29 Soccer Players Caught Drink Driving

15. El Hadji Diouf

The former Bolton Wanderers striker was found drink driving with 54mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The allowed limit is 35mg. Diouf told the magistrate that he had three glasses of champagne to celebrate Bolton’s win against Charlton. He was banned from driving for a year and fined £5,000.

14. Micheal Pook

The young Swindon Town player was banned from driving for 19 months and was asked to take part in a drink-drive rehabilitation course. He was stopped by police in November 2005 for speeding and drink driving. The 19 year old was fined £300.

13. Eidur Gudjohnsen

The then Chelsea striker was arrested on suspicion of drink driving in February 2005. Newspaper reports suggested Gudjohnsen had been out celebrating his winning goal in Chelsea’s 1-0 win away at Everton the previous day.

12. Dietmar Hamann

The 34 year old Manchester City holding midfielder crashed into someone and failed to stop. He was fined £7,000 and given a driving ban for six months. Hamann had a previous offence when he smashed his Porsche into a fence in Cheshire, which he never reported to the police.

11. Leighton James

The former Wales footballer was caught drink driving in May 2007 and was found having almost two times the legal limit of alcohol when he was speeding near Swansea. The BBC Wales football pundit was banned for 16 months, ordered to pay £575 and suggested to complete a drink-driving course.

10. Michael Essien

The Chelsea holding midfielder was arrested on suspicion of drink driving in April 2007 and was suspended from Chelsea’s Champions League clash against Liverpool the following day. He was stopped by police after speeding on the Old Kent Road in his black Range Rover.

9. Malcolm Allen

The former Wales international footballer received a two years suspended sentence for drink driving, and a ban for 27 months after admitting to drinking 10 pints of beer before getting behind the wheel in February 2008.

8. Matty Pattison

The Norwich City player was arrested for drink driving in March 2008 in a bizarre incident which was originally reported with him caught behind the wheel in only his underpants. However, it was later reported he was fully clothed. The magistrates fined him £2,300 and banned him from driving for 20 months.

7. Matthew Etherington

Etherington, then a West Ham United player, was caught speeding in his Land Rover in April 2008 and was fined £2,000. He admitted to having a few beers in a nightclub.

6. Luke McCormick

The most unfortunate incident of drink driving happened when Plymouth Argyle goal keeper Luke McCormick was responsible for the deaths of two young boys when his car crashed into them in June 2008. The boys’ father, Philip Peak, was also badly injured in the incident. McCormick was sentenced to a seven year imprisonment in October that year.

5. Jamie Tandy

The former Manchester City youngster who had a cigar stubbed in his eye by Joey Barton, crashed into a lampost in August 2008. He was given a suspended prison sentence in January 2009 and banned from driving for 36 months.

4. Nick Jordan

The 18-year old Exeter City player crashed his Renault Clio into a Volkswagen van in September, 2008. He had double the amount of permitted alcohol in his blood but tried to escape the magistrate’s decision by claiming had drank two cans of lager after the crash happened. The police had sniffer dogs search for the cans but none were found and he was given a £120 fine. The reserve goalkeeper pleaded that he earned only £580 a month and was ready to produce a wage slip. Luckily for the player, Exeter City offered all the support to rebuild his life and career.

3. Fabian Delph

In a more recent incident, the 19 year old Leeds United sensation was caught drunk behind the wheel in December 2008. The police reported that he was arrested for speeding and drink driving and charged for the offence. Delph came through the Leeds United youth ranks and only earned a professional contract last January.

2. Shane White

Plymouth Argyle hit the headlines yet again for a drink driving incident when youngster Shane White was caught drink driving in January 2009. His contract was terminated this month but the club refused to comment whether or not it was linked with the recent charges brought against him.

1. John Obi Mikel

Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel was the latest player to be arrested in connection with drink driving and concludes our list.  He was arrested in the early hours of Saturday 24 January and was not part of the team which went on to beat Ipswich Town in the FA Cup that afternoon. The Nigerian international is due in court in April 2009.

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