Ben Arthurs Returns After Cocaine Ban as Bangor Striker

The silence around Bangor’s leading marksman is over. Ben Arthurs, the club’s second-highest goalscorer of all time, has completed a three-month suspension after a positive anti-doping test for a cocaine metabolite and is free to pull on the yellow and blue again.

The 28-year-old was tested after Bangor’s Irish Premiership game against Glentoran on 10 March, a match the Seasiders lost 4-0. The routine check did not stay routine for long.

On Thursday, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) confirmed that analysis of Arthurs’ sample produced an adverse analytical finding for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. The case moved quickly behind the scenes, even as the club publicly kept its counsel.

Bangor suspended Arthurs in April, stating at the time they were “unable to provide further details” while the investigation unfolded. What followed was a process that turned on context rather than denial.

Under UKAD rules, athletes who can prove they used a banned substance out of competition and with no link to sporting performance can receive a reduced three-month ban. Arthurs admitted taking 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 fixture.

That assessment proved crucial. It framed the offence as a serious breach, but not one designed to gain an edge on the pitch.

UKAD imposed a provisional suspension on 7 April. By the time Thursday’s statement landed, the clock had already run down. The three months are served. The striker is back in full pre-season training and, barring any late twist, will be available when Lee Feeney’s side open their 2026-27 Irish Premiership campaign against Cliftonville at Clandeboye Park on 15 August.

For Bangor, it means a familiar figure returns at a pivotal moment. Arthurs is heading into his ninth season with the County Down club, a constant presence through promotions, cup runs and the grind of winter campaigns. His goals have underpinned much of Bangor’s modern story; his absence since April has been as notable as his presence usually is in the penalty area.

The episode leaves questions about responsibility, support and the pressures on players outside the full-time bubble, but on a purely footballing level the picture is clear: their main striker is available again, his ban behind him, his reputation to rebuild in front of the same fans who have roared his goals for nearly a decade.