Ben Arthurs Returns After Suspension for Anti-Doping Violation

Ben Arthurs will walk out at Clandeboye Park next month with more than a new season on his shoulders.

The Bangor striker has completed a three-month suspension after an anti-doping test detected a banned substance following an Irish Premiership game in March, clearing him to return for the opening fixture of the 2026-27 campaign.

Arthurs, 28, was tested after Bangor’s match against Glentoran on 10 March, a game the East Belfast side won 4-0. Analysis of his sample produced an adverse analytical finding for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) confirmed on Thursday.

The County Down club moved quickly in April, suspending the forward while saying at the time they were “unable to provide further details” as the investigation unfolded. The details have now arrived, and so has the end of his ban.

Under UKAD regulations, athletes who can prove they used a substance out of competition and not to enhance performance can receive a reduced three-month sanction. 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 match.

That assessment opened the door to the minimum suspension. With a provisional ban imposed on 7 April, the three months have now elapsed. Arthurs has already rejoined pre-season training and is eligible to face Cliftonville at Clandeboye Park on 15 August, when Lee Feeney’s side launch their latest Premiership campaign.

Return to Bangor

For Bangor, it means the return of a proven finisher. This will be Arthurs’ ninth season at the club, where he stands as the second-highest goalscorer in their history, a central figure in the Seasiders’ modern story.

For the player, it is a restart. The stigma of a doping case lingers longer than any three-month absence, and every touch, every goal, will now arrive with that extra layer of scrutiny.

Bangor, though, know exactly what they are getting back: a forward who has carried their attack for years and now has something to repair as well as something to prove.

BBC NI approached the Irish Football Association and the Northern Ireland Football League for comment.