Ivan Toney accepts breaking FA betting rules
Brentford striker could face a lengthy ban with the hearing set to take place imminently
Ivan Toney has reportedly accepted that he has broken the Football Association’s (FA) betting rules ahead of his disciplinary hearing.
The Premier League star striker was originally charged with 232 breaches of FA rule E8 in November, with a further 30 added in December.
While Toney will accept many of the charges, he is contesting others.
The alleged breaches occurred between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021, with the first of these breaches occurring during Toney’s loan spell at now National League side Scunthorpe United.
The striker then had stints at Wigan Athletic and Peterborough United before signing for Brentford in August 2020.
Any potential ban could ruin Toney’s chances of being included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.
A potential ban could also dent his current side, Brentford’s, chances of qualifying for European football next season.
The last Premier League player to be banned for breaching FA betting rules is current Newcastle United and England defender Kieran Trippier, who faced punishment by the governing body in December 2020.
Trippier was banned from all football activity for 10 weeks and fined £70,000 for telling a friend to bet on his move to Atletico Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in August 2019.
Daniel Sturridge also paid the consequences for disclosing insider information about a transfer. The former England international was given a four-month ban and a £150,000 fine after it was established he told his brother to bet on his then potential move to La Liga side Sevilla in January 2018.
Most recently, the FA banned former Sunderland forward Chris Maguire for six weeks following multiple betting-related breaches.
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