Ben Arthurs Returns After Doping Ban

Ben Arthurs will walk back out at Clandeboye Park next month with a ban behind him and a spotlight firmly in front.

The Bangor striker has completed a three‑month suspension after an anti-doping test detected a banned substance in the wake of an Irish Premiership match against Glentoran on 10 March.

The 28-year-old was stood down by the County Down club in April, when the Seasiders confirmed only that they were “unable to provide further details” while an investigation unfolded. Those details are now clear.

In a statement on Thursday, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) confirmed that analysis of Arthurs’ sample produced an adverse analytical finding for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.

Under UKAD regulations, athletes can receive a reduced three-month sanction if they prove the substance was taken out of competition and not to enhance performance. Arthurs admitted ingesting cocaine “for recreational purposes within a social setting”, and an independent expert concluded the drug use most likely occurred before the day of the Glentoran game, which Bangor lost 4-0.

That assessment opened the door to the minimum suspension. The clock started on 7 April, when Arthurs was provisionally suspended, meaning his ban has now been fully served.

He has already returned to pre-season training and is eligible to play when Lee Feeney’s side launch their 2026-27 Irish Premiership campaign at home to Cliftonville on 15 August. It will mark Arthurs’ ninth season at Bangor, where he stands as the club’s second-highest goalscorer of all time.

His case lands in the first year of formal doping control in the Irish Premiership and Women’s Premiership, introduced in 2024 through joint funding from the Irish Football Association (IFA) and the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL). The system is new; the scrutiny is not going away.

BBC NI approached the IFA and NIFL for comment.