history, was initially set to be 15 months before the FA cut the suspension by nearly half following his gambling addiction diagnosis
“The Commission had the benefit of a report from Dr Philip Hopley dated February 2, 2023, who also attended the hearing by videoconference to answer questions.
‘Dr. Hopley had interviewed Mr. Toney twice and concluded in his report that Mr. Toney has a clear history of gambling addiction.
“For these reasons, it is not necessary to set out the details of the report. It was Dr. Hopley’s conclusion that Mr. Toney needs professional help regarding his addiction.
“It seems that Mr. Toney has stopped betting on football, although he still bets on other sports and casino games. He is determined to tackle his gambling problem with therapy at the end of this season.”
Mail Sport revealed in February that Toney had pleaded guilty to the majority of 262 bets submitted by the FA last year, with an independent disciplinary committee handing down an eight-month suspension and a £50,000 fine following a hearing this month.
The ban will keep Toney from playing until January 16 next year, reflecting both the number of offenses and the fact that the bets were placed over an extended four-year period between February 2017 and January 2021.
Toney is not even allowed to train with Brentford until September, leaving him with no choice but to train alone to keep fit.
Brentford responded to the FA’s ruling with a statement of its own on Friday.
Toney, pictured making his debut for England in March against Ukraine, received the support of Gareth Southgate on Tuesday as the Three Lions boss announced his squad for June.
He was first charged on November 16, but it took another six months for his case to be resolved
It read: ‘Brentford FC have received and accepted the written reasons from an independent regulatory committee which imposed an eight-month ban on all football and soccer-related activities on Ivan Toney after he admitted breaching FA rule E8 in relation to placing bets on football. .
The verdict has been published on the FA’s website. Ivan and Brentford FC accept that offenses have been committed and sanctions are inevitable.
“The commission noted that none of the charges related to events where Ivan could negatively impact his own team.”
England manager Gareth Southgate questioned the length of the suspension when he announced his side would play Malta and North Macedonia on Tuesday, fearing the Brentford striker would be let down during his suspension.
Southgate challenged the terms of his employers’ sentence, with Toney unable to train with Brentford until September.
“I talked to (Toney),” he said. ‘I don’t know if that’s allowed. If not, they can ban me and not add to his ban.
“Look, the prohibition is the prohibition. It is what it is. He acknowledged and accepted the punishment. What bothers me is that we have to take care of people.
Toney’s suspension is one of the longest in football history, equaling Rio Ferdinand’s in 2003
“He’s injured right now. What does he do to get fit? How do we give him some structure over the next few months so that he can develop himself or become a better person at the end of it, or have experiences that he might not have?
“I don’t like the idea that we just leave someone behind so they can’t be part of the football community.
“I don’t think we should work that way. I don’t think the best rehabilitation programs work that way.”
On whether Toney could still be included in his squad for Euro 2024 next summer, Southgate added: “Without a doubt it is possible for him.
“It’s not ideal because he’s going to miss a big part of the season and you don’t know after that period how he’s going to adapt physically and how he’s going to play.
“But it’s possible for him, there will still be time and he has impressed us with his way of playing.
“I like his personality, I like his conviction and the way he does his job, so anything is still possible for him.”
Meanwhile, Brentford boss Thomas Frank indicated last week that Toney has a future at Gtech Stadium after all.
Thomas Frank assured Toney that his future lies with Brentford, despite the striker’s lengthy suspension
‘I have been in contact with him. He is disappointed and sad about the situation,” Frank said ahead of the FA report on Friday. “His future is with Brentford, there is no doubt about that.
“We are waiting for the information so that we know what to do. What he is allowed to do, especially the first four months.
“One thing is for sure, we will do everything we can to be there for him, support him and be aware of the mental health that goes into it.
“He made some mistakes, but we have to be there and want to be there for him and help him. We just need to know what we’re allowed to do.’