Ivan Toney could be banned for 'at least six months' after admitting betting charges

Brentford ace Ivan Toney could be banned for up to six months after admitting a string of betting charges.

The charges levelled against Toney initially consisted of 232 breaches of the FA’s gambling laws between 2017 and 2021, with the governing body later adding a further 30 charges that took place between 2017 and 2019. The disgraced striker pled guilty to the majority of the FA's 262 charges issued last December but is contesting some of them which took place across stints with Scunthorpe, Wigan, Peterborough and Brentford.

Now the FA will take in his response before issuing a hearing date, Sky Sports reported. But the 26-year-old's fate will be decided by an Independent Regulatory Commission, who will weigh up all the evidence provided and dish out a punishment, if they uphold the charges.

However, Sky believes that Toney could be banned for a minimum period of six months once his hearing takes place, likely to be in April, as it may take the FA several weeks to process the England forward's response.

On a positive note for Brentford, Toney's looming ban can be enforced in the summer months when there's not too many games being played, if the penalty is delivered soon, it was added.

This means he won't miss too many games for Brentford next season as they push for European football. Toney's haul of 14 goals in 21 games has helped the Bees storm into ninth in the table, and Thomas Frank's side will severely feel his absence as he serves his punishment.

The ban means Toney will likely sit out England’s upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine next month.

Missing the games will be bitter blow for the forward who was agonisingly overlooked for England's ill-fated Qatar World Cup campaign last November when the news of his illicit actions broke.

But Toney's not the only Premier League footballer whose been hit with betting charges. Kieran Trippier, Joey Barton, and Daniel Sturridge have all been found guilty of gambling offences by the FA in previous years.