Thomas Frank hits out at FA for unfair Ivan Toney ban

The Brentford striker has been handed an eight-month ban from playing football.

Thomas Frank has expressed his frustration over FA’s decision to ban Ivan Toney from training with Brentford.

Toney has pleaded guilty to 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules, with the FA banning him from playing football for eight months.

The England international is also banned from training with Brentford for four months. However, Frank believes the FA punishment will not help Toney to move in the right direction.

Speaking on Friday, the Brentford manager said: “Yes, Ivan did something wrong. But what I don’t get at all is how can you not let him be involved in football at all for the first four months?

“What do you gain from that? If you want to rehabilitate people you give them education, you do something, and now he is left on his own.

“There’s no doubt for me that the first four months he could be involved in football. He should be forced to go into a hundred schools to tell them about his football and background, that’s how it should work. But I’m a football coach, what do I know?

“If I can’t speak to him, then they will have to ban me. If I am not allowed to speak to him on a support level there must be something wrong. I think you’re allowed to contact people even when they’re in prison aren’t you? So I think I’m allowed.”