Second Premier League footballer risks long ban for allegedly breaking betting rules

FOOTBALL Second Premier League footballer risks long ban for allegedly breaking betting rules

Mark Kinyanjui 21:30 - 12.07.2023

Toffolo's charge comes just over two months after England international Ivan Toney was banned from football for eight months for making over 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules.

Nottingham Forest’s Harry Toffolo has been charged by the Football Association with 375 alleged breaches of betting rules.

The charges relate to alleged breaches of Rule E1(b) between January 22 2014 and March 18 2017.

Toffolo, 27, was at Norwich City from 2014 to 2018 but spent time on loan at Swindon Town, Rotherham United, Peterborough United and Scunthorpe United during that time.

He joined Forest in July 2022 after spells at Millwall, Lincoln City and Huddersfield Town and played 19 times in the Premier League last season.

Toffolo has until July 19 to respond to the charges.

The development occurs just over two months after England international Ivan Toney was in May banned from football for eight months over 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules.

In a statement on Wednesday, the FA said: 'Nottingham Forest's Harry Toffolo has been charged with misconduct in relation to our betting rules.

It's alleged that the defender breached FA Rule E1(b) 375 times between 22 January 2014 and 18 March 2017. Harry Toffolo has until Wednesday 19 July 2023 to provide his response.'

Toffolo, 27, was a consistent feature in Forest's side last season and made 21 appearances in total throughout 2022-23.  

Toffolo's alleged offences comes shortly after Brentford striker Ivan Toney was banned from all football activity for eight months for breaching FA betting rules. 

Toney pleaded guilty to the majority of the 262 betting charges brought by the FA last year, with an independent disciplinary commission imposing an eight-month suspension and £50,000 fine following a hearing this week.

In announcing Toney’s punishment in May, the FA revealed that Toney had admitted to 232 of the 262 charges, with the governing body withdrawing the others. 

The ban will prevent Toney from playing until 16 January next year and is longer than was expected, reflecting both the number of breaches and the fact that the bets were placed over an extended four-year period between February 2017 and January 2021.

In another shock development Toney will not even be permitted to train with Brentford until September, leaving him with no option but to work out on his own in order to stay fit.

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