Ben Arthurs Targets Fresh Start with Bangor After Three-Month Ban

The wait is over for Bangor’s modern talisman.

Ben Arthurs, the club’s second-highest goalscorer of all time, has completed a three-month suspension after an anti-doping test detected a cocaine metabolite in his system following an Irish Premiership match in March.

The 28-year-old was tested after Bangor’s game against Glentoran on 10 March, a night that ended in a bruising 4-0 defeat. The real damage, though, emerged weeks later.

In April, the County Down club confirmed Arthurs had been suspended but said they were “unable to provide further details” while an investigation was under way. The silence fuelled questions. UK Anti-Doping answered them on Thursday.

UKAD revealed that analysis of Arthurs’ sample produced an adverse analytical finding for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. Under anti-doping regulations, the presence of that substance is a violation, regardless of intent.

The regulations do, however, leave room for mitigation. UKAD rules allow for a reduced three-month ban if an athlete can prove the substance was used out of competition and not to enhance performance.

Arthurs admitted he had taken cocaine “for recreational purposes within a social setting”. An independent expert concluded the drug use most likely occurred before the day of the Glentoran game, not in the immediate build-up to the fixture.

That distinction proved crucial.

With a provisional suspension imposed on 7 April, the clock on his punishment has already run down. The ban is now fully served. Arthurs has quietly rejoined pre-season training and, barring any late twist, will be available for selection when Bangor open their 2026-27 Irish Premiership campaign against Cliftonville at Clandeboye Park on 15 August.

It will mark the start of his ninth season at the club, a remarkable tenure in an era of short contracts and quick exits. His goals have underpinned Bangor’s recent rise; his name sits just one rung below the very top of their all-time scoring charts.

Now comes the hard part: stepping back into the spotlight after a very public fall.

Bangor have yet to make a detailed public statement on his return, while BBC NI has approached the Irish Football Association and the Northern Ireland Football League for comment. The governing bodies’ stance will help shape the wider reaction across the domestic game.

For Arthurs, the equation is simpler. The ban is done. The scrutiny will linger. How he responds when the whistle blows against Cliftonville will define the next chapter of a career that suddenly has something to prove.