Nottingham Forest: Harry Toffolo’s punishment has been lifted for ‘clear and compelling’ grounds, according to the commission.
According to an independent regulatory body, there were “clear and compelling” reasons to lift Harry Toffolo’s football suspension.
The Football Association has imposed a five-month suspension on the Nottingham Forest defender, 28, for 375 betting rule violations.
The moratorium has been lifted till the end of 2024-25. In addition, he was fined £20,956.
According to FA criteria, there should be a sporting consequence, but “substantial mitigation” meant a lesser punishment.
Toffolo bet 375 times on football events between 22 January 2014 and 18 March 2017.
During that time, the independent committee charged with deciding Toffolo’s penalty was informed that “for a variety of reasons, his mental health was at a very low ebb.”
The commission stated in its written grounds for censure that the bets “were the result, at least in large part, of the significant mental health challenges” that Toffolo was facing at the time.
Toffolo expressed “genuine regret” for making the bets and has volunteered to assist the FA in its education campaign, to discourage other players from gambling, and to aid young players in dealing with mental health concerns, an offer that the commission expects Toffolo to “make good on.”
The commission also stated that if not for the mitigating circumstances, it would have issued a 10-month suspension.
Toffolo wagered $15 on his own side at the time, the vast bulk of which were accumulators. He also gambled 25p on himself to score in the League One play-off final in 2015, which Swindon lost 4-0 to Preston.
Toffolo claimed he was unaware he was forbidden from betting on football until he joined Lincoln City from Millwall in June 2018, but the commission ruled that “ignorance of the rule” is not an excuse./origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2023/09/13/3784215-76974228-2560-1440.jpg)
Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney was banned for eight months and fined £50,000 in May after acknowledging 232 betting violations.
His punishment was lowered from 11 months to six months after the 27-year-old was diagnosed with a gambling addiction.
