Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been hit with an eight-month ban after admitting breaches of betting rules. Toney was charged by the Football Association last November for 262 alleged breaches over a four-year period. The 27-year-old – who made his long-awaited England debut in March – admitted to 232 of the counts, with 30 having been subsequently withdrawn. Following a personal hearing an independent regulatory commission imposed Toney’s sanctions, which included a £50,000 fine. He will not be able to play until January 17, 2024, but can train with Brentford from September 17. “Ivan Toney has been suspended from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect for eight months, which runs up to and including 16 January 2024, fined £50,000 and warned as to his future conduct for breaches of the FA’s betting rules,” an FA statement read. “The Brentford FC forward was charged with 262 breaches of FA Rule E8 in total between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021. The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232. “His sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent regulatory commission following a personal hearing. He is permitted to return to training only with his club for the final four months of his suspension starting from 17 September 2023.” The written reasons behind the decision of the independent regulatory commission are to be published “in due course” and will be reviewed by both the FA and Brentford. The Bees chose to make no further comment and will be “considering our next steps”, which could include an appeal against the suspension. Toney scored 20 Premier League goals for the Bees this season, but will now sit out the remaining two matches – at Tottenham and then home to leaders Manchester City – as Thomas Frank’s side look to consolidate a top-10 finish. The loss of Toney, though, is likely to be more keenly felt at the start of the next campaign. Speaking last December following the announcement of the FA’s charges, Frank had been questioned on what the club might do should Toney end up facing a lengthy suspension. “We don’t have anything specific lined up if something should happen,” Frank said. “We are always in the market, we always try to improve the squad so, of course, we are aware of players out there and we have a plan we are following, but no specific one for potentially replacing Ivan.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fit-again Jonny Bairstow ‘buzzing’ to return to England squad after ‘dark times’ James Milner and Roberto Firmino among four leaving Liverpool this summer McGregor’s documentary and Coric’s ice cream love – Wednesday’s sporting social

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Disney has launched a new, cheaper subscription of its streaming service, with ads. The company will let subscribers pay £4.99 for the service if they are willing to have advertising injected at the start of films and inside TV shows. The advertising will be limited and users will see how long those ads are going to last, the company. Disney is just the latest in a range of subscription services, such as Netflix, to launch a cheaper version of the streaming service that is supported by advertising. The changes come amid a cost of living crisis and increasing competition for TV streaming subscriptions. As well as seeing ads, users on the new cheaper tier will be limited to watching two streams at once on one subscription, and will not be able to download offline. Netflix launched its ad-supported tier with similar limits, though it has restricted them somewhat in the time since. On Disney+, the more expensive ad-free tiers include the standard package at £7.99, or £79.90 annually, which has the same video and audio quality as the lower level but allows for downloads on up to 10 devices, while the premium model at £10.99, or £109.90, has improved video and audio quality and allows four devices to watch concurrently. The streaming giant has a host of series including The Bear, Elemental, and Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story. It also launched the new series following the Kardashian-Jenner family last year, titled The Kardashians, which follows on from its predecessor, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, in documenting the personal lives and business ventures of the siblings. General manager of Disney+ Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Luke Bradley Jones, said: “Today’s launch represents a significant milestone for Disney+ in the UK, offering customers the flexibility to select a plan that suits their needs and budget. “All of our customers can enjoy a wide range collection of award-winning original TV series and blockbuster movies, including FX’s The Bear, Elemental, and Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, along with fan favourites like Season 2 of Marvel Studios’ Loki and the latest series of The Simpsons and Grey’s Anatomy.” Deborah Armstrong, country manager of the UK and Ireland for GM Media Networks and advertising EMEA, said: “Disney+ offers advertisers a prime opportunity to join our premium streaming platform, featuring our beloved brands and an exceptional line-up of movies and TV series. “The response from our clients and agencies has been overwhelmingly positive, firmly showcasing the quality of our content and the strong bond our brands share with audiences worldwide. “We’re partnering with a fantastic range of brands in all markets right from day one.” Additional reporting by agencies

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Southampton have confirmed that manager Ruben Selles will not have his contract renewed at the end of the season. A dismal 2022/23 campaign has seen Saints relegated to the Championship, bottom of the Premier League table with one match to play. Ralph Hasenhuttl was dismissed partway through and Nathan Jones appointed, but his tenure was disastrous and short-lived, with Selles taking over from him in February, initially as interim boss. After a positive response and a couple of improved results, Selles was handed the job until the end of the season and was initially bullish about his team’s chances of survival, but a run of just one draw and nine defeats in their last ten has seen them brutally cut adrift and consigned to the drop. Southampton have now confirmed that after talks with the Spaniard, the 39-year-old will not be retained as the south coast club undertake a sweeping overhaul in preparation for life in the second tier. A short statement read: “The club wants to place on record its thanks to Ruben for taking on the managerial position at a difficult time for the club and for giving his all as we attempted to stay in the Premier League. “Ruben will take charge of the team for the final game against Liverpool on Sunday at St Mary’s. We wish him all the best for his future career.” Earlier in the week, Saints also confirmed the departure of Martin Semmens as CEO, a position he had held since 2019. Ownership group Sport Republic announced they were “taking full operational control” with Dragan Solak appointed Chairman of Sport Republic with the mandate to have an active role in overseeing “the activities of the Group” and “supporting the leadership of the club”. Rasmus Ankersen remains in charge of football strategy and Henrik Kraft stays as Saints’ chairman, while also now taking on the role of interim CEO until a replacement for Semmens is confirmed. Jason Wilcox is also arriving at the club this summer as director of football. Read More When does the Premier League transfer window open and close this summer? Supercharged Newcastle’s four key transfer targets to strengthen for Champions League Roberto De Zerbi: Brighton’s Lewis Dunk has been playing through pain barrier

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