by Thomas Frank says he shares Ivan Toney’s disappointment and “surprise” over details of his ongoing FA betting case leaked this week.
After Daily mail revealed that Toney had admitted to some of the 262 alleged violations of gambling rules while denying others, the striker said on Instagram that his lawyers would be writing to the FA asking for a “leak investigation”.
The 26-year-old also described how the last time “stories appeared in the papers” ahead of England’s World Cup selection that left Toney out – and now Brentford boss Frank has also questioned why the information emerged.
“We share Ivan’s disappointment about the leaks on a confidential matter. That surprised me a lot,” he said, overtaking Brentford Football on Monday night match against Fulham. “Leak time just before the World Cup and the March international break.
“The talk of a potential suspension of up to six months disappointed us and then we share the disappointment that Ivan has trained badly with the England national team, what is it?
“It’s his first time for England, I’ve never met a player who didn’t do his best on the training ground or didn’t make a good impression on the coach.
“I can only talk about Ivan from what I see every day, he is a fantastic person in the group. He has this unique emotional intelligence to be aware of the lowest player, top players and every staff member. He trains well.
“He is clearly the number two in England as a striker, that has been proven by goals and performances.”
Sky Sports News announced on Wednesday that the matter was now back in the hands of the FA.
Toney was originally charged with 232 alleged breaches of betting rules in November, shortly before the announcement of England’s 2022 World Cup squad, with allegations relating to incidents that occurred between February 2017 and January 2021. The following month, Toney was charged with a further 30 alleged breaches FA betting regulations.
Toney’s statement on Instagram read: “I was shocked and disappointed by yesterday’s and today’s press speculation about the FA’s investigation process regarding me after the FA informed me that it is a confidential process until any decision is made.
“It is especially worrying for me to read that the FA is saying I will be banned from football for six months before a hearing has even taken place and I am worried about the process.
“My lawyers will be writing to the FA asking them to investigate the leak as this is the second time these stories have been reported in the newspapers – the last time was just before England’s World Cup selection.
“As I continue to hear that the investigation is to be kept confidential, I am unable to comment further and will continue to focus on my football.”
The FA will now review Toney’s response to the allegations before setting a hearing date. It will then be up to the Independent Regulatory Commission to issue a verdict and issue a further penalty.
The committee will decide whether to drop or uphold the charges Toney denied based on the evidence and will take into account his unique set of circumstances. They will then look at all offenses together before deciding on punishment.
Sky Sports News understands that Toney faces at least six months of disqualification if found to have bet on his own team. He played for Scunthorpe, Wigan, Peterborough and Brentford between 2017 and 2021.
It is in Brentford’s interest that Toney be banned as soon as possible so that he can be available for as many matches as possible next season. The possible ban will cover the summer months, and the Bees are in a strong position in the table this season.
What are the soccer betting rules?
Football betting is prohibited worldwide for all players, managers, coaches, club employees, directors and licensed agents involved in play in the Premier League, EFL, National League, Women’s Super League, Women’s Championship and the North, South and Isthmian leagues .
Prohibited Participants are prohibited from betting, directly or indirectly, on any football match or competition anywhere in the world.
The ban also extends to betting on any other football-related matter, such as player transfers, managerial appointments or team selection.
It is also not allowed to provide inside information to someone who uses it to place bets. Inside information is information that you are aware of because of your position in the game and that is not publicly available, such as injury or team selection information.
You must not use inside information to place bets or instruct others to do so on your behalf. Likewise, you must not provide any other person with inside information that that person uses to place bets.
