Bangor striker Ben Arthurs has accomplished a three-month ban after an anti-doping take a look at revealed the presence of a banned substance following an Irish Premiership sport in March.
The 28-year-old was suspended by the County Down membership in April, though on the time it was stated the Seasiders had been “unable to supply additional particulars” whereas an investigation befell.
Arthurs was topic to the anti-doping take a look at after his aspect confronted Glentoran on 10 March.
A press release from UK Anti-Doping [UKAD] on Thursday stated: “Evaluation of Mr Arthurs’ pattern returned an adversarial analytical discovering (AAF), for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.”
Below UKAD guidelines, athletes will be issued lowered three-month suspensions “if they’ll set up that they used the substance out-of-competition and in a context unrelated to sport efficiency”.
Arthurs admitted to “ingesting cocaine for leisure functions inside a social setting” and an unbiased professional concluded that the usage of the drug “most definitely” befell earlier than the day of the sport, which Glentoran received 4-0.
With Arthurs’ having been issued with a provisional suspension on 7 April, his ban has been served and, having already returned to pre-season coaching, he’s eligible to face Cliftonville at Clandeboye Park when Lee Feeney’s aspect start their 2026-27 Irish Premiership marketing campaign on 15 August.
It is going to be Arthurs’ ninth season on the membership the place he’s the second high goalscorer of their historical past.
BBC NI approached the Irish Soccer Affiliation and Northern Eire Soccer League for remark.
