Ivan Toney made 13 bets on his side to lose as FA reveal reasons for ban | OneFootball

Ivan Toney was handed an eight-month ban from all football-related activities earlier this month after being found guilty of breaching the Football Association's betting rules.

The decision came after the Englishman was charged with 232 breaches of the FA’s gambling laws between 2017 and 2021.

As well as an eight-month ban which keeps him out of action until 2024, Toney was given a £50,000 fine and warned about his future conduct.

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He said in a statement, per Sky News: "Today I have received notification of my eight-month ban from football following a hearing before an FA Regulatory Commission that took place yesterday.

"I am naturally disappointed that I will be unable to play for the next eight months. I now focus on returning to play the game I love next season."

The ban handed to Toney was the third longest handed to a Premier League player.

FA release written reasons for Ivan Toney's ban

The FA have now revealed their reasons for Toney's ban and gone into detail on the bets that he placed.

The England international placed 29 bets on matches his own team was involved in.

13 of those 29 bets were on his own team to lose during a period of seven months between 2017 and 2018.

Toney did not play in any of the matches where he bet against his side. He also bet on himself to score on 15 occasions.

Part of the FA's statement read, per the Daily Mail: "Of those 29 bets, there were 13 bets on Mr Toney’s own team to lose in 7 different matches between 22 August 2017 and 3 March 2018.

"Mr Toney did not play in any of those matches where he placed bets against his loan club as he was not in the match squad or against his parent club as he was on loan.

"Of the 13 bets 11 were against Newcastle whilst Mr Toney was on loan at another club. The other 2 bets related to a game between Wigan v Aston Villa whilst the player was on loan at Wigan but he was 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 matches all of which he played in."

Toney informed a friend that he would start his next club's match in March 2018.

He used other people's accounts to place bets despite initially denying the allegations, while he also admitted to lying during his first interview with the FA when questioned about the gambling charges.

Ivan Toney diagnosed with gambling addiction

The FA commission would have given Toney a record 15-month ban but it was cut partly because he pleaded guilty and also because an expert concluded the Brentford forward had a gambling addiction.

The dociment reads: “The present case is not one of match-fixing. If it was, the charges would have been pursued under different provisions. There is no evidence that Mr Toney did or was even in a position to influence his own team to lose when he placed bets against them winning - he was not in the squad or eligible to play at the time.

“The commission finds that a significant reduction should be made to reflect the diagnosed gambling addiction identified by [psychiatrist] Dr [Philip] Hopley. The lack of control the player has in respect of gambling is clearly a reflection of his diagnosed gambling addiction.”