Will Ivan Toney repeat the same mistakes again?
Don’t BET on it!
27 December 2023
The League will be happy to have him back, but his punishment serves as a reminder that the FA do not take betting offences lightly.
When Luis Suárez bit Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, he was handed a 10-game ban from football. When he was shown to have been racist towards Patrice Evra against Manchester United, he was handed an 8-game ban and a £40,000 fine. However, when Ivan Toney returns to the Brentford team on the 17th January, he will have been in exile for 8 months.
What exactly did he do?
Well, Toney breached FA rules by committed numerous betting offences. This was the most serious breach of gambling rules in FA history.
The charges related to a period between February 2017 and January 2021, during which Toney played for Wigan, Newcastle and Brentford. He broke the FA rules regarding betting, specifically Rule E8, and was charged with 262 breaches. He was given an 8 month ban and a fine of £50,000.
What are the rules?
This isn’t the first time a player has been sanctioned by the FA for breaching betting rules. Kieran Trippier faced a 10 week ban and fined £70,000 when encouraging a friend to bet on him joining Atletico Madrid. Daniel Sturridge was banned for 4 months and was fined £150,000 when he also tipped off a friend regarding a transfer and used inside information. Joey Barton was given an 18 month ban when it was revealed that he had placed over £1,200 bets during a 10-year period.
The FA rules apply to everyone involved in football, at every professional level. These participants are ‘prohibited from betting, either directly or indirectly, on any football match or competition that takes place anywhere in the world.’
The passing of inside information, (‘information that is not publicly available but they are aware of due to their position in football’), to someone who uses that information on a bet, is prohibited.
Thus, when Toney’s offences are put into context, you can understand why the FA have such enthusiasm for charging offences such as these. The truth is that the rules are so clear and effective, that they act as a good deterrent; the crimes committed are then few and far between. Thus, when they do come to light, the FA are extremely likely to pursue the charges with the utmost vigour.
What implications will the Toney sanction have on the game and why is this important?
Fundamentally, for Brentford fans, Ivan Toney being out of the game is a huge blow. This will put the issues regarding betting into the mainstream and hopefully broaden the education around the topic and promote responsible gambling. Especially if a high-profile role model such as Toney decides to speak on the topic and his addiction.
The length of the ban and the stringent clamp down on betting is part of a wider message and project from the FA to eradicate the harmful effects that betting can have.
Recently, the Premier League clubs announced they would no longer have gambling sponsorship on the front of their kits starting in 2026. This will be to make sure that gambling is not trivialised for children and those that watch the game. This move will recognise the enormous influence that football has on the youth and finding a positive way to effect some change, promoting responsible gambling.
Betting sponsorships last year were valued at around £40million a year to the Premier League, so this will be a big financial hole to fill. However, if we consider the bigger picture, this move should serve as a positive influence in maintaining a cleaner game for all to enjoy.
The FA should potentially consider shaping its rules so that racial incidents and offences that are criminal, such as assault, are given worse punishments than betting offences, which in normal society are not criminalized. Granted, Toney committed numerous breaches of the FA rules, however if the FA want to encapsulate the spirit of why these rules are in place, to ensure a fairer and cleaner game all around, then they should truly consider altering some of their laws.