Following the gambling related sanctions imposed on Brentford’s Ivan Toney, we are seeing whether his imminent eight-month hiatus is enough to make it into the longest bans in English football history.
- Longest bans in English football range from 11 games right up to 30 years.
- Players have been punished for everything from biting and gambling, to kung-fu kicking and doping.
Toney isn’t the only Premier League striker to feel the wrath of the FA – earlier this season, Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic was handed an eight-game ban following his staggering outburst against Manchester United – he was found guilty of violent conduct and “improper, abusive, insulting and threatening” language towards the referee.
ABSOLUTE SCENES AT OLD TRAFFORD!! 😳
Tempers are flaring as Fulham go from 1-0 up to conceding a penalty and going down to 9-men… 🤯#ITVFootball | @EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/6vWTYNgRGT
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 19, 2023
An eight match ban may seem like an awful long time to be suspended, however Mitrovic’s ban doesn’t even rank in the top ten of the longest in English football.
In light of this, we’re taking a look at 10 of the longest bans in English football history.
Longest Bans in English Football
10. Luis Suarez – 4 Months
Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez is another that’s renowned for his controversial incidents.
Whilst at Liverpool, the forward was banned for racially abusing Patrice Evra, but it isn’t that ban that earns him a spot on this list.
At the 2014 World Cup, when Uruguay faced Italy, Suarez bit Giorgio Chiellini.
It became the third biting incident that Suarez had been accused of in his career.
He was handed a four month ban from all football-related activities, and was still contracted to Liverpool at the time.
A move to Barcelona still materialised, but he missed the first part of the season due to his suspension.
9. Vinnie Jones – 6 Months
Part of the infamous ‘Crazy Gang’ at Wimbledon, Vinnie Jones was widely regarded as one of football’s hardest men.
His style of play was fairly brutal, and he was consistently involved in controversial incidents on the field of play.
Jones has now made a name for himself in the television and film industry, but prior to this he had his fair share of bans in English football.
In a video called ‘Soccer’s Hardest Men’, Jones glorified violence on the pitch. This of course, didn’t make the FA very happy, and subsequently led to him being banned for six months and being fined £20,000.
8. Kolo Toure – 6 Months
Former Manchester City defender Kolo Toure was handed a six month ban back in 2011.
The Ivorian admitted to taking an unspecified substance contained in some water tablets he obtained through his wife.
His legal team tried pushing for a three-month ban so that he could be involved for the start of the following season.
He was given a backdated ban, which meant he could be involved from the start of the season.
7. Adrian Mutu – 7 Months
Romanian striker Adrian Mutu saw his short-lived Chelsea career come to an end after receiving a seven month ban in 2004.
Having made just 26 league appearances for the Blues, Mutu returned a positive test for cocaine, effectively ending his Chelsea career.
He refused to have his B sample tested, but owned up to the wrongdoing.
This led to a lengthy court case where Chelsea looked to gain compensation for his actions.
Mutu still went on to have a long playing career, racking up 77 caps for Romania, and is now the manager of Rapid Bucuresti.
=5. Rio Ferdinand – 8 Months
Shortly after joining Manchester United and becoming England’s most expensive player, Rio Ferdinand was handed an eight-month drug ban in 2003.
The defender had missed a doping test in 2003, and was found guilty of misconduct in an independent tribunal.
This meant Ferdinand had to watch on as Arsenal’s Invincibles won the Premier League title, whilst also being ineligible for England at Euro 2004.
=5. Ivan Toney – 8 Months
As mentioned, Brentford’s Ivan Toney will be banned from stepping onto the pitch for a full eight months effective immediately, after a full-scale investigation unearthed 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules.
He was also slapped with a £50,000 fine as a result, but it isn’t all doom and gloom for the 27-year-old, as he will be able to return to training with the Bees four months before his ban ends in September.
Having scored 20 Premier League goals this season, it will undoubtedly be a devastating blow to Brentford’s preparations for next season, where he won’t feature until 2024.
4. Eric Cantona – 9 Months
Frenchman Eric Cantona had plenty of memorable moments during his time in England, but this incident may be the most memorable.
In 1995, Cantona was shown a red card against Crystal Palace, and had abuse shouted at him by an Eagles fan.
Clearly outraged by the fan’s abuse, Cantona jumped into the crowd and launched a ‘kung-fu’ kick towards the supporter.
This led to him being handed a nine month ban from playing in England.
3. Mark Bosnich – 9 Months
Like Adrian Mutu, Mark Bosnich tested positive for cocaine whilst playing for Chelsea.
He denied ever taking the drug, but admitted it may have entered his system by mistake.
“Yes, I took drugs but only once my career was over. I have no regrets. I owe football absolutely nothing,” Bosnich said upon retiring in 2004.
“At the time of my drugs test in November 2002 I was not taking cocaine… I got talking to a girl who later admitted that she had slipped the drug into her drink. I must have had a sip of her glass.”
Due to his positive test, Bosnich was handed a nine month suspension.
2. Joey Barton – 18 Months
Plenty of controversy surrounded the career of English midfielder Joey Barton.
He spent time in jail for beating up a man in the street, almost punched Ousmane Dabo in Manchester City training, and almost poked someone’s eye out with a cigarette at a Christmas party.
Despite all this, it was something else that saw him receive a massive 18 month ban from football.
It was revealed that Barton had regularly bet on football matches between 2006 and 2016, something which professional footballers are forbidden from doing.
His 10-year betting tenure saw him place 1,260 bets, including some matches that he had played in.
He was charged with criminal activity and was fined £30,000 alongside his 18-month ban – which effectively ended his playing career.
1. Enoch West – 30 Years
English forward Enoch West had a prolific playing career up until his ban.
From Hucknall Torkard, the forward played for Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.
He helped the latter to the league title in 1911 and scored 23 goals in the season that followed.
West was one of eight players to have been involved in a major betting scandal in 1915.
All eight players were handed a lifetime ban but were promised to have their suspensions uplifted if they enlisted in the army and fought in the First World War.
Every one of them, bar West, accepted the condition, with six of the seven returning to the field of play after returning from the war.
West’s teammate Sandy Turnbull was the one who didn’t return to playing, after being killed in the war.
His ban was eventually lifted in 1945 which was thirty years after it had been imposed but he was 59-years-old by then.
To this day, it is believed to be the longest suspension in the history of football.
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