The Diary of a CEOIvan Toney Finally Opens Up About His Ban & Reveals His Preferred Future Team!
CHAPTERS
- 3:00 – 11:45
Street Football, Tough Upbringing, And Early Rejection
Toney describes growing up playing against older kids in Northampton, developing physical resilience and confidence. He recalls being rejected by Leicester at 15, nearly walking away from football, and how his parents pushed him to take a chance at Northampton Town, where he eventually earned a scholarship at the last moment.
- •Playing rough street football with older boys built his toughness and accelerated development.
- •Rejection from Leicester felt like being told he wasn’t good enough for football at all.
- •His parents encouraged him to trial at Northampton after Leicester linked him there.
- •He was the last to be told he’d earned a scholarship, which he saw as a second chance he couldn’t waste.
- •Early exposure to rejection created a fear of it, but also an eventual determination not to experience it again.
- 11:45 – 24:20
Newcastle Move, Scoliosis Shock, And Cruise Control Mentality
Toney recounts almost signing for Wolves before they pulled out citing scoliosis, and then moving to Newcastle at 18. He reflects on the sudden fame, money, and naivety that followed, including bad spending habits and the misconception that simply being at a Premier League club meant he’d ‘made it.’
- •Wolves withdrew their offer after a specialist reported scoliosis and warned he might struggle to walk by 28.
- •Newcastle signing brought crowds, recognition, and a feeling of instant success at 18.
- •He indulged in extravagant spending (e.g., personal shoppers) and mixed with the wrong crowd.
- •In hindsight, he sees that he put the ‘handbrake on’ in terms of effort once he arrived in the Premier League.
- •He would now tell his younger self that getting to a big club is when the hard work truly begins.
- 24:20 – 38:50
Loan Spells, Newcastle Exit, And Reboot At Peterborough
After limited minutes at Newcastle and multiple loan spells, Toney discusses his frustration at being sent out and his mistaken belief he’d always return to the Premier League. Ultimately told Newcastle didn’t think he was ready, he reframed the move to Peterborough as the knockback he needed and transformed his mentality and output.
- •Loans to Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Wigan, and Scunthorpe initially felt like rejection, not development.
- •He admits he stayed mentally in ‘I’m a Newcastle player’ mode, believing he’d go back regardless of performances.
- •Newcastle, via his agent, bluntly conveyed they didn’t think he was good enough at that time.
- •Peterborough’s Steve Evans treated him like a friend, made him the focal point, and explicitly framed goals as a win‑win for club and player.
- •Competition for places and feeling loved drove Toney to 24 goals in 32 League One games.
- 38:50 – 53:50
Becoming A Father, Choosing Brentford, And Inside A Winning Culture
Toney explains how becoming a father sharpened his focus and changed his priorities. He details turning down moves to Rangers and Celtic to join Brentford, where Thomas Frank promised he’d be the main striker, and he outlines the togetherness and humility that underpin Brentford’s overperformance in the Premier League.
- •Fatherhood at 21 made him feel responsible to provide and ‘make his son proud,’ improving his game.
- •He rejected potential moves to Rangers and Celtic, where he’d be one of several strikers, in favor of being Brentford’s main man.
- •Thomas Frank told him directly he would be first choice and challenged him to deliver goals.
- •Brentford’s culture centers on hard work, fearlessness, and clear roles; they respect but don’t fear big clubs.
- •The dressing room is clique‑free, highly mixed culturally, and polices standards like tidiness and humility.
- •Toney insists Brentford will cope without him because their work ethic is non‑negotiable.
- 53:50 – 1:12:10
England Dream, World Cup Heartbreak, And Emotional Impact
After a long climb, Toney earns his first England call‑up but misses the final World Cup squad. He believes the timing of the FA’s betting allegations, released just before the tournament but punished months later, cost him his dream. He opens up about how deeply missing the World Cup hurt and his difficulty expressing emotion.
- •Playing for England was a childhood dream, making discussions about a call‑up feel surreal.
- •He strongly suspects the betting allegations were timed to prevent his World Cup inclusion and create a bigger story.
- •He views missing the World Cup as the biggest punishment of all, even more than the subsequent ban.
- •Toney rarely shows emotion and almost never cries; family notice his pain through withdrawn behavior and snappiness.
- •He acknowledges experiencing low moods bordering on depression but resists seeking professional help due to stubbornness.
