The Football Association Charges Ivan Toney for Breaching Betting Rules

The Football Association charges Ivan Toney, famous Brentford striker, with 232 alleged breaches of its gambling law. This may lead him to being banned from playing. With the World Cup coming soon, this is a significant loss both for the player and England’s World Cup squad.   

The charges were pressed on Wednesday when the Football Association finished its investigation into the series of breaches that have been happening during the last four years.   

The FA strict laws:  

In the FA statement, it has been written that Ivan Toney has been charged with improper behavior regarding the betting rules of the Football Association. The breached rule is E8, which the player violated 232 times between February 2012 and January 2021.   

The main reason the English player was charged lies in the strict Football Association laws: all football players who have contracts with English teams aren’t allowed to make bets on football or even to ask others to make bets on their behalf. It is also forbidden to share any information that can be used for betting purposes. The consequences of these actions can be really severe.   

Toney’s reply to these charges is expected by November 24th. This could be a significant loss for his club because the player scored 10 goals in the Premier League this season.  

Regarding the accusations, Brentford said: “The club has been in discussion with Ivan and his legal representatives about this matter, and those conversations will continue privately. We will make no further comment until the matter has been completed.”  

Previous breaches:  

This is not the first breach in the history of English football. Recently, in 2020, Kieran Trippier was also banned from playing when he shared secret information about his transfer to Atlético Madrid with his friends. He wasn’t allowed to play for 10 weeks and had to pay a fee of £70,000. Trippier even appealed to Fifa, claiming that he didn’t benefit financially from this breach, but this appeal was rejected.

Daniel Sturridge has also been banned for six weeks. He shared information on his next transfer. He also appealed, but it only led to his extended punishment so that he couldn’t play for four months.   

Andi Thanoj and Jay Rollins also got a ban last year after they placed a bet on 757 matches. They hadn’t been able to play for five months.   

Will we be able to watch Toney at the World Cup? Looks like we can expect to find out soon! Until then, we are here to update you on every step in the investigation!