FA charges Ivan Toney with 232 alleged breaches of betting rules

The Brentford striker is accused of having breached betting rules over a four-year period.

UK.- The English Football Association has charged Ivan Toney with allegedly committing 232 breaches of betting rules over four years, between 2017 and 2021. The period in question includes after Toney moved to Brentford from Peterborough in 2020. Brentford was promoted to the Premier League at the end of the 2020-2021 season.

Last week, the 26-year-old striker confirmed that he was assisting the FA with its investigation into historic breaches of gambling rules. He now has until November 24 to respond to the charges. The FA can impose financial penalties, suspensions and even lifetime bans for breaches of its prohibition against players and people connected to them from betting on the sport.

Last month, the FA imposed a record 10-year ban on Stratford Town defender Kynan Isaac. The 31-year-old player was accused of placing or aiding hundreds of bets on football matches that he was involved in and of spot-fixing.

Isaac was charged with spot-fixing in relation to Stratford’s FA Cup home tie against Shrewsbury Town on November 7, 2021. The FA was alerted about suspicious betting on the match, which Stratford lost 1-5. Bookmakers alerted the FA to large bets being placed on Isaac to be booked – something that happened in the 84th minute.

Toney had been a contender for England’s World Cup squad, and he was called up for the recent Nations League fixtures, but he was left out of the team when Gareth Southgate announced his selection last week. He has scored 11 goals for Brentford this season, including two in the team’s 2-1 win at Manchester City on Saturday.

Brentford said in a statement: “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.”