- 1:12:10 – 1:35:40
FA Investigation, Betting Breaches, And Gambling Addiction
Toney goes step‑by‑step through the FA investigation, from the first information request to phone and bank scrutiny, a five‑hour interview, and eventually admitting 232 breaches. He maintains there was no match‑fixing, explains why some bets were in others’ names, and discusses being diagnosed with a gambling addiction and deciding to stop betting entirely.
- •The FA requested data going back to 2015; Toney cooperated, handing over phone and bank statements.
- •He initially told investigators he didn’t bet on football, later conceding he ‘couldn’t really remember’ until shown evidence and then admitted the breaches.
- •The commission concluded there was no match‑fixing, no proof he deleted messages, and rejected claims he concealed his identity when opening an account.
- •He accepted responsibility for all 232 breaches, including some bets he says he doesn’t recall, to get the process over with.
- •Toney says some bets using others’ accounts were to hide transactions from his parents, not the FA, though the FA argued it showed rule awareness.
- •He describes his gambling as starting with small ‘flutters,’ escalating with higher wages, and leading to him waiting for payday despite paying bills first.
- •A psychiatrist diagnosed him with a gambling addiction/compulsive disorder, which Toney initially resisted but later accepted; he now says he does not gamble at all.
- 1:35:40 – 2:01:40
Sanction, Mental Health, And Feeling Made An Example
The conversation turns to the eight‑month ban and £50,000 fine: how it was calculated, how it feels, and the added pain of being barred from Brentford’s facilities. Toney believes his profile as a successful Premier League striker and England hopeful led the FA to make an example of him, and he questions the consistency of sanctions and the mental‑health implications of exclusion from his club.
- •The commission started from a 15‑month ban, reduced it for his guilty plea and addiction diagnosis to eight months.
- •Toney thinks his case was used deliberately as a deterrent due to his Premier League status and England proximity.
- •He compares his sanction to lighter punishments in similar or worse lower‑league cases, calling for consistency if his penalty is now the benchmark.
- •He strongly criticizes being banned from training with Brentford, arguing it contradicts football’s mental‑health messaging and could ‘break’ less mentally strong players.
- •Despite hard mornings and ‘football prison’ feelings, he trains intensely with a personal trainer and leans on family support.
- •Public abuse has included restaurants refusing him entry and a car insurer declining cover due to ‘bad press.’
- 2:01:40 – 2:10:40
Racism, Taking The Knee, And Public Perception
Toney shares experiences of racist abuse online and the limited recourse when abusers are abroad or anonymous. He explains why he stopped taking the knee, seeing it as a token gesture that has lost impact, and critiques authorities for insufficiently robust action against racism compared with how harshly other offenses are punished.
- •He’s received around 100 racist messages, often linked to betting outcomes or Fantasy Premier League frustration.
- •Abusers from outside the UK often face no consequences, with authorities saying they can do little.
- •Toney views taking the knee as something players now do almost by habit, not conviction; he likens players to ‘puppets’ for top‑level optics.
- •He believes much more serious, consistent action is needed against racism from both platforms and law enforcement.
- 2:10:40
Countdown To Return, Future Clubs, And Big‑Ambition Mindset
As his return date approaches, Toney talks about thriving under pressure and visualising goals, insisting he’ll come back better. He expresses deep gratitude to Brentford, Southgate, and Thomas Frank for backing him, but also makes clear his ambition to move to a top club, admits he’s a lifelong Liverpool fan who admires Arsenal’s style, and sets out goals of winning the Premier League, World Cup, and becoming England’s main striker.
- •He can rejoin Brentford training on September 17 and play matches from January 17; he’s ‘counting down the days.’
- •Toney insists he thrives off pressure and uses misses as fuel, not reasons to crumble.
- •He credits Brentford’s unwavering support, including public backing from Thomas Frank and Gareth Southgate, with boosting his hunger and loyalty.
- •On a potential transfer, he says he’d be ‘silly’ not to consider a big‑club move for trophies, while stressing the next club must be ‘the right club.’
- •He admits being a Liverpool fan ‘his whole life’ and says he loves watching Arsenal’s football and passion; he name‑checks admiration for Berbatov at Manchester United.
- •Long‑term, he wants to be England’s main striker, win the Premier League and World Cup, and leave a legacy his three sons can be proud of.
- •He plans to raise his children grounded—no automatic private school or pampering—so they understand work and struggle.
