FA bans former Scotland international over betting offences

The Football Association (FA) has banned former Sunderland forward Chris Maguire from all football activities for six weeks following multiple breaches of the FA’s betting regulations.

The decision comes after Maguire requested a personal hearing upon partially denying the initial charges put to him by the FA.

English football’s governing body withdrew several charges, and an independent Regulatory Commission imposed a £750 fine and a warning, which the FA subsequently appealed.

The appeal board allowed the FA’s appeal and said the forward’s additional suspension had been served after being backdated to 22 November 2022.

The fine and warning remain in place.

Brentford forward Ivan Toney is also being investigated by the FA, for 262 alleged breaches of betting rules. Toney was given until January 4 2023 to appeal the charges, and at the time of writing, there is no outcome to this case.

Maguire’s ban is the latest in a number of several high-profile players that have been previously charged and found guilty of breaking the FA’s betting rules.

Newcastle United and England star Kieran Trippier was banned from all footballing activity for 10 weeks and given a £70,000 fine in 2020 after telling a friend to bet on his move to Atletico Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in August 2019.

Daniel Sturridge was given a four-month ban and a £150,000 fine after it was found that he had told his brother to beat on a move to La Liga side Sevilla in January 2018.

Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton was handed an 18-month ban in 2017 for placing 1,260 bets over the course of a decade. He retired from football after he was handed the ban despite the ban being reduced to five months after an appeal.

Lastly, Wycombe Wanderers forward Scott Kashket was suspended for two months in January 2020 for placing 183 bets on football. Kashket was also issued with a £3,446 fine and a warning.