GAMBLING ADDICT TONEY BET ON HIS TEAM TO LOSE GAMES

BRENTFORD have vowed to stand by Ivan Toney and “do everything possible” to help him through a gambling addiction, after the FA this morning published the full written reasons for the England’s striker’s eight-month ban

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Among the most serious charges, the commission found Toney made 13 bets on his own club to lose in seven different matches between August 2017 and March 2018, although he did not play in any of the games.

Of these bets, 11 were on Newcastle to lose while he was on loan from the Magpies and two were on his then-loan club Wigan to lose, although he did not feature in either game.

As a result, the commission was confident the case was “not one of match-fixing”, with the written reasons adding: “If it was [match-fixing], 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.”

Toney also placed 16 bets on his own team to win 15 different matches, and played in 11 of the games and was an unused substitute in another.