Former Tottenham, Newcastle and Norwich footballer Sebastien Bassong will have to pay a total of £565 for travelling on the London Underground using someone else’s staff card. On 30 October, a court in Wimbledon found him guilty of travelling without a valid ticket.
The incident took place in May this year, when the 40-year-old former Cameroon international was stopped by a Transport for London employee while passing through the ticket barriers. He was found to be carrying an Oyster card belonging to the former girlfriend of the man accompanying him. The card entitled its holder to free travel across London’s entire transport network.
The man accompanying Bassong explained the situation by saying that the footballer was “experiencing financial and personal difficulties due to a divorce and problems at work”. The statement was submitted in the case before the court’s ruling.
The fine imposed by the court is £220. An additional £7 was charged for the cost of the journey and court costs, bringing the total amount owed to £565. Bassong has 28 days to make the payment. After ending his football career, Bassong runs a business in the field of motivational coaching. In June, he was in Burgas for Stiliyan Petrov’s charity match.