The English Football Association (FA), today, announced that the initial ban of 11 months for Brentford striker Ivan Toney was reduced to eight months after he was diagnosed with gambling addiction.
The FA’s Regulatory Commission published a document that revealed this. The document included the reasons for Toney’s suspension .
The Brentford player admitted to 232 violations of FA rule E8. This rule prohibits football players, coaches, and club employees to bet on matches anywhere in the world. The Commission retracted 30 of the 262 charges that were initially filed against him.
In the document, it was stated that the decision of reducing the ban had been made on “common ground”.
The Commission stated that the age of the player at the time the offenses occurred, his expression of regret and his good track record off the field all played a part in the reduction of sanction. It did, however, highlight the “special importance” of his gambling-addiction diagnosis.
The document stated that “additionally, and this is of special importance, the Commission believes that a significant amount should be reduced to reflect the gambling addiction diagnosed by Dr Hopley.”
Dr Philip Hopley is the expert in psychiatry who testified to the Commission by video call.
The lack of control that the player exhibits in relation to gambling is a clear reflection of his gambling addiction, it was continued. He is determined to treat his gambling addiction with therapy by the end of this season.
Eight-month ban
According to the Commission, 50 of these violations were the “most serious” of all the offenses. The betting included 16 bets for his team to win, and 13 bets for his team to lose.
The most serious bets were 15 for Toney and 6 for other players to score.
Toney confirmed for the first time in November of last year that he “assists” the FA in an investigation. The Daily Mail reported at the time that the FA had been investigating him for seven months.
