March 2017:

FA Statement:

Aston Villa U18s player Jake Humphries has been suspended from all football and football activity for 20 weeks after he admitted a breach of The FA’s Rules on Anti-Doping.

He provided an in-competition urine sample on 19 November 2016, after the game against Reading’s U18s, which contained presence of Carboxy-THC, a metabolite of cannabis greater than the decision limit of 180ng/ml, which is a prohibited substance listed in section eight, Cannabinoids, of schedule three of The FA anti-doping regulations.

As well as the suspension, which is effective from 9 December 2016 up to and including 28 April 2017, the player is also required to undertake and complete a bespoke course of assessment, counselling, treatment and/or rehabilitation, as determined by The FA in conjunction with the PFA, within six months.

He will also be subject to target testing for a period of two years.

Jake Humphries:

“So I lost my footballing opportunity for a few drags on a joint and the FA ban me for eight months.

“Look on the front page of The Sun and an England star’s sniffing cocaine, we'll see how long his ban is. Oh, they won’t even f***ing name him. A shambles.”