Ivan Toney: Brentford boss Thomas Frank criticises striker's eight-month ban for breaking FA betting rules

Brentford striker Ivan Toney's eight-month prohibition is simply a "massive reminder" that the narration betwixt shot and the gambling manufacture needs to beryllium reviewed, brag Thomas Frank says.

On Friday it was revealed that Toney was fixed a reduced prohibition because of a diagnosed gambling addiction.

"Football and gambling's narration needs a review," said Frank.

"We got a monolithic reminder. The authorities person a monolithic task to marque definite we bash this overmuch better."

Toney was charged with 262 betting offences astatine the extremity of 2022 and was handed a prohibition past week aft helium admitted 232 breaches.

He is prohibited from grooming until 17 September and cannot play shot again until 17 January, 2024.

"Yes, Ivan did thing incorrect but what I don't get is however tin you not fto him beryllium progressive successful shot astatine each for the archetypal 4 months?" said Frank.

"What bash you summation from that? If you privation to rehabilitate radical you springiness them education, you bash something, and present helium is near connected his own.

"There's nary uncertainty for maine that the archetypal 4 months helium could beryllium progressive successful football, helium should beryllium forced to spell into 100 schools to archer them astir his shot and background, that's however it should work, but I'm a shot coach, what bash I know?"

His comments travel aft enactment from England manager Gareth Southgate this week.

On Wednesday, aft naming his England squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, Southgate said: "What bothers maine is we've got to look aft people. He's injured astatine the moment, what does helium bash astir getting fit?

"How bash we springiness him immoderate operation implicit the adjacent fewer months that helium tin make himself oregon beryllium a amended idiosyncratic astatine the extremity of it?

"I don't similar the thought we conscionable permission somebody, truthful they are not allowed to beryllium a portion of the shot community.

"I don't deliberation that's however we should work, I don't deliberation that's however the champion rehabilitation programmes would work."

Frank agreed with the England brag and added: "It was a fantastic constituent helium made; If you privation to rehabilitate people, you springiness them education. Do we bash capable to amended our players?

"Now we person everything successful place, we volition enactment the program unneurotic to bash our champion to enactment Ivan.

"If I can't talk to him, I conjecture they volition person to prohibition maine arsenic well. If I americium not allowed to enactment him determination indispensable beryllium thing wrong.

"I deliberation you're allowed to interaction radical adjacent erstwhile they're successful situation aren't you? So I deliberation I'm allowed."

Hollywood Bets person been Brentford's garment sponsor successful some of the past 2 seasons

Football and gambling

In March, Brentford were reported to beryllium considering cutting ties with Hollywood Bets who person been their main kit sponsor since July 2021.

A period later, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to retreat gambling sponsorship from the beforehand of their matchday shirts by the extremity of the 2025-26 season.

However, aft the deadline, clubs volition inactive beryllium capable to proceed featuring gambling brands successful areas specified arsenic garment sleeves and LED advertising.

And clubs volition beryllium allowed to unafraid caller shirt-front deals earlier the deadline.

Eight top-flight clubs - Bournemouth, Brentford, Everton, Fulham, Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham - person gambling companies connected the beforehand of their shirts, worthy an estimated £60m per year.