Ivan Toney: Banned Brentford striker diagnosed with gambling addiction

Ivan Toney was diagnosed as a gambling addict who bet on his own team to lose 13 times, the Football Association has revealed.

The Brentford and England striker was banned from football for eight months after pleading guilty to 232 betting charges.

The FA have now released their written reasons for the suspension, noting that Toney did not play in any of the matches in which he bet against his own team, including 11 against Newcastle.

Toney also admitted to lying in his first FA interview about the betting allegations after using other people’s accounts to place bets.

A statement on Friday read: “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.”

It added: “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 FA wanted Toney to be banned for 15 months but reduced the suspension after he was diagnosed with a gambling addiction and pleaded guilty to the charges.

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