Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett: Derby County stars charged with drink-driving

cabbles said:

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

Derby club statement:

As a club, we cannot, and do not, condone the actions of a small group of players on Tuesday evening.

The players were out as part of a scheduled team-building dinner with staff and while the majority of them acted responsibly and left at around 8pm and were not involved, a small group, including the team captain Richard Keogh, continued drinking into the night. They should have known when to stop and also ignored the opportunity to be driven home using cars laid on by the club, and chose to stay out.

As a result of an alcohol-related incident, Richard Keogh has sustained a serious knee injury that will prevent him from playing until the end of the season.

The players involved in the incident on Tuesday evening will be subject to a rigorous internal investigation under the club’s code of conduct and disciplinary procedures, but over and above any punishment they receive we will be expecting them to become involved with the excellent work the Community Trust does helping the communities we serve.

We have been very clear about our attitude towards alcohol and the players know that at certain and specific times of the season they are permitted a drink together as a group in a controlled environment.

Those involved in Tuesday’s incident know they will pay a heavy price for their actions, but also that we will support them with their rehabilitation back into the squad and team.

We fully support the work of our partners at Drinkaware and the unsanctioned actions of this small group of players is totally at odds the stance that both Drinkaware and Derby County Football Club take regards alcohol. We will be using this situation to redouble our efforts in highlighting the dangers posed by alcohol.

We would also like to thank the emergency services for their swift help.

With things like this, football clubs are in a really shit position.  Compare this to the real world, where such an incident could result in you losing your job, for football clubs, it's not that simple.  Their loss would be someone else's gain.  They have to face discipline, and I'd be minded to fine them all their wages, as they're now being paid for their own negligence (Keogh), but that would be flouting numerous employment laws and it will never happen.

It's ridiculous.  How much is Keogh on?  I bet it's at least £10,000 a week.  Imagine any one of us going to our employer and saying, got in a car last night with my colleague/mate, he was smashed and over the limit, I've been involved in accident, can't work for a year now, but can you still pay me.

I would like to think there is some provision in his contract for reduced wages as a result of his stupidity 

Was thinking this as well.

I know he's captain and been there years but he's out injured for months because he's been an idiot. Surely they have a strong case to just sack him (like Sunderland did with Darron Gibson).

If i was the Derby owner no way would i be wanting to pay Keogh 10k a week for the next 8 months and nor should he have to.

"They drink when they want, they drink when they want, Derby County, they drink when they want"

cafcdave123 said:

cabbles said:

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

Derby club statement:

As a club, we cannot, and do not, condone the actions of a small group of players on Tuesday evening.

The players were out as part of a scheduled team-building dinner with staff and while the majority of them acted responsibly and left at around 8pm and were not involved, a small group, including the team captain Richard Keogh, continued drinking into the night. They should have known when to stop and also ignored the opportunity to be driven home using cars laid on by the club, and chose to stay out.

As a result of an alcohol-related incident, Richard Keogh has sustained a serious knee injury that will prevent him from playing until the end of the season.

The players involved in the incident on Tuesday evening will be subject to a rigorous internal investigation under the club’s code of conduct and disciplinary procedures, but over and above any punishment they receive we will be expecting them to become involved with the excellent work the Community Trust does helping the communities we serve.

We have been very clear about our attitude towards alcohol and the players know that at certain and specific times of the season they are permitted a drink together as a group in a controlled environment.

Those involved in Tuesday’s incident know they will pay a heavy price for their actions, but also that we will support them with their rehabilitation back into the squad and team.

We fully support the work of our partners at Drinkaware and the unsanctioned actions of this small group of players is totally at odds the stance that both Drinkaware and Derby County Football Club take regards alcohol. We will be using this situation to redouble our efforts in highlighting the dangers posed by alcohol.

We would also like to thank the emergency services for their swift help.

With things like this, football clubs are in a really shit position.  Compare this to the real world, where such an incident could result in you losing your job, for football clubs, it's not that simple.  Their loss would be someone else's gain.  They have to face discipline, and I'd be minded to fine them all their wages, as they're now being paid for their own negligence (Keogh), but that would be flouting numerous employment laws and it will never happen.

It's ridiculous.  How much is Keogh on?  I bet it's at least £10,000 a week.  Imagine any one of us going to our employer and saying, got in a car last night with my colleague/mate, he was smashed and over the limit, I've been involved in accident, can't work for a year now, but can you still pay me.

I would like to think there is some provision in his contract for reduced wages as a result of his stupidity 

i would imagine that the clubs lawyers will be going through their contracts to see if their is a breach of contract.

it's surely gross misconduct under any work contract ?!?!

videos of them going around of downing pints and being sick in toilets - this isnt a case of having a couple and being marginally over the limit 

fucking idiots. 

golfaddick said:

I'm just waiting for the usual bollox that gets spouted regarding players on big money......." its a short career & they might get injured one day & their big fat pay day will be over..."

