Brentford’s Toney faces fresh betting charges

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been charged over further alleged breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules, England’s governing body announced on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old was already facing a lengthy ban after being charged last month with 232 alleged breaches of betting rules over a four-year period.

Toney has now been charged with breaching FA Rule E8 an additional 30 times between March 14, 2017 and February 18, 2019.

He has until January 4 to provide a response, with Premier League club Brentford saying Tuesday: “Our private discussions with Ivan and his legal representatives on this matter continue.”

Toney, who had been in contention for England’s World Cup squad, admitted last month he was assisting the FA with its investigation into historic breaking of gambling rules.

The initial alleged breaches stretch from 2017, when Toney was on Newcastle’s books, to 2021, after he had joined Brentford from Peterborough.

The rules ban players from betting on any football match, even games in which they are not involved.

England right-back Kieran Trippier was banned for 10 weeks by the FA in December 2020 for giving out information for others to bet on his transfer from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid.

Toney was called up to England’s Nations League squad in September but missed out when Gareth Southgate named his travelling party to Qatar.

When news of the FA probe broke on November 6, Toney wrote on Twitter: “I’m aware of a story about me in a national newspaper today.

“I have been assisting the Football Association with their enquiries and will not be making any comment until such investigation has reached its conclusion.”

Toney has scored 11 goals this season, including both in west London club Brentford’s shock 2-1 win away to English champions Manchester City in their final fixture before the World Cup.