Another sports betting scam has surfaced.
Ivan Toney, a striker for Brentford, has been outstanding this year, scoring 21 goals in all competitions. However, the English Football Association (FA) announced on Wednesday that Toney would be suspended from any soccer-related activity for eight months.
It’s not okay to break the rules even once. Toney has been charged with an unprecedented 262 betting violations from February 2017 to January 2021.
However, the events and circumstances that led to Toney’s current predicament have not been made public. Is there more to this narrative that will shed light on his actions and motivations once the FA issues the full report?
According to ESPN, the FA’s disciplinary tribunal heard Toney’s confession in March.
The FA dropped charges for 30 infractions, and Toney admitted guilt for the remaining 232. Toney gambled on games while playing for Brentford, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United, and Scunthorpe United in the Premier League.
Toney, now 27 years old, was in line to represent England in the 2018 World Cup and made his debut for the Three Lions in March 2018 during a qualification match for Euro 2024 against Ukraine before being penalized by the FA.
With 21 goals for Brentford this season, Toney will have to wait a while before he can play again. Toney’s ban came about a week after a dozen players in Brazil and the United States were banned for manipulating matches.
Toney pled guilty and was given a suspension until January 16 of the following year. He won’t be able to practice with his team until at least the middle of September. On the surface, it would appear that Brentford has every right to be horrified by the prospect of losing their most outstanding player.
He has been warned about his future actions and fined £50,000.