Sack them. Derby shouldnt care how much they paid for them or what they might recoup sometime later down the line. They broke the law & by looking at the state of one of the cars involved could have killed themselves or another driver. 

Or just leave them rotting. Garden leave for the rest of their contracts. Not even playing for the reserves/U23's. See how 2-3 years of doing nothing helps "bag" a big payday somewhere else.

Arguing against yourself there.

Drink driving is nothing to do with players having short careers or whether they should maximise their earnings when they can. 

Drink driving is wrong regardless of the job someone does or how much they earn.

A lot of people will disagree with me here but there is a massive difference between having a couple of pints and driving home and getting in a car pissed. I'm not condoning drink driving at all just saying these things aren't always black and white. 

What these dopes have done is the complete other end of the scale and I'm pretty amazed nobody in the pub questioned them, if someone in my local is on one they have their keys taken off them by regulars or they hand them over to be put in the safe for collection the following day 

What a bunch of ignorant pricks, they play for a perennially underachieving team who pay way over the odds and have done for years to try and get some success and are again looking truly shite this season

Keogh should have known better if the others are seen as that irresponsible and immature even as grown men to do what they did he knew what was going on and was part of it. He wasn't driving but like a lot of people who have a few beers and forget their morals about drink driving he was happy to get in the car with the drunk driver 

https://twitter.com/Kyleguest/status/1177302286940430337

From a criminal law point of view Keogh could be in the clear.
He was a passenger and could claim he didn't know the drivers were drunk or were planning to race.

killerandflash said:

Carter said:

A lot of people will disagree with me here but there is a massive difference between having a couple of pints and driving home and getting in a car pissed. I'm not condoning drink driving at all just saying these things aren't always black and white. 

What these dopes have done is the complete other end of the scale and I'm pretty amazed nobody in the pub questioned them, if someone in my local is on one they have their keys taken off them by regulars or they hand them over to be put in the safe for collection the following day 

What a bunch of ignorant pricks, they play for a perennially underachieving team who pay way over the odds and have done for years to try and get some success and are again looking truly shite this season

Keogh should have known better if the others are seen as that irresponsible and immature even as grown men to do what they did he knew what was going on and was part of it. He wasn't driving but like a lot of people who have a few beers and forget their morals about drink driving he was happy to get in the car with the drunk driver 

Which is why this will surely end in prison rather than just a driving ban

As for Keogh, how stupid/pissed must you be to get in a car that's being driven by someone that's seriously pissed? He's not a teenager, he's the club captain and should have been the one taking control of the situation and ordering taxis

no chance, unless they have previous it'll be a ban and community service (which as they are famous footballers will be a bit of football training at a local school)

cafcdave123 said:

killerandflash said:

Carter said:

A lot of people will disagree with me here but there is a massive difference between having a couple of pints and driving home and getting in a car pissed. I'm not condoning drink driving at all just saying these things aren't always black and white. 

What these dopes have done is the complete other end of the scale and I'm pretty amazed nobody in the pub questioned them, if someone in my local is on one they have their keys taken off them by regulars or they hand them over to be put in the safe for collection the following day 

What a bunch of ignorant pricks, they play for a perennially underachieving team who pay way over the odds and have done for years to try and get some success and are again looking truly shite this season

Keogh should have known better if the others are seen as that irresponsible and immature even as grown men to do what they did he knew what was going on and was part of it. He wasn't driving but like a lot of people who have a few beers and forget their morals about drink driving he was happy to get in the car with the drunk driver 

Which is why this will surely end in prison rather than just a driving ban

As for Keogh, how stupid/pissed must you be to get in a car that's being driven by someone that's seriously pissed? He's not a teenager, he's the club captain and should have been the one taking control of the situation and ordering taxis

no chance, unless they have previous it'll be a ban and community service (which as they are famous footballers will be a bit of football training at a local school)

or maybe not if what is doing the rounds is to be believed.

 idiots

I've see them on twitter, probably not for posting here, 

I’ve seen the WhatsApp screen grabs and heard the voice note as well.  Utter twats 

golfaddick said:

I'm just waiting for the usual bollox that gets spouted regarding players on big money......." its a short career & they might get injured one day & their big fat pay day will be over..."

You really are odd .
what the fuck has someone maximising their earnings got to do with twunts drink driving 
whether they are on £200/£2,000/£20,000 a week is irrelevant, whether they’re loyal footballers who stayed at the same club all their life , whether they jump from club to club to get as much money as possible is not relevant to their behaviour 

or are they more likely to drink drive if they moved for big money than rather stay loyal to their club .

Leeds fans walking to the station after the game:

’He should have walked home
he should have walked home.
Richard Keogh
he should have walked home.’

amused me, anyway.