Antonio Neill, the man who sent a racist text to Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney has been handed a three-year ban from all UK stadiums, confirmed on Tuesday, March 14. The case that took place on October 14, 2022, saw Neill direct racist text to the Brentford man who has been in excellent form for both club and country. Toney had raised the concern on his Instagram handle and asked for a police investigation into the matter.

The incident was brought into the limelight by the star striker upon which police carried investigation and found the suspect in Blyth. After an investigation into the matter, Neill pleaded guilty in the case which was investigated by the police as a ‘non-football’ matter as the incident took place outside the ground parameters.

The man had pleaded guilty in the Newcastle Magistrates’ Court in January and was sentenced to jail on Monday. The case has set a unique example in the judiciary system of the UK with non-football activities like racism becoming a big issue in recent times.

Brentford and Northumberland Police are describing this as a “landmark ruling” because it is “the first of its kind to be issued under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022”.

While Toney has won his battle in the racism case, he could be on the receiving end in another case relating to betting. The 26-year-old could be handed a Premier League (PL) ban for breaching the betting policies and could face more action in the coming days.

West London club has been in good form since their promotion to the top flight in 2022 and is already on its way to PL safety this season. The Bees were promoted after 74 years to the English top flight and have taken it to storm under the stewardship of Tomas Frank. They have so far collected 38 points from 25 PL matches and are ninth in the standings.