Brentford striker Ivan Toney has described the English Football Association as “spiteful” over its handling of his eight-month ban for breaking betting rules.
Toney was suspended from football for eight months, fined £50,000 ($62,000) and warned about his future conduct after admitting to 232 breaches of FA betting rules.
The 27-year-old missing the World Cup was a “bigger punishment” than his actual ban after being omitted from Gareth Southgate’s Qatar 2022 squad and, while he accepts his punishment, he feels the timing of his charges being made public was harsh.
The FA announced Toney had been charged with 262 breaches in November, effectively ruling him out of contention for the World Cup in Qatar, but he had to wait until May before receiving his ban.
“It came out just before the England camp. Obviously, I missed that and the World Cup. Honestly, that would have been my biggest dream,” Toney told Kick Game’s YouTube channel
“It was like, get it out now so he doesn’t go with England and then all of a sudden they want to wait until the end of the season [to announce the suspension].
“It is what it is, if they want to do it that way. I call it a bit spiteful, but it is what it is.
“I felt like that was a bigger punishment. Even now I’m missing eight months of football, I feel that was a bigger punishment, missing out on the World Cup – everybody’s dream – [than] missing eight months of football.”
An independent commission said in its report that Toney’s punishment could have been worse if not for the diagnosis of a gambling addiction.
Among the charges were 29 bets or instructions to bet related to clubs Toney was registered with or on loan with at the time.
Toney did not play in any of the seven different games in which 13 bets were placed on his own team to lose. There were 15 bets on him to score in matches in which he did play.
“None of it was match-fixing,” said Toney, his Three Lions debut was in March, when he came on as an 81st-minute substitute during England's Euro 2024 qualifying victory against Ukraine.
“None of what I did or was accused of doing, none of it was match-fixing. If it was I understand that, ban me for eight months or if not longer.”
Southgate has been critical of the wide-reaching nature of Toney’s ban, which prohibits him from training until September 17 and from playing again until January 17.
Toney said he was grateful for Southgate’s support and also for that shown by his club, and wants to come back as an even better player. He finished the season third in the Premier League’s scoring chart with 20 goals.
“It felt good – obviously, it’s going to, the England manager backing you and standing with you,” Toney said. “I think he probably sees it as a bit harsh as well, not letting me train or be around the team for however long. But I’ve got the right people around me.
“Every season I’ve got better, scoring more goals, and I’m hungry now to get back. When January comes, you’re going to see a different animal.”
